During the Lunar New Year, alongside Buoi Dien, Cam Canh is a highly sought-after fruit. Unlike other types of oranges, Cam Canh, grown in Van Canh village, Hoai Duc, Hanoi, is small but boasts a distinctively sweet and refreshing taste with a unique fragrance. While Cam Canh is now cultivated in various places, not all can match the original flavor.
Therefore, to help you choose the best Cam Canh for the Tet holiday, here are some tips and tricks from long-time Cam Canh growers in Hoai Duc, Hanoi:
Tips for Choosing the Best Cam Canh for Tet
– Observing Shape and Size
When buying Cam Canh, pay attention to the shape and size of the fruit. According to experienced growers, the highest-quality Cam Canh are small as smaller fruits tend to accumulate more flavor. Larger fruits are often of lower quality.
– Color Observation
Many people believe that the tastiest Cam Canh must have a beautiful, uniform red color. However, this is not always true. Experienced growers explain that the color of Cam Canh depends on the gardening techniques of each household. For example, if the oranges are sprayed with chemicals at the right time, they will have a beautiful, even color. If the spraying is done at the wrong time, the oranges will turn dark or yellow.
However, the growers emphasize that the best Cam Canh are those with a mix of red and yellow or green and yellow, or even slightly bruised fruits, rather than brightly orange ones.
– Examining the Peel
In addition to shape and color, you should also consider the peel of the Cam Canh. The highest-quality Cam Canh has a smooth and thin peel. The navel of the orange is slightly concave, and the smaller the navel, the sweeter the fruit. The area around the navel is slightly raised, indicating the presence of the orange segments underneath. When touched, the orange should feel slightly soft, not too hard, and you should be able to sense its juiciness. As for the stem end, it should be full and slightly concave, not convex.
– Taste Test
One of the best ways to determine the quality of Cam Canh is to taste it. The best Cam Canh feels firm, has thin skin, and juicy segments. When eaten, it should taste sweet and delicious, without any bitterness or sourness.
Cam Canh That Should Be Avoided
– Avoid oranges with two distinct colors, half dark green, and half red-yellow. Experienced growers explain that these oranges come from trees infested with pests or diseases. The red-yellow segments may taste sweet, but the green parts will be bland and dry.
– When buying, gently squeeze the orange. If it feels hard at the top and bottom, it’s best to avoid it as it may be diseased and inedible.
– Oranges with green peels are likely diseased and will taste bland.
– Oranges with bumpy peels are usually dry and tasteless.
– Soft and mushy oranges should also be avoided as they may have been damaged during transportation.
Signs of Cam Canh from China to Be Wary Of
Cam Canh from China is also sold in Vietnam, and to distinguish it from the local variety, keep the following signs in mind:
– Cam Canh from China tends to have thicker peels and hollow insides. If the fruit feels hard, it’s likely to be dry.
– The fruits are uniformly large and flat, with attractive, shiny colors.
– The stem end is deeply concave or missing altogether.
– Notably, Cam Canh from China is bland, less sweet, and less aromatic, and the segments are not juicy.
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