Exotic tropical fruits. Exotic fruits of Asia: photos, names, descriptions. Kudrania, strawberry tree
An integral part of any trip is foreign cuisine, special dishes and unusual tastings. And if you choose this type of tourism as gastronomic, then atypical treats are literally a must. In particular, we are talking about fruits. But not everyone, going somewhere to warm lands, is well aware of exotic tropical fruits and their names. We will try to introduce you to the most interesting desserts of the foreign world.
Guava is the sister of the Ukrainian pear
Very similar to our pear and slightly sour in taste, guava is a tropical fruit native to Mexico, South America, India, and parts of Southeast Asia. Outwardly, it looks like a 10-14 cm oval of yellow-green color. The fruits ripen on small deciduous shrubs.
Eating stale guava is just as dangerous as eating other fruits. At the very least, you're at risk of indigestion. In addition, unripe guava is quite sour and unpleasant, astringent in taste. When these exotic fruits reach the “necessary condition”, they will become tasty and quite healthy.
Guava is recommended for use in case of intoxication, as well as for weight loss and all kinds of minor inflammatory processes of the gastrointestinal tract. And freshly squeezed guava juice and its seeds have a positive effect on the work of the stomach. You can eat the fruit along with the peel, but we recommend that diabetics be careful with this, as it increases the level of glucose in the body.
Dragon eye - a fruit with an abundance of vitamins
Such an exotic name was given to an unusual-looking and slightly melon-like fruit. In everyday life, the dragon's eye is called longan, which grows in Thailand on tall 10-meter trees. Lush crowns of trees hide round yellow fruits in their thick. If you remove the peel from them, you will see white flesh inside. It is extremely useful due to the high content of trace elements. In particular, we are talking about organic acids, protein, calcium, copper, zinc, phosphorus, iron and much more.
Due to the original sweetish taste, the fruit is extremely popular among locals and tourists. It is either peeled and eaten raw or cooked as part of rice dishes. Served with stewed cereal and coconut milk. Also, local craftsmen make sauces from longan, and even ice cream. No negative properties of the fruit were noticed, but we still do not recommend overeating the dragon's eye.
Carambola is a star in your plate
Carambola is an extremely popular and well-known fruit not only in Asian countries, but also in Ukraine. Due to its unusual appearance, carambola is used as an element of decor for haute cuisine dishes. The size of the fruit is a large goose egg, the color is yellow, and in the context of carambola it resembles an asterisk.
You can eat both the pulp and the peel. This fruit is useful both raw and fried. It can taste both slightly sour and sweet. Tourists cannot agree on what carambola tastes like, what it looks like. It reminds someone of a plum, someone of a grape, someone of an apple. But everyone unanimously says that the fruit is extremely tasty. The fruit contains sodium, iron, calcium, phosphorus, vitamins of groups B and C. Carambola is either served raw or deep-fried, and can also be boiled in sweet syrup.
Eggplant or mangosteen?
This fruit has several names - mangkut, garcinia, mangosteen and, of course, mangosteen. It grows in South Asia, in Vietnam, Thailand, India. This berry looks like a rounded purple-burgundy eggplant. It weighs up to 200 grams, and when cut it looks like white flesh. The inner part of the fruit is soft, melting and zephyr-like. Very sweet in taste, mangosteen is a fruit that serves as the basis for various jams, desserts, nectars, syrups and juices. Also, the popularity of the fruit is based on the versatility of flavors - culinary experts note echoes of peach, pineapple and lychee in garcinia.
The peel is also popular, which is used in traditional medicine. But we strongly do not recommend eating fruit during pregnancy and breastfeeding. And also in case of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys and liver.
Sugar apple noina
Another name for the fruit is sugar apple, which is really very sweet. However, the taste is more reminiscent of a late apricot, which does not make this treat less popular and tasty. Noina grows in the tropical zone, and is used from roots to fruits. Decoctions and tinctures from leaves, roots and bark help with fever and even dysentery.
When choosing noina on the market, be careful, it is important to buy exactly ripe fruit, otherwise you risk poisoning. Noina should be greenish, heavy in feel and soft to the touch. And, of course, the fruit should smell very good and tasty. When eating the fruit, do not eat the seeds - they are useful only in the field of cosmetology and exclusively in the form of oil.
This prickly cone may not be noticed on the branch, but it is very popular with Asian gourmets. Another name for this tropical delicacy is soursop. It has a sweet and sour taste and contains many useful elements. Researchers massively claim that sirsak is able to treat cancer. In Chinese medicine, dried fruit powders are added to medicines and tablets.
European scientists in the course of research have found that the fetus actually stops the spread of the disease and reduces the activity of cancer cells. Sirsak cannot fully replace chemotherapy, but it can help prevent the disease. But, despite the pleasant taste and useful properties, do not overdo it with tasting. Excess fruit can lead to intoxication and even hallucinations.
chocolate chicu
Chiku fruit has a second name - sepodilla. It looks like beige or brownish balls, inside - orange pulp and large black oblong bones. Chica is eaten raw, separated from the bitter skin and hard seeds. The fruit has a caramel flavor, and some varieties have coffee and chocolate flavors.
The texture of the chiku is soft and should be quite large. Before use, sepodilla is recommended to be cooled, cut in half or into slices. The pulp can be eaten with a spoon, or just bite off the peel like a watermelon or melon.
Pitahaya - dragon fruit
Unusual, beautiful, bright, called the heart of the dragon, the fruit is widely known to the public. But few people know what it tastes like. Pitahaya looks different depending on the variety. White has a pink skin and white flesh, red has a pink skin and red flesh, yellow has a yellow skin and white flesh, respectively. All of them are popular in their own way and unusual in taste, as well as extremely useful. In particular, due to the high content of fiber and antioxidants. Pitahaya is also recommended for diabetics, as the fruit lowers the level of sugar in your blood.
