Ambarella

Ambarella (Spondias dulcis), also called golden apple or June plum, is a deciduous tree of the cashew family (Anacardiaceae), 10–20 m tall with a straight trunk, broad crown and fast growth. Leaves are odd-pinnate, 20–60 cm long, with 9–25 elliptical, toothed leaflets. Flowers are small, white or pale pink, borne in terminal panicles. The fruit is an ovoid drupe 6–9 cm long, green turning yellow when ripe, with juicy yellow flesh that is sweet-sour and aromatic, and a large seed surrounded by tough fibres. The species is native to Melanesia and Polynesia and has been widely introduced across Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Caribbean and Hawaii; in Vietnam it is very familiar in the south and central regions.

Ripe ambarella fruit is eaten fresh with a sweet-sour taste, or juiced, made into jam or sauce; the very sour unripe fruit is pounded with salt and chilli as a snack or mixed into gỏi cóc, a signature snack of southern Vietnam. The fruit is rich in vitamins C and A, iron, fibre and antioxidants and helps digestion and fluid production. The tree prefers a hot, humid tropical climate, grows fast and tolerates many well-drained soils; it is propagated by seed or cuttings and begins bearing after 3–5 years. In Vietnam it is grown both as a fruit tree and as a shade tree in gardens and along streets.