Apples, bananas, pineapples, grapes, strawberries, oranges, pears, peaches, guavas, watermelons; these fruits are all quite common. You can easily find any of them in grocery stores around the world. Most people know them, they have eaten them, and they love them.
But besides these fruits, there are numerous other fruits that are nutritious as well. Some of them come from far away exotic places and bring with them a combination of tastes that none of us are used too. They make fruit tasting an adventure in itself.
Let’s take a look at some weird fruits that most people don’t know about:
Durian
Durian is a huge spiked fruit that is divisive and pungent smelling. Found in any Chinatown, this fruit gets a mixed bag of reviews. People either find it repulsive or they love it. There is no in-between. According to some people, the odor of the fruit is terrible. This may be the reason why some public transport systems don’t allow them on board.
Kiwano Horned Melon
This orange or bright yellow fruit has spiky points. Its size can be compared to a large pear and it belongs to the cucumber family. Unlike cacti fruits, the spiky edges on the African horned melons don’t prick. Its interior contains a lime green, jelly-like flesh with seeds that resemble cucumber seeds. It has a sweet banana-lime taste. Keeping the fruit chilled enhances its flavor. The sweetest kiwano melons have skins that are brighter. Besides its flesh, the seeds are also edible.
Sugar Apple/Custard Apple
The sugar apple has spread all through the world, originally coming from Central America. Its skin looks tough. It resembles the seeds of a pine tree. The inside of a sugar apple is pulpy and creamy. It has a sweet, tangy taste, which melts the moment it’s in your mouth. It belongs to the Annonaceae family.
Starfruit (Carambola)
The starfruit, commonly referred to as carambola, is fruit from the Averrhoa Carambola tree. The species of trees that bare it, originates from Vietnam, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Philippines, and Malaysia. The fruit is popular in the South Pacific and Southeast Asia. The fruit is called a starfruit because of its shape. Its sides have distinctive ridges. The entire fruit is edible. It can be made into juice drinks as well.
Rambutan
The name Rambutan is derived from the word rambut, which translates to hair. This hairy fruit is native to Southeast Asia. The delicious and tender flesh is revealed once you peel off its exterior hair. It belongs to the same family as the longan fruit.
Dragon Fruit
For fruit with an unusual appearance, it tastes nothing like its shape. The dragon fruit is remarkably sweet. Its crunchy seeds are similar to those of the kiwifruit, and so is the taste. The fruit makes very good juice and wine. Its flowers are also edible. Health enthusiasts value it for its low-calorie content. Some dragon fruits have a violet or purple flesh, while others have white flesh.
Ugli Fruit
This orange-like fruit is not very appealing to the eye. Hence its name, the ugli fruit. Unlike its citrus cousins, which are round in shape, the ugli fruit is deformed. It is a hybrid of orange, tangerine, and the pomelo (grapefruit). It grows widely, in most parts of Jamaica. Its skin, which is light green, turns orange once it ripens. It tastes more like a tangerine than a grapefruit.
Cherimoya
The texture of a cherimoya is very similar to ice cream, in that it melts right in your mouth the moment it hits your tongue. They also have healing properties. They are known to reduce fever and cure dysentery. But be careful not to eat the seeds because they are poisonous.
Miracle Berry
These berries are highly unusual. When you eat anything after eating one of these miracle berries, the food will seem sweet to you. It’s because this berry contains miraculin, which is a glycoprotein with a taste modifying property. Its effects can last up to an hour.
Red Banana
These red bananas are shorter and healthier than your average banana. They taste like raspberry and mango and have a higher amount of potassium, Vitamin C, and Beta-Carotene than normal bananas.
Buddha’s Hand
Buddha’s hand fruit looks like a bright yellow hand with fingers and they are used when cooking fish or in salads. They taste like the rind of a lemon, but inside, there is a little pulp that can be eaten. They are very fragrant and give off a scent of violets. In Japan, Malaysia, and China, they are often used to make rooms and clothes smell nice.
Try these interesting and exotic fruits today and see what you have been missing!
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