Wampee (Chicken Skin Fruit)

Wampee (Chicken Skin Fruit)

　　Wampee, commonly known as "chicken skin fruit," is one of China’s rare, specialty, and high-quality subtropical fruits. It is also an exceptionally unique ingredient native only to Guangxi, sometimes simply called mountain wampee. Its fruit resembles pearls in shape and contains 18 types of amino acids along with various trace elements essential to the human body. It can be eaten fresh or processed into dried fruits, preserves, jams, juices — all fragrant, pure in taste, and perfectly balanced between sweet and sour. The ripe fruit's skin texture and veins resemble those of boiled chicken skin, hence the name "chicken skin fruit." When fully ripe, the fruit has a mildly tangy and sweet flavor, and its leaves, as well as both raw and ripe fruits, give off a refreshing, delightful aroma. The fruit can be eaten fresh and, when unripe, can be mashed together with ginger, minced garlic, chili peppers, salt, and soy sauce to make a delicious condiment for noodles, rice vermicelli, or congee. Ripe fruits can be enjoyed as a snack or preserved by salting or sweetening them with white or brown sugar or rock sugar, then sun-drying for several days until the salt or sugar solution completely covers the fruit. They can then be stored for years in sealed glass, ceramic, or clay containers. Salt-preserved wampee makes a great side dish for congee and can also be consumed in the same way as the fresh fruit. It can also be cooked with “sour porridge” (a fermented rice porridge condiment used in Zhuang cuisine, which we’ll introduce later) to make dipping sauces for boiled duck, dog meat, or mutton — a truly appetite-whetting combination. Sugar-preserved wampee can be used as a side for congee or eaten as a fruit preserve. The leaves of the wampee tree are also excellent cooking ingredients. They can be used to season “sashimi-style raw fish,” as well as dishes like soy-sauce duck, poached duck, stewed dog meat, stewed mutton, braised beef brisket, and stewed pig trotters — effectively removing the strong odors from beef, mutton, and dog meat while infusing the dishes with a rich, appetizing fragrance. Wampee has the added benefit of reducing greasiness, stimulating the appetite, and enhancing overall food enjoyment.

　　At the 2001 Beijing China International Agricultural Expo, wampee was awarded the title of Famous Brand Product.