Desserts and juices are prepared from the fruit, and the pulp is added to salads and light dishes. It can be eaten raw by cutting it in half and eating the pulp with a spoon. The peel is beautiful, but not edible. Often "bowls" of fruit peel are used as decoration.
Of the side effects, only an allergic reaction is observed, as well as indigestion when overeating.
exotic fruit lychee
This is a Chinese plum that grows in clusters and has a pinkish-reddish color. The fruits are covered with a peel with convex pimples, inside - soft light pulp and a small bone. The taste of lychee is similar to grapes, in texture - to hardened jelly.
You can eat these fruits, they are tasty and memorable. When choosing a plum, be sure to feel the berries themselves, they should not be too soft or darkened. If the lychee is maroon in color, then this means that it has been on sale for a long time and is no longer particularly fresh. Alternatively, you can try dried lychee. Syrups are made from it, jelly is rolled up and even added to ice cream.
The abundance of potassium, magnesium and vitamins of group C helps to strengthen the cardiovascular system. Chinese doctors also recommend lychee for those who suffer from high cholesterol.
Cucumber melon kiwano
Horned melon occupies one of the leading steps in the list of the most beautiful tropical fruits. Yellow-green prickly peel, as well as green flesh, similar in texture to citrus fruits. This fruit definitely deserves a place both on your plate and on the Instagram feed.
Another variant of the name kivano is horned or Antillean cucumber. It grows in New Zealand, central Africa and California. To taste, the melon has a cucumber-banana-melon flavor, with a slight kiwi flavor. Agree, this is certainly an unforgettable combination!
Do not overdo it with tasting and at the same time remember that, within reasonable limits, the melon enriches the body with vitamins B and C. Cut it in half and eat the pulp right along with the seeds.
Ripe black sapote
Unusual in appearance, but original in taste, the fruit is extremely popular in Central America and Mexico. The size of the ripe fruit reaches ten centimeters in diameter. Inside - sticky, slightly viscous pulp, as well as several large seeds. Sapota's main feature is its chocolate flavor. Really chocolatey!
The peel of the fruit has a green color, while inside the flesh is black-brown. This fruit is rich in vitamin C and calcium, and it is also very suitable for those who are on a diet, as it contains almost zero fat content.
prickly snake fruit
Another black and strange fruit that protects itself from unwanted hands. The fact is that the fruit is tasty and soft inside, from the outside it is covered with snake skin - a prickly brown-black peel. This is exactly what he is, an unusual herring or snake fruit.
Be careful when peeling the fruit. On small scales it is possible to cut yourself. But the pulp itself contains calcium, phosphorus, iron and beta-carotene.
But do not eat too much herring, despite the pleasant pineapple taste, if you overeat, it can cause an allergic reaction and poisoning.
Jaboticaba tree fruit
This fruit grows directly on the tree, even on the bark. Its main habitat is Brazil. It is here that the fruit is used as an ingredient in desserts, as well as raw materials for liqueurs and wine. Jaboticaba also helps with asthma, dysentery and disorders.
The peculiarity of these black fruits is that they spoil quickly enough. You need to eat the fruit within two to three days after it was plucked. That is why in shops and restaurants in Brazil you can mainly find jamoticaba jams, preserves and syrups.
chocolate creeper
This is truly a waste-free fruit that is used to the fullest. Chocolate liana or the more scientific name akebia is eaten literally all. Pear-shaped fruit is cut in half or a small incision is made. The white, slightly pearly flesh is scooped out with a spoon and served with the seeds as a dessert. And the purple peel is stuffed with meat or seafood, and then baked and served on the table. Even dried fruit leaves are served as a tea or condiment.
The taste of chocolate liana is similar to raspberries, but the smell of chocolate remains here. Fruit tree flowers also smell of chocolate. Therefore, it is worth taking a walk near the akebia tree during the flowering period to enjoy the aromas.
finger lime
This fruit reminds many people of rolls with red caviar. But in fact, this is lime caviar, which tastes absolutely identical to ordinary lime. Tourists are attracted by the appearance.
The oval dark fruits inside contain reddish and pinkish caviar balls filled with juice. It is the caviar itself that is used in the preparation of desserts and fish and meat dishes. The fruit is remarkable in that it contains many useful, tonic and regenerating enzymes.
But be careful, because overeating can cause allergies. Also, finger lime is not recommended for use by those who suffer from ulcers, pancreatitis, gastritis, colitis and other intestinal diseases.
Melotria rough
The peculiarity of melotria is that it looks like small watermelons. But it tastes more like a sour cucumber with a lemon aftertaste. It grows on climbing shrubs and is a good prevention of cancer.
The skin of the fruit is hard, and the flesh really resembles a cucumber. It is important not to let the melotria oversing, fresh and timely picked fruits are very tasty and healthy. You can also pickle or pickle melotria like a regular cucumber. It is pickled that it is most often served in Asian restaurants.
It is recommended to consume this fruit a little every day, as it is useful in losing weight and is perfect for diabetics. But be careful those who suffer from diseases of the cardiovascular system and intestinal tract.
Musical biriba
The fruit looks like a yellow, slightly blackening ball. The peel has scales, while inside the pulp is white, the bones are small and black. The taste of biriba resembles lemon meringue, and it is harvested in the early stages, without waiting for full ripening. She is already ripening in boxes and on the shelves.
Biriba is mostly grown and sold in South America. The main indicator of maturity is a yellow, beginning to blacken peel. If overripe, the flesh will be inedible and bitter.
Ripe fruit is eaten raw, and sometimes juices, syrups and even wine are made from it. Dried fruits are used to make musical instruments!
