Exotic fruits: photos, names and descriptions. All Fruits of Thailand - names, descriptions, photos, prices and season of their eating Which fruit can be called the most summer

The countries of Southeast Asia are simply a paradise for tropical fruit lovers. Dragon fruit, mangosteen, tomarillo, durian, snake fruit, and many other exotic names cease to amaze and become the norm here.

Surely in Russia, in large supermarkets, there are many of these fruits, only, firstly, the prices for them can differ by an order of magnitude, and secondly, in order for them to appear on the shelves in an attractive form, they are pretty stuffed with chemicals or are sent unripe, which cannot but affect the taste and useful qualities.

But in Southeast Asia, at home, many of these fruits cost a penny - for example, a ripe and juicy mango in the season can be bought for 5 rubles, and a large (3 kg), sweet papaya for 30 rubles. As for the usual apples and pears, here they, on the contrary, are one of the most expensive fruits. In addition, there are almost no berries here, with the exception of strawberries, which sometimes pleases us.

We have been living in Bali for the sixth month now and enjoy a variety of fruit flavors every day. There are several dozen tropical fruits here, and if you consider that each of them, as a rule, has several varieties, and the taste of each variety is unique and inimitable, it becomes clear how well fruit lovers live here.

The same fruits we tasted in Mexico, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Indonesia often differ not only in flavor, but also in name and shape. Eyes in the market or in the store keep running up, it is difficult to choose a particular fruit, so we buy huge boxes that can hardly fit on a bike.

We deliberately do not write about prices, since they are different everywhere, they depend on the country, seasonality, variety and ability to bargain. So, we begin our acquaintance with tropical exoticism.
Snake fruit, the Balinese call it salak

The fruits are round or pear-shaped, tapering to the top in a wedge, covered with a scaly brown skin resembling snake skin, from which the name of the fruit comes.

The peel is thin and easily removable, it is enough to cut or tear it at the edge, and then remove it, like a shell from an egg. The pulp is white or beige in color and consists mainly of three segments. If the fruit is unripe, then due to the high content of tannin it knits the mouth, this is how we first tasted it in Malaysia in the spring - we did not like it, and we safely forgot about it.

Here in Bali, Baltic herring, as one of the most common fruits, quickly became familiar, we tried it again, and, one might say, fell in love.

Bali has 2 varieties. One, more elongated, consists of 3 identical segments, has a pleasant refreshing sweet taste, reminiscent of pineapple and banana with a slight nutty flavor. The second, more rounded, with two large segments and the third small without pits, tastes similar to gooseberries and pineapple. Both varieties are quite interesting, we buy different ones with equal success.

Baltic herring contains tannin, which removes harmful substances from the body, has astringent, hemostatic and antidiarrheal properties.

In the north of Bali, in the forests, we somehow found a wild herring. Unlike the garden one, its peel is prickly in small needles, no more than 1mm long, and the fruits themselves are smaller in size. They taste sweet, but they are not very pleasant to peel because of the thorns, so we fed them to the monkeys, who were not hindered by the thorns, and they coped with the cleaning as quickly as they do with bananas.
Tamarillo

Tamarillo fruits are egg-shaped, about 5 cm long. The shiny peel is hard and bitter, inedible, and the flesh has a sweet-sour, tomato-currant taste, almost without aroma. The skin color can be orange-red, yellow, or violet-red.

The color of the flesh is usually golden pink, the seeds are thin and round, black, edible. The fruits resemble long-fruited tomatoes, which is why they christened it the tomato tree. Tomarillo can be cut into 2 halves and just squeeze the pulp into your mouth, or peel it with a knife holding the tail - you get such a flower

Tamarillo contains a large amount of vitamins A, B6, C and E, as well as trace elements - iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and calcium. The fruit will be useful for those who suffer from migraines.

We fell in love with this fruit because of its berry-currant flavor - there are very few berries in Bali, mostly all imported (with the exception of strawberries).

Tamarillo makes an excellent sauce when you add lemon juice, ginger and honey to it. The sauce is suitable for both spicy dishes and desserts.
Mango

Of the many tropical fruits, mango is still one of our favorites - it seems that you can eat as much as you like and never get bored. In Russia, we sometimes bought them in a store and the concept of different varieties did not exist for us - there is just mango and that's all, what was our surprise that, it turns out, there are several dozen species of them.

India collects about 13.5 million tons of mango fruits per year (just think about the figure!) And is thus the main producer (the most famous variety is mangifera indica 'Alphonso'), China is the second most productive (just over 4 million tons) , on the third - Thailand (2.5 million tons), Indonesia 2.1 million tons.

