Fruits are one of the essentials for every home during the Lunar New Year. However, choosing beautiful, delicious, safe fruits that can stay fresh for a long time is not something everyone knows how to do. Today, let’s explore some cooking tips to select certain types of fruits for Lunar New Year!
1 Watermelon
Have you ever wondered why watermelon is rarely absent from the traditional fruit tray during the Lunar New Year, even though it is not included in the saying “Coconut, papaya, and longan”? In fact, the bright red and juicy flesh of the watermelon symbolizes bringing luck, happiness, and joy to the family.
To choose a good watermelon, pay attention to the stem; a small and withered stem indicates a ripe watermelon. If you want to select a watermelon for display over a long time, you should prioritize choosing watermelons with a green and beautiful stem!
A good watermelon will make a “thump thump” sound when you tap it with your hand, it should be round and firm, with a shiny skin that has few scratches and clear black stripes.
2 Custard apple
The custard apple is a fruit that must be present on the five-fruit tray, representing the wishes and prayers of the family in the new year.
To select the delicious fruits that need to be eaten immediately, you should choose ones with soft skin, large protruding spines, and a fragrant aroma; these characteristics indicate a tasty custard apple. If you need to store them for a long time, choose fruits that are still green and firm, with fewer protruding spines and no cracks or dark spots.
3 Fig
The fig is a fruit that seems to always be present in the five-fruit tray, symbolizing prosperity and abundance of energy.
When choosing figs, you should select fruits that are still in bunches or separated but not bruised. Figs are primarily used for decoration, so choose fruits of the same ripeness, size, and color to enhance the beauty of the five-fruit tray.
If you choose figs to eat, opt for the sweet figs, as they are tastier than the sour variety. Sour figs are more astringent and less crunchy than sweet figs. A good sweet fig is round, has a concave tip, and the flesh inside has a pinkish edge.
4 Coconut
When choosing coconuts for drinking, it is best to buy young coconuts, as the water will be sweeter and more nutritious than other types. Choose fruits with green skin and white interior; the whiter the flesh, the sweeter the water.
Be careful not to choose large young coconuts, as true young coconuts are typically small, and the amount of water is just enough for one glass.
If selecting coconuts for decoration, choose those with shiny green skin, smooth and attractive, and with green, healthy stems.
5 Papaya
Papaya symbolizes the abundance and prosperity of the family, representing not only material wealth but also the complete gathering of children and grandchildren together. For these reasons, papaya is included in the phrase “coconut, papaya, and figs for use.”
Fresh and delicious papaya, ripened naturally, will have a tip that has turned yellow, still sticky latex, long and heavy when held, with a faint aromatic scent. The color will be uneven, often with a layer of white mold on top, and when pressed with the hand, the outer skin feels soft.
If choosing papaya for display, select fruits with skin that is not yet yellow but still slightly green, with green and firm stems!
6 Mango
Although the spelling of “xoài” and “xài” is different, due to the similar phonetics and long-standing tradition, mango is always present in the five-fruit tray, symbolizing the family’s wealth and abundance in the new year.
When selecting good mangoes, choose fresh fruits with smooth, shiny skin that are not bruised and emit a characteristic aroma, with a stem that still has a fragrant scent; this indicates a good fruit that does not contain preservatives.
If choosing mangoes for display, it is still best to select those with stems and leaves, the greener the better, with skin that has just started to turn yellow from green, as they will last longer and look more attractive. Note that if a green mango feels soft when held, it is an under-ripe fruit and should not be chosen.
7 Mangosteen
Mangosteen is a type of fruit loved by many people for its delicious and nutritious flavor that is unmatched.
When choosing mangosteen, you should select fruits with fresh green stems, a purple-red skin, and when pressed gently, the fruit feels soft, which indicates it’s delicious and sweet. Note that the harder and drier the skin, and the more bruised spots appear, the longer the fruit has been stored and it may be spoiled.
8 Pomelo
Pomelo is a type of fruit that can stay fresh for a long time, so it is often prioritized for display; moreover, pomelo also symbolizes completeness and prosperity. To choose a delicious pomelo with large, juicy segments, you should select fruits with shiny skin, round and large in size, feeling heavy in hand. The skin of pomelo usually has small thorny spots; the larger the thorns, the better the fruit, indicating it is ripe.
9 Banana
Bananas resemble an open hand, symbolizing protection and bringing many good omens for the family in the new year; for this reason, people often include bananas in the five-fruit tray.
To choose good bananas, avoid those with dark bruises on the skin or that are soft and damaged. Choose bananas with fresh flesh, relatively uniform in size, shiny skin, and the top flesh should still be fresh and not wilted. Since bananas ripen very quickly, to avoid missing the right time to eat and finding them too soft, you should buy bananas that are just ripe!
10 Buddha’s Hand
Buddha’s Hand in the five-fruit tray symbolizes the hand of Buddha, always protecting and bringing many blessings. Additionally, due to its seductive fragrance, it is considered to have the effect of retaining spirits, Buddhas, and ancestors to stay in the house longer to bless the homeowner.
You should choose Buddha’s Hand with many fingers spread out like flower petals and uniform color, smooth skin, and without dark spots caused by scratches or pests.
11 Dragon Fruit
Dragon fruit with its strange beautiful shape and eye-catching red color represents the meaning of “dragons and clouds gathering” in the new year.
You should choose dragon fruit with dark red skin, shiny and firm skin, the ears are flexible and can be bent without breaking, gently pressing on the skin feels hard is a sign of delicious, sweet fruit that can be stored for a long time.
12 Pomegranate
The image of fresh, plump pomegranates evokes the idea of a happy family, many children, and many grandchildren, which is also the meaning of pomegranates in the five-fruit tray.
When choosing pomegranates, instead of selecting large round ones, opt for those with a square, angular appearance. Touching the skin, if you feel the thin skin and can sense the seeds inside, then it is a good pomegranate, with many large and juicy seeds. The ideal outer skin color of a pomegranate is yellow-orange.
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So TasteVN has guided you on some how to choose delicious fruits, visually appealing and safe for the Tet holiday. A beautiful fruit tray or a plate of fresh, sweet fruits also helps make your family’s Tet celebration more complete and prosperous. Wishing you success in your selections with these small tips!
