The locals describe the da da fruit as having a thin skin, a unique sweet and sour taste, and a very distinct aroma when ripe. The da da tree is native to the natural forests of Ninh Thuan. Externally, the da da fruit is round, almost the size of a carambola, with a small, rough skin. When unripe, they are yellow and have a tangy taste, distinct from the sourness of lemons, tamarind, or carambola, yet still fragrant. As the fruit ripens, the skin turns brownish-pink with subtle veins. The flesh inside is firm and either ivory or yellow.
The da da fruit has a sweet and sour taste and a distinctive aroma when ripe, enchanting anyone who tries it.
In addition to being consumed directly as a fruit, the people of Ninh Thuan also use da da fruit to make syrup, jam, and juice… These are all summer specialties favored by tourists.
“My friend mistook the da da fruit for a northern plum because of their similar appearance, but da da is smaller and has a rougher skin. When I was young, I often went with the neighborhood kids to pick da da fruits during lunchtime. We would choose the ripest and juiciest ones to eat right off the tree, and the rest we would put in baskets or plastic bags to eat later as snacks. If fully ripe, da da is very sweet with little sourness, but if unripe, it has a mix of both flavors.”
“Now, this fruit has become a specialty. Many people in my hometown grow a few trees in their gardens to harvest and sell by the roadside to tourists. It usually costs around 20,000-30,000 VND per kilogram,” said Ms. Chinh, a resident of Ninh Thuan.
According to Ms. Chinh, da da fruit is typically sold in villages such as An Xuan, An Hoa, Thuy Loi, and Ho Diem, or in local markets. Tourists often seek out this fruit when visiting. For just a few thousand dong, you can buy a handful of da da fruits to dip in salt and chili, a combination that is both sweet and sour and quite appealing. Despite not being as famous as grapes or apples, this wild fruit still holds a unique place in the region’s cuisine, offering a rustic and natural flavor.
Da da has a thin skin and resembles northern plums in shape.
“Da da fruits ripen in large quantities. Because the skin is thin and prone to bruising, I usually sell them within 1-2 days. For customers who live far away, I package and preserve the fruits with utmost care to ensure they arrive intact and delicious,” said Ms. Anh, a da da fruit vendor in the online market. “This fruit used to grow wild, but now it has caught the attention of city dwellers. At the beginning, I could sell tens of kilograms a day.”
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