Ripe fruits of different varieties taste very different, most often they are sweet and have pleasant aromas of different shades from honey even to ginger

Arriving in India in early November, we were very surprised not to find mango on sale - it turned out that the season begins in April. They flew away at the end of March, and literally in the last week the first harvest appeared on sale - these were small red mangoes, very fragrant and sweet, for several days we could not tear ourselves away from them.

We really liked the variety of mango varieties in Malaysia - from Thai light yellow, with beige flesh inside, to green thick-skinned, unripe in appearance, but with bright orange, sweet flesh.

But for real, we gorge ourselves on mangoes in Bali. In May and June, the choice was not very large, but in August, September and, especially, in October, the variety of varieties and prices never ceases to please us. Our favorite Harumanis is a green mango with orange, sweet, honey flesh.

Mangoes are high in vitamins and fructose, and low in acids. Vitamin A has a beneficial effect on the organs of vision, helps with "night blindness" and other eye diseases. Regular consumption of mango improves immunity and protects against colds. Green mango is also rich in vitamin C.

Mango fruits are often used in home medicine, for example, in India, mangoes are used to stop bleeding, to strengthen the heart muscle, and to improve brain function.
Jackfruit

Everyone who sees jackfruit for the first time is very surprised, and there is something - this is the world's largest fruit growing on a tree. The length of the fruit is 20-90 cm, the diameter is up to 20 cm, and the fruits weigh up to 35 kg (in the photo, for comparison, there is a mandarin duck). The thick skin is covered with numerous cone-shaped spines. Young fruits are green, when ripe they become green-yellow or brown-yellow.

If the fruit has fallen, and not ripe, it is eaten as a vegetable, in India we have repeatedly tried jackfruit curry. But fresh was first tasted in Sri Lanka at the end of April, where the season had just begun.

You can find a ripe fruit between May and September; when tapped, it emits a hollow sound (unripe fruit is deaf). Internally, the fruit is divided into large lobes that contain a sweet yellow flesh composed of juicy, slippery fibers. Each lobe contains an oblong seed 2-4 cm long, one fruit can contain up to 500 seeds

The peel and seeds of a ripe fruit have an unpleasant putrid smell, while the pulp smells nice, there is something in common with banana and pineapple, but the taste is still specific, for an amateur, we liked it very much.

All parts of the plant, including the peel, contain sticky latex, so it is recommended to cut the fruit by greasing your hands with sunflower oil or wearing rubber gloves. In the refrigerator, the fruit can be stored for 1-2 months. In supermarkets and markets, jackfruit is sold mainly already cut, since whole fruits, firstly, scare away with their thorns, and secondly, not everyone is ready to overpower such a giant.

Due to its weight, jackfruit often falls from the tree and breaks. Due to the strong smell, animals can easily find it, which carry seeds throughout the forest, which contributes to its active distribution.

Jackfruit is very nutritious and contains about 40% carbohydrates. In particular, therefore, and also because of its cheapness and general availability, jackfruit in India is called "bread for the poor" or breadfruit. The seeds are also nutritious - they contain 38% carbohydrates, they are fried and eaten like chestnuts. It tastes a little dry, but goes well with salads.
Dragon fruit or dragon fruit, it is also pitaya or pitahaya

Belongs to the cactus family. Due to its interesting and unusual shape, as well as its bright pink color, the fruit cannot go unnoticed. The fruit has a white or red (depending on the variety), creamy pulp and a delicate, slightly perceptible aroma. The pulp is eaten raw, the taste is sweetish. It is convenient to eat it by cutting into 2 halves, scooping out the pulp with a spoon. To some, dragon fruit may seem bland and not very tasty, but if you taste it properly, you will definitely like the fruit (like, for example, Mozzarella cheese, which also does not have a very pronounced taste).

The fruit grows on cacti and blooms only at night. Flowers are also edible and can be brewed into tea. The fruit is low in calories, helps with stomach pains and has a beneficial effect on the quality of vision.
Rambutan

Fruits are round or oval, 3-6 cm in size, grow in clusters of up to 30 pieces, sometimes they are sold right on the branch. As they ripen, the fruits change color from green to yellow-orange, and then to red. If you want the most enjoyment, choose bright red fruit. Juicy white fruits are covered with a dense skin, covered with curved, hard hairs of yellow-brown color, 1-2 cm long. The flesh is gelatinous, white, very aromatic and has a pleasant sweet and sour taste. Inside is an inedible oval seed, up to 1.5 cm long. Raw seeds are poisonous, but if they are fried, they can be eaten.

The seed oil is used in the production of soaps and candles. Rambutans contain carbohydrates, protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, niacin, and vitamin C.

