Imagine a fruit so unique and beneficial to your health that it’s often called “fruit from heaven” in its native Vietnam. Meet Gac fruit—an emerging superfood that’s captivating health enthusiasts worldwide. But what makes this eye-catching fruit so special, and how does it earn the superfood title? Let’s explore gac fruit and its remarkable benefits.
What Is Gac Fruit?
Once a staple in Vietnam, gac fruit is now making its mark in places like Australia and California, where farming has expanded to meet growing demand. About the size of a small melon, this gac fruit grows on vines and goes by several names, including baby jackfruit, spiny bitter gourd, and cochinchin gourd.
What Is A Superfood?
You’ve probably heard the term “superfood” used often, but what does it mean? Surprisingly, there’s no official definition. Generally, superfoods are known for providing an impressive health boost—offering health benefits beyond most foods.
Superfoods are celebrated for being nutrient powerhouses. They often have high levels of vitamins, minerals, and beneficial nutrients such as fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. Their regular consumption also typically correlates with a decreased risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
Amy Burkhart MD RD
How Gac Fruit Qualifies As A Superfood
Amy Burkhart MD RD
It Contains More Lycopene Than Tomatoes
Gac fruit is packed with lycopene, a powerful phytochemical found naturally in fruits and vegetables. Lycopene offers incredible health benefits, including reducing the risk of stroke, sunburn, and cancer.
Lycopene is most commonly found in red foods. Every time you bite into a red fruit or vegetable, like watermelon or tomatoes, you’re boosting your lycopene intake. In the U.S., most people get their lycopene from tomatoes or tomato-based products.
Interestingly, we absorb more lycopene from cooked tomatoes than from fresh ones. To get the most lycopene, it’s best to eat tomatoes cooked, as fresh tomatoes don’t provide as much of the nutrient.
What’s even more surprising is that Gac fruit contains up to 70 times more lycopene than tomatoes.
Beta-carotene Is Good For Your Body
Gac fruit is also a great source of beta-carotene, another beneficial phytochemical.
Beta-carotene is known for supporting eye health, memory, and brain function. While it’s not a replacement for sunscreen, beta-carotene and other antioxidants can help protect our skin from the sun’s harmful effects.
You can also find beta-carotene in foods like carrots, butternut squash, and pumpkin. You don’t need to cook these foods to benefit from their beta-carotene content.
Amy Burkhart MD RD
Other Nutrients In Gac Fruit
In addition to lycopene and beta-carotene, Gac fruit is also packed with omega-3 fatty acids and alpha-tocopherol. These nutrients have anti-inflammatory properties, helping to protect your body from the stresses of everyday life.
How To Eat Gac Fruit
Eating Gac fruit requires a few tools and a bit of patience.
Start by cutting the fruit in half with a sharp knife to reveal the flesh surrounding its jewel-like seeds. The seeds are covered in a bright red pulp, which is the key to the fruit’s health benefits. The vivid color of the pulp comes from a high concentration of lycopene.
You’ll need to scrape the pulp away from the seeds. It’s a good idea to wear gloves, as the pulp can stain your hands. This colorful pulp can be added to soups, smoothies, rice, or even juiced.
One popular way to enjoy Gac fruit is in a traditional Vietnamese dish called Xoi Gac. This red rice dish gets its rich color from the fruit’s pulp and is often flavored with sweet coconut. In Vietnam, red is considered a color of good fortune and is commonly served at ceremonies and during the New Year.
Video: How to eat Gac fruit.
Amy Burkhart MD RD
Where To Buy Gac Fruit
Gac fruit has a very short growing season, typically from December to January. It can be ordered online (even on Etsy), and it’s also often found in well-stocked Asian supermarkets. The fruit must be fully ripe when harvested, which is why it’s not grown commercially.
Due to its exotic nature, the price can be high. A more affordable option is to buy the seeds for planting. As its popularity grows and availability increases, the price may eventually go down.
You can also find products made from gac fruit year-round, including juice, gac seed oil, powdered gac fruit, and gac fruit paste, which can be frozen or jarred. Supplements are also available.
However, the nutritional benefits of these products and supplements are still under study, as the stability of the phytochemicals in them is uncertain. This means that the health claims about packaged gac fruit products should be viewed cautiously.
For the most economical option, try checking out a local Vietnamese or Asian produce market, especially during December and January. You can also explore other options through Sowexotic.com or exotic fruit markets.