Miraculous Berries
These berries are similar to barboris, they are red and quite large. They are called miraculous due to the unusual effect on taste buds. After tasting the berries, any food you eat will seem sweet to you. All this is due to the content of glycol-protein. It reduces the sensitivity of receptors responsible for all tastes except sweet. The effect of sweetness lasts up to two hours.
Don't overeat, of course. But some bizarre, miraculously useful and medical properties have not been found. Along with this, miracle berries are good for those who are currently on a diet, it will reduce the sugar intake in your diet.
Tamarillo or tomato?
Despite the fact that tamarillo is a fruit, it is similar in appearance and taste to a tomato. It has a red-orange color of the skin, and a red-burgundy color of the flesh. The bush itself, on which tamarillo grows, also looks like a tomato bush that has surpassed its dimensions.
Depending on the type, the fruit has a different taste and is used in different variations. Red is the most widely distributed and has orange sweet flesh, used as decoration and additions to main dishes. Yellow is sweeter and smaller in size, orange is less sweet and the most juicy of all representatives.
The skin of the fruit is not eaten, it is too hard and bland. The pulp, on the other hand, has a juicy texture of sweet taste, contains vitamins of groups A, B and C. It is also low in sugar, so the fruit is suitable for diabetics. Peeling a tamarillo will not be easy, it is recommended to put it in boiling water for a few seconds or just cut it and eat it with a spoon.
Tropical fruits are an incredible variety of flavors, shapes and appearances. It is always very interesting to discover new and amazing dishes. But we recommend not only choosing the rarest fruits, but also making sure that you are tasting in the right and proven place.
What do we associate with the phrase "exotic fruit"? Banana, pineapple, kiwi, mango, avocado... All these overseas fruits have taken their places on the shelves of Russian stores so long ago that you can’t even call them particularly exotic.
Therefore, today in our Top there are really rare delicacies that are practically not exported from their places of growth. Participants Top 20 most exotic fruits in the world it’s not easy to find on sale, and it’s better to buy such “sweets” at home, where they are harvested really ripe and ready to eat.
20. Annona scaly (Sugar apple)
Native to the American tropics, Pakistan, India and the Philippines. These creamy fruits are about 10 cm in diameter and shaped like a cone.
19. American apricot (Mameya americana)
It was first discovered in South America. Large mamei berries have a diameter of about 20 cm. Edible sweet orange pulp, hidden by a thick peel.
18. Cherimoya (cream apple)
Grows in South America. The delicate creamy pulp of an exotic fruit tastes like a banana, pineapple, papaya and passion fruit at the same time.
17. Platonia is wonderful
It grows in the tropics of Brazil and Paraguay. The fruits are about the size of a medium orange. The white flesh has a sweet and sour taste.
16. Cocoon
Grows in the mountains of South America. Berries can be orange, red and yellow. The taste is unusual, reminiscent of a tomato with a hint of lemon flavor.
15. Breadfruit
It grows in the Philippines and the islands of Southeast Asia. When ripe, the fruit tastes like a banana. Unripe fruit can be eaten only after heat treatment.
14. Langsat and dooku
Two similar exotic fruits found throughout Asia. The difference between langsat is that it is more difficult to peel it from the peel containing latex. The fruits are sweet, while the seeds, on the contrary, are bitter.
13. Dacryodes edible (African pear)
Grows in tropical Africa. The fruits resemble eggplant in their dark blue or purple color.
12. Jaboticaba (Brazilian grape tree)
Growing in Brazil. Sweet fruits are attached directly to the trunk of this exotic tree.
11. Rambutan
Native to Southeast Asia. Fluffy balls of red-orange color have a diameter of 3-6 cm. The taste is sweet and sour.
10. Noni (big moringa, Indian mulberry)
It grows in Australia and Southeast Asia. Round fruits in their raw form are eaten with salt, and more often they are consumed cooked.
9. Marula
Native to Africa. Ripe fruits are yellow in color and have a pleasant aroma. The inner white flesh is tender and juicy.
8. Cloudberry
It is found in Siberia, in central Russia and the Far East, as well as in North America. It looks like a raspberry. They eat it raw, and also use it in the preparation of wine, jam, and confectionery.
7. Salaka (snake fruit)
Originally from Indonesia. The fruit is covered with a red-brown rind that resembles snakeskin. The taste is sweet and sour, the pulp resembles an apple in texture.
6. Bail (stone apple)
Indian fruit yellow, gray or green. The hard peel has to be opened with a hammer. The pulp is eaten raw and dried.
5. Chrysophyllum (star apple)
Grows in Central America and India. The round fruit is covered with a dense purple peel. The pulp is sweet in taste.
4. Carambola (star fruit)
Grows in Southeast and East Asia, South America. On a longitudinal section of this ribbed fruit, a star forms. Ripe fruit is juicy and crispy.
3. Horned melon (African cucumber)
It grows in Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Chile. The jelly-like pulp has a bright green color and a banana flavor.
2. Pitaya (cactus fruit)
Grows in Asia, America, Australia. The American kind is more sour. Red, yellow or purple fruit has a pleasant aroma.
1. Magic fruit
It has the special property of making sweet the taste of any food eaten within an hour of this unusual fruit. A magical fruit from West Africa.
List of green fruits you can find anywhere. Some fruits are well known, and some are known only in places of rest, in resorts. Others are generally not known to ordinary people. But these fruits have one thing in common - they are all green.
Of course, some fruits may have a different color, for example, yellow, orange, red, etc., but this already depends on the variety and type of fruit and the ripening time.
This is a fruit that looks more like a vegetable than a fruit. Avocado pulp is very rich in vitamins. You can find out more about him.
