Fruit is good. It is recommended in quantities of 3 to 4 a day by experts. We are used to pear, banana, orange, kiwi, apple, melon or watermelon as basic and best known fruits in our diet. Little by little we know and are more aware of other names of fruits that until recently were called exotic. Mango, passion fruit, grapefruit, avocado…until recently they were rare, and now we have them assimilated as normal.
However, the various corners of the world hide fruits of different shapes, colors, tastes and sizes unknown to the consumer. We review some of the most extravagant and interesting.
Dragon fruit:This fruit, also known by the name of Dragon Fruit, is born in Central America, and is currently also produced in Vietnam, China and Israel. It is characterized by an external color that is very pink, very yellow, and an interior filled with small black seeds. 90% of the fruit is water; It is rich in iron, calcium and phosphorus. Contains vitamin B, C and E.
Buddha’s Hand: It is a yellow citrus whose formation resembles that of a hand. The fruit grows on bushes or small trees with thorny branches. It has a thick skin and its interior contains little juice. It has two essential uses, to perfume rooms, or to be caramelized for culinary use. The name of Buddha’s hand is due to the fact that it is used as an offering in Buddhist ceremonies. The origin of this fruit is in India and China.
Star Fruit:This curious fruit, also called carambola, has an elongated, oval shape, with five edges or wings and, when cut, a five-pointed star. It is small in size, with a length that ranges between 7 and 12 centimeters. It has a thin, edible skin that is green or gold to orange in color when ripe. The pulp is crunchy, with a smooth texture and glassy yellow. Its pulp has few seeds and is abundant and with a fine bittersweet flavor.
Noni:The noni is a tree of up to 8 meters that is found mainly in French Polynesia. Its fruit has been consumed for thousands of years by native Hawaiians and other peoples such as Samoa or Thaiti. The tree takes advantage of the seeds, the root, the leaves and even the flowers. The bark of the trunk and its roots are used to make dyes. The ripe Noni fruit is about the size of a potato and is creamy-white in color. It has been used for centuries as a food source, despite having an unpleasant taste and smell. Traditional Polynesian healers used all parts of the plant to treat health problems (from canker sores to rheumatism). Noni juice seems to have become fashionable in recent years as an effective remedy for all kinds of ailments.
Kiwano: This fruit is a kind of small melon with bright colors, skin covered with fleshy spines and gelatinous pulp full of seeds. It has a length of about 10 centimeters and an approximate weight of 200 grams. The color of its skin, thick and inedible, is yellow with orange flecks. The pulp is glassy green, full of small seeds. Its flavor is sour and refreshing and resembles that of cucumber.
Litchi: It is a small oval fruit with a pulp that covers a large bone inside. Its appearance is very similar to that of the strawberry tree, measuring about 3 or 4 centimeters. The color of his skin is bright red and sometimes yellow, and it is covered with warts. Its flavor is sweet and savory and reminiscent of the taste of grapes with a touch reminiscent of roses.
Rambutan: This fruit, with a name similar to that of a type of ape, is native to Malaysia. Its cultivation has spread to almost all of Asia and some areas of Central America. It has a very small and oval size and resembles a hedgehog due to its skin full of wavy hairs and erect when freshly harvested. Its interior has a hard nugget. Its skin is purplish brown and its pulp, with translucent flesh, has a glassy white tone. Its flavor is similar to that of litchi; sugary and with a certain resemblance to that of almonds.
Kumquats:The kumquat is the smallest of the citrus fruits and the only one whose peel is edible. It comes from East Asia and its shape is ovoid. Its pulp is divided into 4 or 5 segments with 2 or 3 seeds depending on the variety. His skin is shiny and almost the color of a common orange. The flavor of its skin is slightly bitter although aromatic.
Mangosteen:No. It is not an animal similar to a beaver or a rat, it is one of the most valued and appreciated exotic fruits for its flavor and texture. It is a spherical berry with a strong bark similar to that of a chestnut but more fragile. It is yellowish until ripe and its color changes to red or purple. Inside the skin is red and its white pulp. The flavor of the fruit is honeyed, sweet and enormously sugary. Its taste is compared to that of ripe plums or grapes.
Fingerlimes:This fruit, also known as finger-lime, grows mostly in Australia. It is a member of the citrus family. The tree grows slowly like a bush to a height of between three and five meters and will bear fruit after several years. If grafted onto an appropriate rootstock the plant becomes a commercially viable citrus plant. Its flavor is very similar to that of a conventional lime, although its internal texture is slightly reminiscent of a pomegranate.
