One more time before it's gone ～ Plum and Nectarine Compote ～

When you live in Ho Chi Minh City, people say there are no seasons. It's true that it's hot all year round, and you can get by in short sleeves. But when you keep going to the market, you start to feel that's not quite right. Though the stalls seem to line up the same way every morning, the scenery of the marketplace changes little by little. The fruit that was piled high dwindles, another kind of fruit takes over the space, and even the recommendations of the auntie at the greengrocer's begin to change. The market has its own proper seasons, and when the rainy season begins,

Plums and nectarines arrive from the north.

The moment you spot that round form and color, you just can't help but stop in your tracks. Crimson plums. And nectarines — turned mango-yellow, shaped like peaches. What's more, the prices are reasonable. This time I bought plums at 60,000 VND per kg and nectarines at 70,000 VND per kg. In Japanese yen, that's less than 500 yen. Even if you fill up a whole bag, your wallet won't hurt all that much. I bagged them up and brought them home, and this year I baked them into a pound cake.

I also made it into a tart using plenty of almond flour.

When I shared some with my Vietnamese friend, they were absolutely delighted.

Fruits disappear once eaten. But strangely, as they run out, I find myself wanting to buy them again. Perhaps it's not that I want to eat them. It's that I don't want the season to end. Every time I go to the market, I notice the amount on display decreasing bit by bit. "Is it almost over?" "Is there still some left?" I peek at the stalls, thinking these things. And so, it's about time... Since this might be the last of the year, I'll make some compote to keep for later. Chop the fruit and coat it with sugar. After a while, clear juice begins to rise from the fruit. Transfer it to a pot and heat it up. The sweet aroma spreading through the room. Just that is enough to make me feel happy. In Vietnamese cafes, I often see "quả đào"... peach, as a topping. In iced tea, oolong tea, jasmine tea... It's even perched small on top of whipped cream. It was a mystery to me since I first moved here. I don't get the impression this is a peach-producing region, and I don't see peaches like the ones in Japan. Much less, I've never seen canned peaches. And yet, for some reason, peach (đào) is near the beginning of the menus. As I frequented the market, I began to even see the answer. Perhaps they enjoy seasonal fruits not just by eating them fresh, but by processing them? Making compote, or syrup. Perhaps such wisdom of living is naturally rooted in this country. Pour the finished compote over yogurt. I feel like inside the preservation jar, not just the fruit, but the season itself is captured. The short season I found at the market. It will likely disappear from the stalls soon. So, I think I'll make it just one more time.

Next time, a few more plums. Let's make the most delicious compote of the year. Relocation Life Ranking