Annona scaly, sugar apple
The fruits are 5-10 centimeters in diameter. The skin is covered with scales. The pulp has a sweet taste. The seeds are poisonous.
This fruit has very soft flesh. She is edible. Various products are made from the fruit. The seeds are poisonous. Widespread in the tropics.
A pineapple
Watermelon
Everyone knows this fruit. You can find out more about him.
Banana
Everyone knows this fruit. You can find out more about him.
The pulp of the white sap is juicy, with a sour taste. The fruits are like an apple. They are eaten raw. Grows in the subtropics.
Grape
Delicious berries that are well known in post-Soviet countries.
Voavanga berries are small in size 5x4.5 centimeters. Ripe woavanga has a sweet and sour taste. Voavanga is grown in warm countries, mainly in tropical Africa.
Guava fruits are eaten raw. They also make various products. Guava berries range in size from 4 to 12 centimeters. Today, guava is grown in the subtropics and subtropics. There are many different varieties that differ in many ways.
This fruit has huge fruits. It can reach a weight of up to 25 kilograms. The taste of jackfruit is peculiar with a fresh-sweet taste. A sweet smell emanates from it.
Durian is an unforgettable fruit or "King among fruits". You can read a detailed article about durian.
Cainito, star apple
Cainito berries reach sizes up to 10 centimeters. Cainito grows in warm countries. It mainly grows in Central and South America. The pulp is eaten with a spoon. The bark is inedible.
Carambola fruit in cross section resembles a star, and this is what it is mostly remembered for. You need to eat carambola with caution, because there are contraindications to certain types of diseases.
Coconut palm
Everyone knows what a coconut is. Fresh coconut is green. A variety of food products are made from coconut. Juice is drunk from an unripe coconut by making a hole in the coconut. Not only the drupe of the palm is used, but all parts. So, for example, wine, vodka, vinegar, syrup and sugar are made from palm sap. Coconut grows in the tropics around the world.
Corilla, cyclantera
It is a climbing tree up to 5 meters long. Berries are up to 23x7 centimeters in size. The pulp is juicy with a pleasant taste similar to cucumber. It grows in the tropics on the mountains and subtropics.
Lime
Lucuma is a tree up to 15 meters high. Turkish delight berries like tomatoes, 10 centimeters in diameter. The flesh is not very juicy, but it tastes sweet. The collected ripe fruits are kept for several days and then only they are eaten. Grows in South and Central America.
Mango is one of the most delicious fruits. Each variety has its own unique taste. You can read more about it.
passion fruit
Passion fruit is mostly brown in color, but it also has greenish varieties. It grows throughout the world in the tropics and subtropics. You can read more.
Momordica, bitter cucumber
Momordica is a climbing plant. Cucumber-like fruits are harvested in their unripe green form. When the fruit ripens, it becomes bright yellow or orange. It is more of a vegetable than a fruit. The fruits are bitter, they are first processed and only then cooked. The sap of the plant is poisonous in its raw form. This fruit grows in Russia, follow the link and find out where. Grows throughout the world with warm climates.
This is a small tree up to 6 meters. Fruits up to 15 centimeters in size. Unripe fruits are eaten raw, they do not taste very good. Grows in the tropical zone.
Papeda is a tree up to 12 meters high. Papeda fruits are 7 centimeters in diameter. The flesh of the fruit has a sour or bitter taste. It looks like a lime. Grown in South and Southeast Asia.
A pomelo tree up to 15 meters high. The fruits can be up to 50 centimeters in diameter. The fruits do not taste bitter, even pleasant. Grows in the tropics and subtropics.
This tree is up to 20 meters high. The fruits are 15 centimeters in diameter, they are very tasty. This fruit is considered one of the best tropical fruits. Grows in Central and South America.
The plant reaches a height of 3-8 meters. The fruit reaches sizes up to 25x5 centimeters. The pulp has the taste of peas. Grows in Central America.
Closely related to chayote. The fruits are not large. It tastes like cucumber. Cooked like vegetables.
pumpkin tree, tree calabash
The tree reaches a height of 10 meters. The fruits are round, up to 40 centimeters in size. The pulp of young fruits is marinated in vinegar. The seeds are roasted and eaten. Fresh fruits can not be eaten, they are poisoned. Grows in Central America. Earlier, dishes were made from the shell, but now plastic has replaced it.
Philippine rose apple
The tree reaches a height of 40 meters. The fruits are 6 cm in diameter. The fruits are eaten raw and cooked. It grows in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.
The fruit of this plant is similar to the durian. The fruits are delicious and are considered a staple food in the tropics. Grows in the tropics.
Chayote, Mexican cucumber
Chayote is a climbing plant up to 20 meters. Berries reach a length of 7 to 20 centimeters. The flesh is like a cucumber. It is used throughout the world as a vegetable, in tropical and subtropical areas.
Cherimoya, Annona cherimola
Distributed throughout the mountainous regions of the tropics, in subtropical and Mediterranean climates. This fruit has a delicious taste. It is eaten cut into two parts and the inner pulp is eaten with a spoon. The seeds are poisonous. Cherimoya is used to make various dishes and products.
Black sapote or black persimmon
Tree up to 25 meters high. The berry is similar to a tomato, 10x13 centimeters in size. It has a mild sweet nutty taste. Grows in tropical countries.
The term "fruit" appeared in 1705 and since then means edible or inedible fruits of trees, shrubs (earlier, all plant fruits were called vegetables). The product is one of the main components of the human diet, since, depending on the variety, it contains many vitamins and microelements. According to rough estimates, there are a little more than 2,000 fruits on the planet.
