Petite Thai & Robust Vietnamese

I’ve written previously about the chiku fruit (known as the “fruit of life” in Chinese), and about my wondrous first experience of it.

Since then I have been eating and enjoying these fruits on a very regular basis, especially seeing how the current season seems rather extended. I’ve always bought the Vietnamese variety. However, the other day, I decided to give the Thai version a test-run.

While both are chiku fruits, the two varieties are quite different both in appearance and taste. The Vietnamese is a rounded oval shape, with medium brown colored skin that is flecked with yellow and green tones. The Thai, in contrast, is petite, elongated and slender, with a reddish-brown mien that is almost suede-like to the touch.

Inside, the Thai yields a smoother flesh, with a more refined, less grainy texture than the more robust Vietnamese. However, the latter satisfies more with its luscious, voluptuous sweetness and full-bodied, velvety caramel flavors. The Thai seems almost bland in comparison. The sweetness is more subtle and delicate. It is more of an aftertaste of sweetness rather than an emphatic and attention-grabbing lead note. It doesn’t have the assertive caramel aromas of its Vietnamese cousin. I personally think that is one of the biggest appeals of the chiku fruit – that distinctive sweet, nectar-like caramel flavor. Certainly, that is the part I like most about eating the chiku.

While we are on the subject of the Vietnamese chiku, maybe I should elaborate a little on the choosing and eating of this fruit. Since I first wrote about it back in February, I’ve received feedback that some people’s experiences of the fruit have been a lot less than what I had described.

Since that first, almost orgasmic, experience of the chiku, I too have encountered quite a few unsatisfactory experiences with the fruit. I think there are several reasons for this. Most of the fruits sold here in Singapore are picked well before they are ready. This allows the producers time enough to ship them, and gives our local retailers a sizeable storage window, to ensure they can maximize the display life of the fruit. All this just means that the fruits are ripened in storage. Not the best way for any fruit.

However, that doesn’t mean wonderful tasting fruits can’t be found. I think for the greater part, the chiku does manage to ripen well under such less-than-perfect conditions. But there are also quite a few duds in each mound of chiku. These are bland, with a watery, squishy texture that reminds me of a raw potato!

So, what to do? This is by no means scientific or a sure-fire rule, but I’ve found quite often that the less visually appealing fruits tend to ripen a lot better than the “prettier” looking ones! The chikus with the smooth, even coloring and blemish-free skin seem to ripen less readily and successfully than those that may have slight mottling or roughened skin. Certainly gives new meaning to the saying that “it’s not what’s on the outside, but what’s on the inside, that counts”! In this case, the treasure certainly seems to be the beauty within, and not the appearance with-out!

I think it is also important to choose fruits that yield a tiny bit to slight thumb pressure. (But please don’t go pressing every chiku in sight at the supermarket or the wet market, or I’ll have a bunch of irate grocers pounding on my door! ) Then, when these come home, just let them sit outside for 1-2 days (they don’t ripen so well in the fridge I find). And usually they come to their caramel-y and sweet peak when they are soft to the touch. Not just yielding slightly to pressure, but soft. Yet not mushy. It should be at a softness beyond what would normally be deemed “ripe” in other types of fruit.

One caveat. The fruits have to be watched rather carefully when left out to ripen. My own experience is that they can tip from ripe to over-ripe very quickly. Sometimes within a matter of a half day or so, especially in our very warm and humid climate. So, if need be, I get them into the fridge just before they peak and let them finish ripening in the fridge.

And so far I’ve experienced many lip-smacking encounters with the chiku. I’m still well in love with this fruit!

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