Mac kham, also known as wild tamarind, is a type of tree that grows wild, appearing a lot in the Northwestern mountainous areas of our country… To grow well and produce berries, the makham tree often grows in areas sparsely mountainous areas with lots of light
Mac kham trees grow in bright places, with a normal height of 5 – 7m, sometimes more. The makham tree has small leaves (like a tamarind tree), two rows of leaves arranged tightly together, divided into 2 rows, looking like phoenix leaves. Flowers in April – May every year; Small yellow flowers grow in clusters in the armpits.
Mac kham fruit has a small round finger shape, light green color, smooth and hard skin, 6-segmented flesh and very faint ridges. Mac kham usually ripens in August – 10 every year.
When ripe, the fruit is quite crunchy. At first it has a sour taste and after a long time you will feel the sweetness gradually soften. In the summer, mak kham is considered a cooling fruit for ethnic people when working in the fields.
Ms. Tran Quynh Tuyet (Dong Da) is a small trader specializing in importing Western specialty fruits. Bac returned to Hanoi and said: “Office workers in Hanoi really like to eat this fruit. But because mac kham trees only grow wild, the quantity is very small and very rare. Some years they cannot even be imported to Hanoi to sell.
However, this is also a fruit that very few people know about and is only a snack for office ladies because the bitter taste of mac kham is not liked by many people. Last year, the epidemic situation was not too stressful I directly import mac kham from Cao Bang to sell about 100 kg at a price of about 70,000 – 100,000 VND/kg depending on the beginning of the season and the middle of the season.
Mak kham can be used as pickled mac kham dish. The sour, spicy, salty and sweet taste blends with the crispy, slightly bitter mac kham on the lips like a gift with all the flavors of the Northwest mountains and forests.
Mak kham is suitable for the taste of many people and locals. close again. Choose to buy mac kham fruits that are round, beautiful, not deep, just ripe and have a yellow-green color. Next, wash the mac kham fruit, let it dry, then lightly crush the fruit (do not crush it) and put it in a bowl. Pour the vinegar into a large bowl, add white sugar, salt, chopped fresh coriander and chili to best taste.
Finally, pour the mixture into the bowl containing the mac kham, make sure the vinegar completely covers the mac kham. and stir thoroughly so that the spices are absorbed into the mac kham.
The longer the pickled mac kham lasts, the better it tastes. It can last for several months when stored in the refrigerator. When eating the crispy marinated mac kham fruit, it melts in the mouth and has a slightly bitter and sour taste, a little salty from the spicy salt of chili peppers, especially when swallowed, it still lingers on the tip of the tongue and throat.
If If you have the opportunity to buy this special forest fruit, try the above recipe right away!
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