Where I used to live in Vietnam, a place call Cu Lao, Tan Thoi, it get flooded once in a while but it’s not real bad didn’t get into the house though. I used to go catch fish with my bare hand out on the creek “Rach” back of the house. There is a special tree call “Cay Ban” “Cây Bần”, it only grow where there are plenty of water and mud but the root is very strong to keep it from falling, specially it grow near the river bank. I use to harvest the root to create wine cap for my grandma, it’s great for fine cap, just dried it and turn it into wine cap. Be careful though, there’s a special bees that lives on this tree, we call it “ông bần” it was name after this tree. I got stunk a couple times before by these bees, and it hurt swalln for a good hours but it goes away, these bees are not posionous :). The tree has fruit call “Trái Bần” and can taste pretty bad if eat it raw, very bitter sometime and very sour 🙂 but awesome exotic fruit just to get you high hahahahah. The fruit is also good for cooking Vietnamese sour sour “Canh Chua”, I like to go pick it but not much eating it, we have to climb up the tree and get it, the fruit look for very nice, and the flower is beautiful. Especially when the flower start to fall off, it’s beautiful and can be pretty romantic for couple whom peddle their boat pass by it, various colors but mostly white. Continue reading “Rare rural area Vietnam tropical fruit tree Cay Ban “Bông Bần” Trai Ban”
