A special dish-white jelly (locally known as Mac Pup) in Non nuoc Cao Bang geopark

“Mac Pup” is the local name in Tay language that the people in the eastern part of Non nuoc Cao Bang geopark gave to it, in which “Mac” means fruit and “Pup” is the name of the fruit. The White jelly is made from the seeds of “Mac Pup”. The “Mac Pup” plant is one of the lianas which is very strong and use trees, as well as other means of vertical support for their growth such as the Bombacaceae, Liquidambar formosana, and Ficus racemosa, etc and or it can live on limestone cliffs. Normally it will take 2-3 years for the “Mac Pup” trees to bear fruits; local people would go into the forests to harvest “Mac Pup” be from July to August (Lunar calendar) or September and October. “Mac Pups” fruits are washed and dried on bamboo mats, then people use knives to cut the “Mac Pup” fruits into four pices to collect the seeds in side. Though it is called fruit, its insides contains lots of ivory-white seeds with the length of about 1cm, one end is sticked to the edge of the cover, the other end is directed to the center of the fruit. People collect and dry the seed under the sunlight carefully, then seal and store them in plastic bags, tole or aluminium boxes for latter use. 

In order to have a fresh, sweet and tasty white jelly cup, people have to follow technical steps carefully ad strictly, thought the process to make the White jelly is not complicated. The good quality White jelly must be clear, solid, soft, high leve of solidity, very little water leaft after taking the White jelly out.

“Mac Pup” is scatted in many areas of Cao Bang. Local people can mobilize it as a source of cash crop for their livelihood improvement. This is one of special dishes which might give visitors a special feeling and unforgettable experience upon their arrival in the Geopark.