Star Apple

I ran into my landlord last night as I pulled into our building's garage.

She gave me some fruits to try and told me how to eat them... she called them Breast Fruit... held one up to her chest and said... "because they are like milk from the breast".... uhhhh... Ok, thanks - I'll try it.   :P

I came into my apartment, looked it up and found that, in English, it is called a Star Apple... in Vietnamese they call it Vu Sua, which is translated to: milk from the breast. When cut in half, a star-shape is made (...I cut mine in half the 'wrong' way) ...and the middle of this fruit is a milky white that is very juicy and sweet.

Mai told me to cut the fruit in half and use a spoon to scoop out the soft, juicy white part in the middle. She warned me to not get too close to the outer part, as it can be difficult to digest and does not taste good.

Well... I tried one... and... I'm a fan! Whether it's called a Star Apple or Breast Fruit... I'll eat to that.   :)

I like this article about the Star Apple...

Although there is an abundance of fresh fruits available here, I find that I really miss the fruits from home that are not locally grown here ...like raspberries, peaches, grapefruits, apples, and blueberries. I spent over $75 on groceries last week at an expat grocery store... completely treating myself to fruits, hummus, and cheeses that I normally wouldn't get because of the price! 

...I can buy a bag full of fruits from my corner fruit lady for about one dollar... but one (ONE) grapefruit from this expat grocery store cost 100,000 dong... that is $5.00 USD (FIVE DOLLARS!!).

Ridiculous. ...I will probably splurge every once in a while BUT will continue to stick to the markets for most fruits and veggies.