The old man hopes to be given a star and a number one day.

Autumn is the time when people in Ky Phu commune (Nho Quan district) enter the harvest season of the fruit - a gift that anyone who comes to this land wants to enjoy at least once. More than ever, people here are looking forward to this wild fruit being recognized as a local OCOP product soon.

Coming to Ky Phu in the fall is also when the rows of Bui trees (also known as Canarium trees) enter the harvest season. Following the village road leading to Ao village, we came across tall ancient Bui trees planted by the locals for both shade and fruit. On the top of the branches, clusters of ripe, glossy fruit peek out from the foliage.

Mrs. Dinh Thi Lan, now over 80 years old, in Ao village, Ky Phu commune, recalls: Before the August Revolution, under the rule of French colonialism, the lives of the people in my hometown were extremely miserable. Every year, food was only enough for about 1 to 2 months, the rest of the time we had to rely on the mountains and forests to make a living. At that time, the Bui fruit was both a snack and a food mixed with corn, potatoes, and cassava to feed many generations. Now, on the 15th and 1st of the lunar month, many families have a plate of black Bui fruit to offer on the altar to burn incense to their ancestors. More sophisticated families make Bui sticky rice or Bui salad to pray for a year of favorable weather, prosperity and abundance. Currently, in Mrs. Lan's garden, there are about 5 Bui trees that are about thirty years old.

In recent years, when the Ky Lao fruit is sought after by many gourmets, Ms. Lan also has a good income every season when the fruit ripens. She said: "Depending on the year, each canarium tree can yield several dozen kilograms of fresh fruit. In recent years, traders have purchased it for about one hundred thousand VND/kg, and it is estimated that 5 trees can bring in nearly 20 million VND." The fruit is available in many places, but it is no coincidence that "Ky Lao fruit" is famous and sold at such a high price. Because anyone who has ever enjoyed this rustic fruit will find it hard to forget the sweet and nutty flavor that leaves a lingering aftertaste on the tip of the tongue. It is the characteristic rich and nutty flavor that makes many diners "hunt" for it every season. And of course, the price of this specialty is therefore higher.

According to local people, Bui Ky Lao is famous for its deliciousness. Black canarium can be processed into many delicious dishes such as: Bui braised with fish, braised with meat, Bui stuffed, Bui sticky rice, Bui sam (braised Bui)... Especially the Bui braised fish dish, when eaten, will have the rich taste of Bui mixed with the strong flavor of fish, anyone who has enjoyed it once will find it hard to forget.

Mr. Dinh Van Huong, Director of Ky Lao Bui Cooperative, informed: The whole commune currently has more than 200 local black Bui trees, the number of green Bui trees is smaller, concentrated in the houses of Ca, Sau, Ao, Met, and Ao Luon villages. In addition, the Cooperative is taking care of more than 10 hectares of Bui seedlings planted with support from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2018.

After 5 years of care, the trees have grown and developed well. Many trees have begun to bear fruit, contributing to the preservation and development of native tree varieties. At the same time, a large amount of fruit will be provided in the coming time to meet market demand. This year, due to unfavorable weather conditions, the number of fruits is less. Of course, the limited supply also makes the selling price higher. Some traders are buying at around 150,000 VND/kg, so people are quite excited. However, this is also something that the Director of the Cooperative is very concerned about.

Mr. Huong said: "Ky Lao canarium fruit is a specialty loved by many consumers, however, currently the consumption of canarium fruit is still not beyond the story of "good harvest, low price, good price, bad harvest". Therefore, building Ky Lao canarium fruit into an OCOP product is what many people here expect".

According to Mr. Bui Van The, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Nho Quan district: Along with Thuong Sung sticky rice, Ky Lao fruit is an agricultural product with great potential for Ky Phu commune to develop into an OCOP product. Currently, the department is actively mobilizing people to plant and care for the area of canarium trees. At the same time, there are specific instructions for the locality to soon build a review file for Ky Lao fruit products. Hopefully, with efforts in preserving and developing hometown agricultural products, Ky Lao fruit products will soon be "starred and numbered", becoming a special OCOP product of Ky Phu countryside. If successfully developed, Ky Lao fruit products will be known to more consumers. Thereby, contributing to increasing the value of agricultural production, raising income for people in mountainous areas and preserving hometown agricultural specialties.

Article and photos: Minh Hai

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