Apricot
A small tree or large shrub with a wide round crown. Very elegant are its reddish-brown or brown-olive, shiny, bare shoots, often in places (but not entirely) covered with a grayish film, 2-3 buds nearby. Very decorative at the time of flowering, decorated with numerous large white or pale pink flowers, with dark red recurved sepals. No less beautiful is the apricot at the time of fruiting, decorated with velvety-pubescent, often with a blush, sweet, rounded fruits with a longitudinal groove up to 3 cm in diameter. The tree loves light and tolerates drought well, living up to 50 years or more.
Avocado
Interest in avocados has been steadily growing in recent years, but still few people know that there are varieties whose fruits are more like a bottle gourd, there are black, pimply, oval and huge spherical avocados. Moreover, some of these varieties differ three times from each other in a number of important indicators of chemical composition. Nevertheless, with the help of properly selected varieties, people in different parts of the world take care of their skin condition, hair health, treat atherosclerosis, relieve symptoms of arthritis and normalize the functioning of the nervous system.
cherry plum
Strongly prickly branched multi-stem trees, sometimes a shrub, with thin brownish-green shoots, 3-10 meters high. Cherry plum flowers are white or pink, solitary. Blooms in early May. Cherry plum fruits ripen in August-September. Excellent honey plant and rootstock for plums.
A pineapple
Everyone knows that sweet ripe pineapple is added to salads, yogurts and pies. Fewer people know that pineapples can be fermented and boiled as cabbage soup. Even fewer have heard that pineapple leaves are used to produce a light and durable leather substitute, new types of fabric, nanofiber, which has become an alternative to plastic. And very few people know that scientists today, with the help of the bromelain enzyme contained in pineapple, are finding new ways to treat respiratory diseases, angina pectoris, ischemia, and are also actively exploring the potential of the enzyme in the fight against cancer cells.
Annona (guanabana)
The tree in natural conditions reaches 6 m in height, in the room it is much lower. Unlike some other annonas, this is an evergreen tree. The leaves are oval or oblong, glossy, leathery, dark green, up to 15 cm long. They have a slightly spicy smell, especially noticeable when rubbed. The flowers are fragrant, large (up to 4.5 cm in diameter), consist of three yellow-green fleshy outer petals and three pale yellow inner petals, can appear in different places - on the trunk, branches and small twigs. Flowers never fully open. Guanabana fruits are oval or heart-shaped, often irregular in shape, up to 30 cm long, 15 cm in diameter and weighing up to 3 kg, dark green in color, becoming yellow-green when ripe.
Orange
There are many legends about the beneficial properties of an orange, some of which, however, are not confirmed by anything. For example, some believe that an orange breaks all records for the content of vitamin C, although in fact it does not stand out among other citrus fruits in this parameter. Others believe that orange fruits (or freshly squeezed juice) can effectively burn fat and provide relief from extra pounds in diets. This is also not entirely true.
Banana
Bananas have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anti-allergic properties. With the help of banana components (dopamine, serotonin, adrenaline and norepinephrine), atherosclerosis, hypertension are treated, liver enzyme activity is increased, convulsions are relieved, and small doses of banana increase the quality and quantity of sperm. The main thing is not to abuse the banana diet, so as not to get the opposite effect, and also not to provoke problems with excess weight and varicose veins.
Bergamot
Bergamot is a hybrid species of an artificially bred plant of the genus Citrus. The plant was obtained by crossing orange and citron. The skin of bergamot contains valuable essential oils used in the cosmetic and perfume industries, as well as in medicine.
Grapefruit
grapefruit (English) grape and fruits- grapes and fruit) - a citrus yellow-orange fruit that grows in subtropical climatic latitudes. Grapefruit grows on an evergreen tree of the same name, reaching a height of 13-15 m. A ripe fruit in diameter is no more than 15 cm. In appearance, grapefruit is most similar to an orange, but its flesh is more acidic, and the inner white veins are bitter. Many scientists believe that the grapefruit originated in India as a natural hybridization of the pomelo and the orange.
Pear
This is a fruit plant with a thousand-year history of cultivation, which almost all this time is fighting for the right to be no worse than its close relative - an apple. And the pear is really no worse. Potassium, antioxidants, coarse dietary fiber, less fruit acids, fiber-related “light” sugars and other beneficial substances make this fruit both tasty and healthy, and in some cases medicinal. Experimentally proven, for example, the ability of pears to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and prevent strokes.
Guava
A small evergreen tree up to 3-4 m high, belongs to the myrtle family, tolerates drought well. Blooms once or twice a year. It gives one main crop - up to 100 kg per tree and 2-4 additional, much smaller crops. Guava matures ninety to one hundred and fifty days after flowering. The shape and size of the fruit is extremely variable. In appearance, the guava looks like a bumpy green or yellow apple. Guava fruits are round and pear-shaped, with a bright yellow, reddish or green thin skin. The mass of fruits of cultivated varieties is from 70 to 160 g, the length of the fruit is from 4 to 6.5 cm, the diameter is 4.8-7.2 cm. which disappears in mature fruit.