The fruits are eaten mostly fresh, sometimes canned with sugar. Moreover, in Malaysia, these canned fruits are sold on every corner, as a snack, and also make refreshing drinks.

For the first time we met rambutans in their homeland - in Malaysia. From Malay, rambutan is translated as "hairy".

Fruits are very light in weight, so several dozen of them can be contained in 1 kilogram. By the way, after the bananas, which we pretty much got hooked on in India (not only because of taste, but also for health reasons), this is fruit number 2, which you can easily and safely eat while traveling. A bunch of rambutans can be bought at the market or on the side of the road and eaten right away, which cannot be done with the same papaya or mango, let alone fruit that is eaten with the skin.

You just need to tear the peel in the middle and remove the upper half (the hairs are not at all prickly), then send the pulp into your mouth and stay in your hand with the other half of the peel - you don't even need to wash your hands.

We got to Malaysia just in the rambutan season (May) and the cost for 1 kg was the same as for 1 kg of mango (about $ 1), but in Bali, they turned out to be 3 times more expensive, although in October they already fell in price to $ 1.5 ...
Mangosteen (mangostin), aka mangosteen, mangosteen, garcinia, mangkut

The fruit is round, 4-8 cm in diameter, covered with a thick (1 cm) burgundy-purple inedible rind, under which there are 5-8 segments of white, very juicy pulp, with large seeds inside each segment. We met mangosteen in Sri Lanka - when we saw them for the first time, we thought that there was some strange persimmon here.

We were not going to buy them, but the seller at the last moment held us back, showing a clever trick, opening this fruit in a second. Seeing the juicy pulp, we could not resist the desire and tried it, and then of course we bought it. The fruit has a very pleasant taste, creamy sweet and slightly tart.

In hot weather, it is a great thirst-quencher.
Melody (melodi), aka pepino, melon pear or sweet cucumber

The fruits are varied, differing in size, shape, color and taste. Some have an exotic color - bright yellow, others purple, which resemble eggplant. The pulp of a ripe fruit is light yellow or completely colorless. Melody tastes like a melon-flavored mixture of pear and cucumber. It can be added to both sweet desserts and salads (depending on the variety). Here in Bali, we love to add it to salads - the fruit costs about the same as cucumbers, and the taste is softer and more interesting.

Shades of taste, by the way, are different - from sweet and sour to sweet. Melody itself is very juicy, it is 92% water, so it is great for quenching your thirst. Vitamin C gives acidity to the fruit, and the fruit is also rich in iron, keratin and a large amount of vitamins A, B1, B2 and PP.
Longan or dragon eye

The first name comes from the name of the Vietnamese province of Longan. And the second from the structure of the fruit - if you break the "berry" in half, then a black bone appears, which, against the background of transparent beige pulp, resembles Longan's eye, growing in clusters on evergreen trees, the height of which can reach twenty meters. Over 200 kg of fruit are harvested from each tree over the summer.

Outwardly, the fruits look like nuts, they are easy to clean. The color of the inedible outer shell of the fruit is spotty yellowish. Lognan tends to ripen after being removed from the tree. Under the peel, there is a transparent juicy pulp - sweet and very aromatic with a musky aftertaste. There is one large bone under the pulp.

Longan is quite rich in vitamins, it contains a lot of vitamins C, B1, B2 and B3, as well as micro- and macroelements such as phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, calcium, copper, iron, zinc, manganese and, in addition, many bioacids, useful for the skin. With this wealth, the fruit is low in calories. Longan can be eaten fresh, or as a snack with hot and spicy dishes, a drink from it perfectly quenches thirst and improves appetite

For the first time we tasted the fruit in Bali - once walking around the market with our Balinese friend Budi, we asked him about our favorite fruits and he, without delay, pointed to this rather inconspicuous fruit. Be a native of Java, and Longan is very popular there.

The first time we didn’t really like it, the aroma was not as pronounced as expected. We decided that we just hadn't tasted it, and after a couple of days we bought it again - this time the longan turned out to be very tasty and juicy.

Against the background of other exotic, more appetizing-looking fruits, it certainly loses outwardly, but the palette of useful components included in it and the refreshing taste are pushing to buy again and again.

Longan is used in traditional Chinese medicine as a tonic for weakness, fatigue, tachycardia, dizziness and impaired vision. Also, the pulp of the fruit is used to treat gastrointestinal disorders, lowering body temperature with fever, calming down with unreasonable anxiety, normalizing sleep and improving memory, focusing attention.
Kepundung or Asian gooseberry

It looks very much like Longan in appearance, but the taste is completely different. The rind is firm but easy to peel. The fruits inside are white-pink, have a viscous jelly structure, there is a stone that is difficult to separate from the pulp - this is one of the reasons why kepundung is easier to use for making syrups and sauces, and not fresh. The fruit tastes very pleasant, sweet and sour, refreshing with a light delicate aroma. Kepundung is a well-known source of vitamin C in Asia, making it useful for treating throat and respiratory problems.

