Vietnamese Saying: When Eating A Fruit, Remember Who Planted the Tree

This thoughtful Vietnamese expression is a reminder of gratitude. We owe much of our lives’ abundance to the love and actions of those who came before us.

About the Expression

This Vietnamese expression captures the feeling of gratitude. If we feel lucky for what we have, much of that is thanks to those who have paved the way for us.

Fruit is used in this saying as a metaphor for abundance — and for good reason.

Fresh tropical fruits are essential to daily life in Vietnam. They grow all over the country, with more than half coming from Mekong Delta in the country’s south.

This saying is similar in nature to other Vietnamese proverbs, such as “When you drink water, remember the source (Uống nước nhớ nguồn)“.

Let’s Dive Deeper Together

It would be impossible to overstate how important fruit is to Vietnamese culture.

Mangosteen, custard apple, dragonfruit, jackfruit, longan, durian, lychee, rambutan, pomelo, starfruit — this is just a delicious sprinkling of what can be devoured through the country’s seasons.

Every year, a bustling Fruit Festival in Saigon’s Suoi Tien Park celebrates their presence.

Plus, there are plenty of Vietnamese folk tales and origin stories that center around a fruit.

Here are a few such fables that we love:

• The Golden Star Fruit Tree:  A story of two brothers, in which honesty wins over greed. Depending on who tells the tale, the bird in the story is a phoenix or a raven.
• The Watermelon Prince: A legend that features Mai An Tiêm, a cultural hero living in the Hùng king’s era, and his discovery of watermelons.
• The Girl Who Turned into a Pineapple: A folk tale that illustrates the tragic consequences of laziness.

This Vietnamese saying belongs to our Bites of the World collection, which spotlights unique food-related expressions from ten countries. It’s also available individually as a vibrant postcard design or art print.