Tet Fruit Tray: How to Choose Fresh Fruit Safely

Tet fruit tray shopping works best when you pick fruit that is fresh, firm and clearly labeled. Tet falls on 1 February 2022, so you have about ten days. Buy the sturdy fruit first and the soft fruit last, check where each piece came from, and keep the tray cool and clean until it goes on the altar.

What the tray holds

The Tet fruit tray, called mam ngu qua, is a plate of fruit set out for the holiday. Photos of Tet trays often show bananas, oranges, tangerines, a pomelo and a pineapple. Families in the south also set out custard-apple, coconut, fig, papaya and mango. Their names sound like a wish for "enough to spend," which is why many southern homes choose them.

You do not need exactly five fruits or one fixed list. Pick what your family uses and what looks best at the market. A good tray is one you can build from fruit that is in good shape.

Sources: Wikipedia, "Tet" (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%E1%BA%BFt).

Check ripeness and condition

Tet is the busiest fruit week of the year, and stalls sell a lot of fruit that was picked early. Use your eyes and hands before you pay.

• Skin: look for smooth, even color. Skip fruit with deep dents, wet spots, cracks or mold.
• Weight: oranges, tangerines and pomelo should feel heavy for their size. Light fruit is often dry inside.
• Stem: a fresh stem or leaf is a good sign. A dry, black stem means the fruit has been sitting.
• Smell: ripe fruit smells sweet. A sour or fermented smell means it has started to spoil.

Choose fruit that is nearly ripe, not fully ripe. A fully ripe banana or mango may go soft before Tet day. Fruit that is still a little firm will last through the holiday.

Ask where it came from

Ask the seller which province or farm the fruit came from. A seller who knows the answer is usually buying from a steady supplier. A seller who cannot say, or who gives a different answer each time, is a reason to look elsewhere.

Buy from a shop or stall you already know when you can. If you must buy from a new seller, buy a small amount first and look at how the fruit is stored. Fruit stacked on a dirty floor or in the sun is not a good buy.

What VietGAP means

The name VietGAP is short for Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices. These farm rules were written by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The first rules for fresh fruit and vegetables came with Decision 379/QD-BNN-KHCN, signed on 28 January 2008. Since October 2017, the national standard TCVN 11892-1:2017 covers VietGAP for crop growing and replaces the older rules.

The rules aim to make food safer. They also support tracing a product back to its farm. For you, a VietGAP mark on a box or a shop sign is a hint that the farm follows a written system. Look for a farm name, a code or a certified supplier name next to the mark.

A mark does not guarantee that every piece is perfect, so still check the fruit yourself. If a seller shows a VietGAP claim but cannot name the farm or supplier, treat the claim with caution.

Sources: Wikipedia in Vietnamese, "VietGAP" (vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/VietGAP), which lists Decision 379/QD-BNN-KHCN of 28 January 2008 and TCVN 11892-1:2017.

Wash, store and set out the tray

The World Health Organization has long taught five keys to safer food: keep clean, separate raw and cooked food, cook thoroughly, keep food at safe temperatures, and use safe water and raw materials. Three of them apply to a fruit tray.

• Keep clean: wash your hands and the plate before you build the tray. Wash fruit under clean running water just before you set it out.
• Separate: keep fruit away from raw meat and fish at home and in your bag.
• Safe temperatures and water: store cut fruit and soft fruit in the fridge. Use safe drinking water to rinse fruit that you will eat.

Whole citrus, pomelo and pineapple can stay at room temperature for a few days. Bananas bruise easily, so place them on top and do not stack heavy fruit over them. Wipe the fruit dry after washing so the skin does not get moldy.

After the holiday, eat fruit that is still in good shape. Throw away anything with mold or a bad smell. This is general information only. For a health worry linked to Tet fruit or food safety, ask a doctor or pharmacist.

Sources: World Health Organization, "Five keys to safer food manual" (2006, who.int/publications/i/item/9789241594639).

A simple buying plan for the week

Start with a plan. Write down the five or six fruits you want and set a budget. Prices tend to rise as Tet gets closer, so shop a few days early for fruit that keeps well.

• Now: buy pomelo, pineapple and hard citrus, and store them in a cool, dry place.
• Three days before Tet: buy bananas, papaya and mango, and check ripeness again.
• The day before the tray goes out: wash, dry and arrange the fruit, then keep the tray out of direct sun.

Keep the receipt or the seller's name for any large purchase. If fruit is bad on arrival, a seller you know is far more likely to fix the problem.

Sources

• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%E1%BA%BFt
• vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/VietGAP
• who.int/publications/i/item/9789241594639