Jackfruit
A plant of the mulberry family, a close relative of the breadfruit tree. Jackfruit is the national fruit of Bangladesh. Jackfruit fruits are the largest edible fruits growing on trees: 20-90 cm long and up to 20 cm in diameter, they weigh up to 34 kg. Their thick skin is covered with numerous cone-shaped protrusions. Young fruits are green, when ripe they become green-yellow or brown-yellow and when tapped they make a hollow sound (immature fruits are deaf). Inside, the fruit is divided into large lobes containing yellow, fragrant, sweet pulp, consisting of juicy soft fibers. Each slice contains one fairly large oblong white seed 2-3 cm long. The cut jackfruit fruit has a pleasant specific smell, slightly reminiscent of a banana and pineapple.
dragon fruit (pitahaya)
An extraordinary fruit. Currently, it is grown in southern Mexico, in some countries of Central and South America, in Vietnam, as well as in Israel (in the Negev desert). Depending on the species, the size of the pitahaya fruit, the color of the pulp (white, pink, purple), the color of the skin (from yellow to orange, from red to purple) and the surface texture of the fruit (with small outgrowths, with thin colored scales) vary. The pulp of the dragon fruit fruit is always filled with small black seeds, which are customary to clean out.
durian
Durian has such a disgusting smell that you are unlikely to be allowed into a public place with it. However, if you overcome disgust or just close your nose and taste the juicy pulp, you will immediately understand where the concept of the king of fruits came from.
carambola
Evergreen, slow-growing tree 5 m high with drooping branches and a dense, highly branched, rounded crown or shrub. The leaves are soft, dark green, smooth on top and covered with whitish pubescence below. The leaves are sensitive to light and cluster together at night. The flowers are small pink or purple-red. Carambola fruits are fleshy, crispy and juicy, slightly spicy, with massive ribbed outgrowths, ranging in size from a chicken egg to a large orange. Ripe fruits of carambola are amber-yellow or golden-yellow. They are unusual in shape - they look like a ribbed airship.
Kiwi
The herbaceous vine Actinidia sinensis and its fruits are berries with green flesh and brown skin covered with small hairs. The history of kiwi is very unusual. The birthplace of the creeper with the name mihutao, which became the progenitor of kiwi, is China.
clementines
clementine or Citrus clementina is one of the varieties of tangero. It is a hybrid of orange and tangerine. It was created back in 1902 by Father Klemen, who was not only a priest, but also a wonderful breeder. The shape of the fruit is the same as that of the mandarin, but they are much sweeter.
Kumquat
whale. golden orange
Yellow-orange tropical fruit of the citrus family of an evergreen plant. This fruit has other names - kinkan and fortunella. Outwardly, the kumquat looks like a very small oval orange. In length, it reaches a maximum of 5 cm, and in width - 4 cm. The fruit is consumed completely with the peel. The taste of the fruit is very close to sour tangerine, but the peel has a sweet-tart taste. The kumquat is native to southern China.
Lime
Lime is the fruit of a plant in the citrus family native to India, genetically similar to lemon.
Lime is a small tree or bush from 1.5 to 5.0 m high. The crown is dense, the branches are covered with short spines. Inflorescences are axillary, with 1-7 flowers, remontant flowering. Lime fruits are small - 3.5-6 cm in diameter, ovoid, lime flesh is greenish, juicy, very sour. The peel is green, yellowish-green or yellow, very thin when fully ripe.
Lemon
Although the lemon is popularly considered the record holder for the amount of vitamin C, in fact, in terms of the content of ascorbic acid, it does not stand out among other citrus fruits and even lags behind some of its “brothers”. But that doesn't make it useless. Traditional medicine includes lemon in recipes for "thousands of diseases": from seborrhea and arthritis, to constipation and tuberculosis. And scientific research is aimed at using lemon potential in therapy to restore liver function, reduce "bad" cholesterol and blood pressure.
Lychee
lat. Litchi chinensis- Chinese plum
A small sweet and sour fruit covered with a crusty skin. The fruit grows on evergreen tropical trees, the height of which reaches 10-30 meters. Homeland is China. The fruit has an oval or round shape with a diameter of 2.5-4 cm. The ripened fruit has a dense red skin with a large number of sharp tubercles. Only the pulp of the fruit is used for food, which has a jelly-like structure, and in color and taste resembles peeled white grapes. Inside the pulp is an oval brown bone. The main harvest of lychee occurs in May-June.
Longan (Lam Yai)
The fruit of an evergreen longan tree native to China, Taiwan, Vietnam and Indonesia.
The juicy flesh of the longan has a sweet, very fragrant, nephelium-like taste with a peculiar tinge. The color of the hard, inedible outer shell of the fruit varies from mottled yellowish to reddish. Like the Chinese lychee, the longan fruit contains a hard, dark red or black seed.
Mango
The evergreen mango tree has a height of 10 - 45 m, the crown of the tree reaches a radius of 10 m.
New leaves grow yellowish-pink, but quickly turn dark green. The flowers are white to pink, after opening they have an aroma similar to that of lilies. Ripe mango fruits hang on long stems and weigh up to 2 kg. The skin of a mango is thin, smooth, green, yellow or red depending on the degree of maturity (combination of all three colors is often found). The pulp of a mango can be soft or fibrous, also depending on the maturity of the fruit, it surrounds a large, hard, flat bone.
Mangosteen
Tall evergreen tree up to 25 m high with a pyramidal crown and black-brown bark. The leaves are oval-oblong, dark green above and yellow-green below, 9 - 25 cm long and 4.5 - 10 cm wide. Young leaves are pink. Flowers with fleshy green petals with red spots. The mangosteen fruit is round, with a diameter of 3.4 - 7.5 cm, on top is covered with a thick (up to 1 cm) burgundy-violet inedible skin containing sticky coloring latex, under which there are 4-8 segments of white edible pulp with seeds tightly adjacent to it . Mangosteen bears fruit late - the first fruits on trees for 9-20 years of life.
