Cut Fruit Pieces with Salt and Chili Pepper (serves 1)

cut fruit with salt and chili pepper

What you remember eating as a child may be ingrained in you for the rest of your life...at least it appears that way for me. This may seem strange to many of you but in Vietnam, especially in the Mekong Delta, it is common to eat fruits with salt and chili pepper. The spicier the better...perhaps so you can sweat and cool down! These are mango pieces (from one mango) with a sprinkle of crushed Hawaiian sea salt and a few drizzles of Sriracha hot sauce. Tasty!!

Often times you will see people place the salt and mashed or chopped fresh chili pepper in a little sauce dish and serve it next to the cut fruit pieces. The street vendors in Vietnam will prepare a small portion of this combination of salt and chili pepper in a tiny plastic bag tied with a rubber band and attach it along with a larger bag of cut fruits. Of course I never recommend eating prepared (peeled and cut) fruits off the street...unless you are planning on staying inside a fancy hotel with a super deluxe bathroom!! The best way to prevent any bad outcome (from traveling) is to eat fruits you can peel or cut yourself.