The Gac is cantaloupe sized, brilliant orange, red, and a member of the squash family. The brightly colored fruit comes from the aril surrounding the large seeds. It has a very pleasant flavor profile, somewhat similar to squash and carrot.

It has long been highly valued in Southeast Asian cultures for its flavor, and health benefits which are attributed to the significant antioxidant proper-ties from the carotenoids and fatty acids present.

• Lycopenes content is about 76 times more than the average tomato.
• Beta Carotene content exceeds carrots by a factor of 10
• Fatty Acids are critical for carotenoid bioavailability and absorption into the boday. It contains about 22% fatty acids (by weight) in the aril, primarily: Oleic (Omega 9) & Linoleic (Omega 6).

Gac grows on dioecious vines and is usually collected from fence climbers or from wild plants. The vines can be commonly seen growing on lattices at the entrances to rural homes or in gardens. It only fruits once a year, and is found seasonally in local markets. The fruit itself becomes a dark orange color upon ripening, and is typically round or oblong, maturing to a size of about 13 cm in length and 10 cm in diameter. Its exterior skin is covered in small spines while its dark red interior consists of clusters of fleshy pulp and seeds.

Gac has been shown to be especially high in lycopene content. Relative to mass, it contains over 70 times the amount of lycopene found in tomatoes. It has also been found to contain up to 10 times the amount of beta-carotene of carrots or sweet potatoes. Additionally, the carotenoids present in gac are bound to long-chain fatty acids, resulting in what is claimed to be a more bioavailable form.[2] There has also been recent research that suggests that gac contains a protein that may inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells.

Traditionally, proccess ingredients of gac has been used as both food and medicine in the regions in which it grows. Other than the use of its meat and leaves for special Vietnamese culinary dishes, processed gac is also used for its medicinal and nutritional properties.

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