Mandarin
There are many myths about mandarin. Many have probably heard that more than 4 fruits a day cannot be eaten? This is an exaggeration - there is no common table for all indicating the dangerous amount of this citrus. They also say that green leaves on a tangerine are a sign of its special freshness, that the oranger the peel, the sweeter the fruit, that the naringin contained in the zest directly burns fats, and that citruses in general and tangerines in particular are hardly the best source of vitamin C. All this is also not entirely true. But mandarin has properties that have long been in demand in folk medicine, which make it a promising product in the fight against some serious diseases.
passion fruit
An ancient tropical crop of the genus Passiflora that produces yellow or dark purple oval fruits (when ripe) growing on vines. Passion fruit is grown for its juice, which is often added to other fruit juices for flavor. Passionfruit fruits are yellow-orange or dark purple fruits, oval in shape and about 6-12 cm in size. Fruits with smooth, shiny skin are preferred, but sweeter with rough, cracked skin.
medlar
tour. musmula
This is a whole genus of plants, which includes almost 30 species. However, there are two main cultivated types of medlar: German and Japanese. The German medlar has been known to mankind for more than 1000 years BC. In the territories of Ancient Babylon, Mesopotamia, it was freely traded, it was taken on ships to the west to Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. It was from here that the medlar came to European lands. To date, the German medlar grows in the Balkans, Asia Minor, the Crimean Mountains, Transcaucasia, Armenia, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Greece and northern Iran. The tree is quite finicky and grows well only in dry, sunny places and on slightly acidic soil.
Nectarine
A fruit that is a peach with a smooth skin. Despite the widespread myth, nectarine is obtained by selection or simple mutation of peaches and is not a peach-plum hybrid.
This classic example of a bud mutation occurs when peach trees self-pollinate. Nectarines sometimes appear on peach trees, and peaches on nectarine trees. Nectarines are first mentioned in 1616 in England.
Papaya
A low, slender tree with a thin, branchless trunk 5-10 meters high, crowned with an umbrella of palmately dissected leaves on long petioles. Papaya leaves are large, 50-70 centimeters in diameter. The flowers develop in the axils of the petioles, turning into large fruits, 10-30 cm in diameter and 15-45 cm long. Ripe papaya fruits are soft and have a color from amber to yellow.
Peach
A tree of the Rosaceae family, has a subgenus of almonds. It differs from almonds only in fruits. The leaves are lanceolate with a serrated edge and almost sessile, appearing before the development of the leaves, pink flowers. The fruit is a peach, spherical, with a groove on one side, usually velvety. The peach pit is wrinkly furrowed and punctately dimpled.
pomelo
English pomelo
Citrus fruits of the evergreen tree of the same name. The peel of the fruit is quite thick, and the slices are large, separated by hard white partitions, bitter in taste. The color of a ripe pomelo can vary from light green to yellow-pink. The pink color usually acquires only one side, which during ripening was turned to the sun. The fruit is the champion among citrus fruits. Its diameter can be 30 cm, and its weight can reach 10 kg. The taste of pomelo is very close to grapefruit, but the pulp is not so juicy and when peeled, the inner membranes are more easily separated from the edible part.
Pomeranian
It is also called Chinotto or Bigaradia - it is a woody evergreen plant belonging to the Rut family, a species of the genus Citrus. It is considered a hybrid of pomelo and mandarin. When fresh, the orange is considered inedible, and it is valued mainly because of the zest. The peel is quite easily separated from the fruit, you just need to cut it into 4 parts. The zest of oranges is used to make desserts. It is also often added to ice cream. For such a dessert, you need to take orange zest and juice, cream and sugar. All this must be beaten with a mixer and sent to freeze.
Tatyana Solomatina
TOP 10 exotic fruits: where are they and what do they taste like?
Hello, friends! Gathered in a southern country on vacation? Then you just need to find out what exotic fruits are. Today we will talk about tasty and healthy.
Read a brief overview: appearance and taste of fruits, ripening season, storage features. See photos and videos.
This round tropical red fruit can reach up to 5 cm in diameter. There is one seed in the middle of the berry. In its shape, texture and stone, the fruit is similar to lime-eye, but only with a more pronounced aroma and taste. The fruit is very tasty, sweet and juicy, although sometimes slightly sour. Under the peel, which is easily removed, is the pulp of a white plum.
Lychee can be found fresh only during the harvest season, which begins at the end of May and lasts until the end of July. Between the ripening seasons of the fruit, you can find it canned in jars or plastic containers. Lychee is usually preserved in its own juice or in coconut milk.
Ripe exotic fruits can be stored in the refrigerator for about two weeks. If they are peeled and immediately frozen, then they will lie in the freezer for up to 3 months and retain all their useful properties.
Where to try: Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Australia, China.
It is worth noting that lychee fruits contain pectin, proteins, potassium, magnesium and vitamin C. Those who consume these exotic fruits in sufficient quantities, due to their very high content of nicotinic acid (vitamin PP), usually do not suffer from atherosclerosis. Therefore, in the region where lychee grows, the level of this disease is quite low.
Rambutan - "hairy fruit"
The fruits of this exotic fruit are round, red in color, about 5 cm in diameter, covered with a peel with soft processes resembling thorns. Under the skin, white-transparent flesh is sweet in taste and sometimes sour. The stone is quite difficult to separate from the pulp, but it is also edible.
The tropical fruits of rambutan contain vitamin C, as well as a lot of carbohydrates, protein, phosphorus, calcium, iron and nicotinic acid, which is very beneficial for health. The shelf life of such fruits is small - up to 7 days in the refrigerator.
The period of ripening and harvesting of these fruits is quite long, from May to October.
Where to try: Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, India, Colombia, Ecuador, Cuba.
Jam is made from the fruits of rambutan, jelly is made, and the pulp is also preserved.
Mangosteen can also be called garcinia or mankut
These exotic fruits are dark purple and about the size of a small apple. The rind of the fruit is very thick and inedible, and the edible white flesh looks like garlic cloves. Delicious, sweet pulp with a slight sourness has a peculiar taste unlike anything else. There are no seeds inside, although some fruits sometimes contain small soft seeds, but they can be eaten.
Sometimes there are defective mangosteen fruits, they have a dark creamy, sticky and unpleasant-tasting pulp. But in appearance, such fruits cannot be distinguished from normal ones until the peel is removed.
