Xoi Gac (baby jackfruit flavored sticky rice) features intense red color of gac fruit. Because the red color is the symbol for fortune and happiness in Vietnamese culture, gac sticky rice is an indispensable dish at special occasions.

Gac or spiny bitter gourd, baby jackfruit, cochinchin gourd, or sweet gourd.

“Gac” is a type of fruit grown exclusively in Asia. In English, it is also known as “baby jackfruit”, “sweet gourd”, or “Momordica cochinchinensis”- its scientific name. When ripe, the fruit itself turns to a dark orange color, with the exterior covered in small spines while the interior is full with clusters of intensely red fleshy pulp and seeds. It has been traditionally used as both food and medicine in Vietnam.

Gac is used medicinally and is a great source of antioxidants and beta carotene which is great for skin and vision. The seeds of this fruit have a red aril coating that gives a bright red orange color and sweet and fragrant flavor to xoi gac.

Since the color red is symbolic for good fortune and happiness in Asian cultures, xoi gac is served at many special occasions such as engagements, weddings, and holidays such as the Lunar New Year (Tet).

Some makers use a combination of red and yellow food colouring to give it an orange hue, but you can tell when it uses baby jackfruit when there are seeds (from the jackfruit) and when the colour is not quite so even. You can also see bits of the fruit pulp in between the rice grains, while artificially coloured sticky rice will just be orange and plain looking. There’s only a subtle flavour of sweetness, either brought out more with sugar or contrasted with salt. Some makers will make it much more savoury or even more sweet.

To make gac sticky rice, people mix aril and seeds of gac fruit with glutinous rice until it’s evenly colored and put into a steamer about 15 minutes or more. After that, add coconut milk and sugar and cook for another 5 minutes. A good gac sticky rice must be semi-sweet, beautiful gac red, fragrant smell and fine texture. The dish is often service with cha lua (Vietnamese ham).

VNF