by Kathy (Connor) Kdobronyi 1963-64
I first discovered pompalamous or pomelo when I was in Saigon 1963-64.
It was a popular breakfast fruit.
I also remember stories of plastic explosives embedded in them, exploding when they were cut open.
Does anyone remember any stories like that or had that experience?
I go along just fine, then out of the blue I remember the doggonedest things.
It’s nice to have Saigon Kids as a resource.
Thank you for being there.
Pomplamous is one of my favorite fruit recollections of days in Viet Nam.
I remember folks selling them on the roadsides when we teenagers would take trips, by school bus, to the beach. Whenever we made a pit stop, fruit sellers would hand them up to the bus windows.
Mangoustine was also a special treat. Those little sweet, milky segments were so delicious.
Little finger-sized green bananas are another memory for me. They, too, were so sweet. Now, years later, I can find them at the local Asian market here in Houston, but they don’t have quite the same sweet taste as those from the market in Saigon.
Aren’t these “blasts” of memories from the past such fun? Saigon Kids has also sparked some great memories for me since I became connected a few years ago. It is interesting to think that there are not that many of us who share these same memories.
I look forward to my newsletter each Friday and the thoughts and recollections of other Saigon Kids. Thank you for yours today, Kathy.
Suellen…Saigon Kid 1958-60
Mmmm . . . the pamplemousse was divine in Vietnam, and I have searched for it many times since. To me, the pomelos that I buy in the store cannot come close to matching the taste and texture of the “grapefruit” in Saigon.
I’ll be back in Vietnam in a week, and one of my quests will be the search for some luscious pamplemousse . . . and mangosteen too. Yum!