Harvested from April to September.
Where to try: Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, India, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica.
Tropical mangosteen fruits contain beneficial natural biologically active substances that help relieve inflammatory reactions such as redness, swelling, high fever, and painful weakness.
Dragon's eye - pitahaya, pitahaya
These tropical cactus fruits are so called in the Russian version, in the world this product is better known as the Dragon Fruit.
The fruits themselves are oblong and large, about the size of a palm, the color of the fruit is red or pink. The pulp inside the pitahaya, studded with small black bones, is white, sometimes with a reddish tint. It tastes very juicy, tender, slightly sweet, with a taste unlike anything else. The pulp can be eaten with a spoon, scooping from a fruit cut in half.
Pitaya fruits are harvested all year round.
Where to try: Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, China, Taiwan, Japan, USA, Australia, Israel.
These exotic cactus fruits are considered useful in the treatment of endocrine diseases, diabetes, and stomach pain.
Durian - the king of fruits
Exotic durian fruits are very large, up to 8 kg. The peel of a round fruit of dark green color resembles cone spines, such as a large hedgehog.
This tropical fruit is famous for its smell. Many have heard of it, some are familiar with its smell, and very few have tasted it. The smell is reminiscent of the smell of garlic, onions and old socks. Because of this smell, it is forbidden to bring the fruit to public places: hotel, transport, beauty salon. For example, in Thailand, signs with the image of a crossed-out fruit are hung in front of the entrance.
Although the pulp of the fruit itself is sweet and tender, which is not combined with an unpleasant odor. But not many decide to try this fruit. And in vain, because the taste is very pleasant, and durian fruits are considered in Asia a valuable product with useful properties. Durian is the strongest aphrodisiac.
The harvest period starts in April and ends in August.
Where to try: Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, Philippines.
It is worth noting that durian should not be combined with alcohol, because blood pressure can rise sharply and this will lead to unpleasant consequences.
Sala, other names: salak, snake fruit, rakum
The fruits are small, oblong or round in shape, red (rakum) or brown (herring) in color, covered with small spines on top.
This fruit has an unusual, bright sweet and sour taste. Some say it resembles a pear, others a persimmon. Worth a try for yourself - at least once.
When peeling an exotic fruit and removing the peel, you need to be very careful, as the spines are quite dense and can dig into the skin. It's better to use a knife.
Fat ripens from April to June.
Where to try: Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia.
Carambola - "star of the tropics"
If you cut a tropical fruit in half, then you will get a star in the cut. The color is yellow with a hint of green, the size of the fruit is small, there are small seeds inside.
A distinctive feature of an exotic fruit is an edible peel (you can eat it whole) and, of course, an unusual shape. It has a pleasant smell, and the taste does not stand out in any way - a little sweet or sometimes even sweet and sour. The fruit itself is juicy - you can quench your thirst.
Ripens all year round.
Where to try: Borneo, Thailand, Indonesia.
The fruits of carambola are not advisable to use for those who have pronounced malfunctions in the kidneys.
Longan or lam-yai
Exotic longan fruits are small, reminiscent of small potatoes, they are covered with a thin inedible peel, and inside there is one inedible bone.
The taste of longan pulp is quite peculiar, juicy and sweet, even fragrant.
Longan fruits are harvested from July to September.
Where to try: Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, China.
These tropical fruits are very useful because they are rich in vitamin C, iron, calcium, phosphorus, and contain many bioacids. To prevent the fruit from spoiling quickly, you should choose a ripe fruit, with a dense skin, without cracks.
Longkong is another name for lonkon
Longkong fruits are also similar to longan and small potatoes, only larger in size and pale yellow in color. Inside the pulp in appearance resembles garlic.
The exotic longkong tastes sweet and sour. Its fruits contain phosphorus, calcium, carbohydrates and vitamin C. If you dry and burn the peel of the longkong, then the pleasant aromatic smell will also be useful, as it serves as a good repellent.
This tropical fruit is not stored for a long time (in the refrigerator - 4-5 days), despite the fact that the peel of a ripe fruit should be dense and without cracks.
Fruit picking takes place from April to June.
Where to try: Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia.
You can find a variety of longkong - langsat, they do not differ outwardly, but the second one has a bitter aftertaste.
Jackfruit or eve - the fruit of the Indian breadfruit
The jackfruit fruit is perhaps the largest exotic fruit among those that grow on trees. Its weight can reach 35 kg. The edible pulp inside the fruit looks like several large yellow slices.
The taste of jackfruit pulp is sugary-sweet, reminiscent of melon and marshmallow. The fruits of this fruit are very nutritious, they contain a lot of starch, contain about 40% carbohydrates - this is more than in bread.
Tropical fruits ripen for a long time: from January to August.
Where to try: Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore.
It is inconvenient to store such a large fruit as a whole (it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months), it is better to buy slices of pulp already cut and packed in polyethylene. It is worth knowing that some people after eating jackfruit have an allergic reaction: spasms in the throat, it becomes difficult to swallow. This usually goes away after a while, but you need to be careful.
Appetizing, right? All these tropical fruits are exotic only for us, they are familiar to the inhabitants of southern countries. For dessert, I suggest you watch an interesting video that details many of the fruits from my selection.
You may have noticed that many of the above tropical fruits grow in Thailand. I have tried almost everything. I just couldn't appreciate the taste of stinky durian. It turned out to be beyond my strength. Have you tried? Write in the comments, it is interesting to know your feelings. Better yet, send stories, testimonials and reviews about your vacation. I will definitely publish them in the “Readers' Journey” section, read the details.
Subscribe to blog updates, there is still a lot of useful information ahead. Now I say goodbye for a while, until we meet again!
Tatyana Solomatina