The fruit is considered sacred by Indian and Tibetan healers who use dried fruit to treat a wide range of problems such as indigestion, high fever, liver problems, and anemia. Kepundung is good for the prevention and treatment of stress, fever, arthritis.
Tamarind (tamarind) or Indian date, aka asam, asem, sampalok

It is actually a legume, but it is sold in the fruit department, and because of its sweet taste, many people really consider it a fruit. The fruit is hidden under the shell - a brown pod-shaped bean, similar, sorry, to "poop", consisting of soft pulp and many dense seeds.

The pulp can be eaten fresh, like a fruit or sweetness for tea. It is also widely used as a spice in both Asian and Latin American cuisines.

The pulp of green fruits is sour and is used in the preparation of spicy dishes, but ripe fruits are sweeter, with a fruity taste, they are used to prepare desserts, drinks, snacks.

In Latin America, especially in Mexico, this fruit is very popular and is used in all kinds of ways. It was in Mexico that we first got acquainted with its taste - we tried the Tamarindo sweets - hard sweets with seeds, with a characteristic aroma and taste.

We didn't like the sweets, but here, in Bali, we bought fresh tamarind, not even suspecting that we had already tried it before - this time we liked it.

Due to its medicinal properties, the pulp, leaves and bark are used in medicine. In the Philippines, the leaves are traditionally used to make herbal tea to relieve fever in malaria. And in India, in Ayurveda - for the treatment of diseases of the digestive tract. Tamarind contains a large amount of vitamin C, as well as vitamins A and E. Protects against colds and heart disease.

Tamarind is the official Santa Clara tree in Cuba and is featured on the city's coat of arms.
Papaya

Sweet juicy pieces of papaya melt in your mouth. The fruit is extremely nutritious, and what is most interesting is that papaya does not get boring at all, we enjoyed eating it very often in India and Sri Lanka, and in Bali it has been our traditional breakfast dish for the sixth month. In India and Bali, papaya is very sweet, we especially like the California variety, and in Thailand, as our friends say, it is more watery. In Mexico, we liked it only in combination with yogurt or honey - there it is more customary to eat it a little unripe and even with salt and chili.

Papaya is a valuable source of beta-carotene, a third of an average fruit satisfies the daily requirement of an adult for vitamin C, and also provides the required amount of calcium and iron.

The papaya fruit, not only in appearance, but also in chemical composition, is close to the melon, contains glucose and fructose, organic acids, proteins, fiber, vitamins and minerals, so that papaya is sometimes called the "melon tree".

They say that when baked on a fire, papaya fruits smell like fresh bread, which gave this plant another interesting name - "breadfruit".

Green papaya has contraceptive and abortifacient properties - Asian women wanting to terminate a pregnancy ate large quantities of the unripe fruit.

In tropical countries, papaya juice is used for diseases of the spine, as it contains an enzyme that regenerates the connective tissue of the intervertebral discs. Perhaps it is precisely because of the frequent consumption of papaya that the inhabitants of Asia are less susceptible to diseases of the musculoskeletal system, even despite the tradition of wearing weights on their heads.
Coconut (cocos, coconut)

Although they are often called “coconuts,” they are not actually nuts, but drupes - stone fruits (like peaches). The weight of the coconut is 1.5-2.5 kg, its outer shell is green, brown or yellow, depending on the variety, is permeated with fibers, and the inner, hard one is the very "shell" that many are accustomed to seeing on store shelves. In a young coconut, the liquid (coconut water) is clear and tasty, it is these coconuts that are bought as a drink. Gradually, with the appearance of oil droplets inside, secreted by the bark, the liquid turns into a milky emulsion, then thickens and hardens, solidifying on the walls of the shell.

In Mexico, we mainly bought already hard, sliced ​​coconuts. When eaten with chocolate, they are very reminiscent of Bounty bars.

But coconut water was first tasted in India. There, young coconuts are sold on every corner, and they are very cheap ($ 0.3 versus $ 1-1.5 in Bali). They are sold not in fruit trays, but often just from a cart. Sometimes, right under a tree on the ground, there is a mountain of fresh coconuts and split bones. Sellers deftly, in 2-3 steps, cut off the top and insert a tube - the drink is ready

A young coconut contains about 2 cups of "coconut milk". After the natural container is emptied, you can ask to split it into 2 parts and use a spoon, made right there by the seller from one incision along the outer layer, to scrape out the pulp - a translucent jelly slurry.

