Rose myrtle fruit

What it is

The berries are oblong, about 1–1.3 cm (roughly ½ in) long, with a velvety surface. Green fruit turns dark purple as it ripens. Inside, purple pulp surrounds many tiny seeds, while the remains of the flower form a little crown at the tip. Ripe berries are eaten fresh.

Where it comes from

Rose myrtle belongs to the myrtle family and is native across tropical and subtropical Asia, from India through southern China and Taiwan to the Philippines, Malaysia and Sulawesi. It grows along sandy riverbanks and seashores and in open sandy ground. In Singapore, it is a native shrub of coastal vegetation and recovering forest.

How it's eaten where it grows

On Phú Quốc, ripe berries ferment with sugar to make rượu sim. After fermentation, makers filter the liquid and blend it with rice wine.

The island’s Sim Sơn producer also makes siro sim, removing the skins and seeds before cooking the sweetened pulp and juice into syrup. Its mứt sim is a jam for bread. Kẹo sim is a soft, chewy sweet made with berry juice, sugar and malt syrup.

How it's grown

The evergreen shrub grows up to 3 m (10 ft) tall, with magenta-pink flowers and leaves that are woolly underneath when young. It grows well in sun and freely draining soil, and tolerates drought. Plants raised from stem cuttings can fruit within two years. Bees visit the flowers, while birds and small mammals come for the berries.

When and where you'll find it

On Phú Quốc’s northern hillsides, wild berries usually ripen from April to July. Farther north, the rose myrtle garden at Mường Cốc near Hanoi usually has its fruit season from June to August.

On Phú Quốc, sim wine shops sell the wine in small bottles and gift sets; syrup, jam and candy are other island forms. At the Mường Cốc garden, wine and dried berries are take-home products.