Mangosteen salad, the famous south-western specialty, is prepared in an original way in Phong Dien, particularly at the Lung Cot Cau tourist site. In this tourist area, Mangosteen trees are old trees. For the preparation of the salad, we choose adult fruits whose bark remains green. It takes a long time to remove the soft, crisp flesh because the green bark is hard and resinous. Mangosteens are first bathed in lightly salted water to neutralize the resin. They are then peeled with a knife and under the tap to prevent the resin from sticking to the pulp. The flesh of the fruit is then soaked in iced lemon juice so that it remains crisp and retains its natural white color and the remaining resin comes off. For the aesthetic concern and the integral tasting of the dish, the prepared flesh is cut into rings, keeping the seeds. The salad is garnished, to the taste of the customers, with farm chicken, shrimp, or pork.
The crunchy slices with the sweet and sour taste of the flesh of the fruit, acre of the seeds make the dish very appetizing. The subtle flavor of this specialty is enhanced by the umami taste of pork, shrimp, as well as the good smell of fried onion, peanuts, and aromatic herbs.
Source: Can Tho Newspapers - Translated by Hoang Dat