Strawberry can be used to make tasty salad mixes with other fruits and vegetables. (Photo: cookpad.vn) Da Lat temperate climate and suitable land produce a uniquely aromaticstrawberry with special fragrance and taste, said Da Lat resident Nguyen HoangVinh, who has been growing the fruit for some 30 years.
The main strawberry crop starts in the dry season from November to April thefollowing year, Vinh said, noting that with favourable conditions andclimate, the fruit here is fresh and beautiful with high quality, firm andsweet. It has become a must-try fruit for many visitors and travellers to thisCentral Highland city.
The fruit was brought to Da Lat by the French in the early 20thcentury, making Da Lat the oldest location in Vietnam to grow these tastystrawberries, Vinh said.
Vinh then told a folk tale about the origin of strawberry plants. A fairy wasassigned by her father, the Jade Emperor, to grow a special plant in her royalgarden, so the fairy toured the lower world’s beautiful gardens to talk withtheir owners about how to create a new kind of plant.
The fairy came upon a beautiful garden, much like others she had visited, butthe mood of the young female gardener there drew the fairy into the garden. Thebeautiful girl had a sad face, but it seemed that her heart was calling. Thegirl picked up a piece of earth and made dots on it, each dot captured a waveof love surging up from her heart, and a new kind of plant came into being.
The fairy came to the girl and said: “This is a new plant; put it in the groundand care for it with all the love from your heart. When the fruit is ripe, pickit and present it to a man you love and happiness will certainly come.”
The fairy named the plant Strawberry, then she flew back to heaven.
The girl was very surprised to see that the earth in her hands had sprouted ayoung plant. She placed it on the ground and took care of it very carefully.The plant grew day after day until one day she discovered the first redstrawberries on it. When these fruits were ripe their fragrance spreadthroughout the whole garden, and the girl was blessed with happiness.
Strawberry has now become the main crop of Da Lat and itssurrounding areas. Great quantities of quality fruits are supplied to marketsand supermarkets nationwide, Vinh said.
“It not only helps farmers earn stable monthly income but also theirgardens lure a lot of guests to tour and pick the fruits. This hashelped to promote the development of tourism to Da Lat so much,” he said.
“It not only helps farmers earn stable monthly income but also theirgardens lure a lot of guests to tour and pick the fruits. This hashelped to promote the development of tourism to Da Lat so much,” he said.
Herbalist Luong Minh Tuan, from the Centre of Traditional Medicinein Hanoi, said strawberry helps to strengthen the immune system, is very goodfor the eyes, and can help to prevent cancer.
Tuan said people with bad cholesterol, or who suffer diabetes or blood hypertensionare are advised to eat strawberry daily.
“You can enjoy fresh strawberry or its juice mixed with yogurt, in salad withother fruits and vegetables, or use it as a tasty ingredient to makecustard or jams,” Tuan said./.
Tuan said people with bad cholesterol, or who suffer diabetes or blood hypertensionare are advised to eat strawberry daily.
“You can enjoy fresh strawberry or its juice mixed with yogurt, in salad withother fruits and vegetables, or use it as a tasty ingredient to makecustard or jams,” Tuan said./.
VNA