In Bali, various varieties of both young coconuts and hard coconuts are abundant, and the latter are sold already peeled from the shell, which is very convenient.

1st place in the world for the production of coconuts, and this is about 20,000 thousand tons of fruit per year is occupied by the Philippines. Indonesia and India are in 2nd and 3rd places, respectively.

Coconut is a strong aphrodisiac, it normalizes the reproductive system. Milk and coconut pulp are good for recuperating and improving vision.

Coconut oil is generally a versatile product; it is used in cooking, for medical and cosmetic purposes.

Strengthens and nourishes the hair, as well as moisturizes and softens the skin, smoothing out wrinkles; improves the functioning of the digestive system and liver; normalize the function of the thyroid gland; relaxes muscles and helps with joint problems; increases immunity and resistance to various infections, reduces the adaptability of bacteria to antibiotics.

The pulp normalizes blood cholesterol levels; helps with colds, diarrhea, and gallbladder diseases; has antimicrobial, antiviral wound healing effect; reduces the risk of atherosclerosis and other diseases of the cardiovascular system, as well as cancer and degenerative processes. Hard coconuts contain B vitamins and vitamins C and E, as well as various mineral salts.

In general, not a fruit, but a whole natural pharmacy.
Pineapple (ananas, pineaple)

The largest pineapple plantations are concentrated in the Hawaiian Islands, accounting for about 30% of world production. Did you know that pineapples grow on bushes, not on a tree? For the first time as they grow, we are in Sri Lanka, and we were very surprised. Pineapple, along with bananas, is one of the most popular fruits in Asia, they are found in every country - of different varieties and sizes. We ate the most delicious pineapples in Sri Lanka - bright, sweet and juicy, with a rich aroma, just a heavenly delight. Our friends even took such pineapples from Sri Lanka home to Russia as souvenirs.

And in India, we liked the way pineapples were peeled on the beaches. In the states of Kerala and Goa, saleswomen carry fruit for sale in large basins on their heads, including pineapples. They are turned over with their "tail" down, dexterously peeled with a knife, and literally a minute later they are handed over like an ice cream cone.

Pineapple is low in calories, and a high content of potassium salts helps to get rid of excess fluid and even several kilograms of weight. Pineapple dessert improves the digestion of fatty foods and improves metabolism. Thanks to the complex of biologically active substances, pineapple stimulates digestion and reduces blood viscosity.

Pineapple contains vitamins A, B and C, as well as numerous trace elements, including bromelain, which improves the absorption of protein by the body.
Passion fruit (marakujya), it is also edible passionflower, or edible passionflower, or purple granadilla

For the first time we tried this passion fruit in Bali, and I must say that from the first time it did not make a special impression on us, but the second time we tasted it - passion fruit is really very tasty and unusual. The color of the fruit, depending on the variety, varies from light yellow to maroon, the jelly-like pulp can be transparent, beige, greenish. The flavors are also quite different - from sweet and sour to very sweet. We are not yet addicted to a particular variety, we are trying different ones. It is enough to cut the fruit in half, after which the fragrant sweet pulp can be eaten with a spoon. Passion fruit seeds are also edible - they are used to decorate cakes and other confectionery products.

Sweet and sour passionfruit juice is appreciated in cooking, and since it also has good tonic properties, it is used in pharmaceuticals and cosmetology.

The fruit is very effective in relieving headaches, muscle tension, and insomnia.
Guava or guava

The fruit is usually round, oval or pear-shaped, with a pleasant musky scent. The colors of the fruits are very different - yellowish-white, bright yellow, reddish, greenish-white or even green, the skin is always very thin. Fruits are different in size - from very small to large, depending on the variety. The pulp is white, yellow, pink or bright red, filled with tough seeds. The number of seeds ranges from 112 to 535 (and some fruits do not contain seeds at all). Guava produces one main crop, up to 100 kg per tree - and 2-4 additional much smaller ones. The best mature trees yield 200-250 kg. in a year.

The first time we tried guava in India, they prefer to eat it unripe, green, cut it in half and sprinkle it with pepper (we abstained from this addition). The taste is unusual, we liked it, but the stomachs didn't like the unripe fruit very much. In Bali, we tried another guava, and this time we ate ripe fruit. These fruits are similar in size and color to Asian lemons, and the pale pink tender pulp tastes like strawberries.

Guava is a treasure trove of health, it is the only fruit that contains 16 vitamins, minerals, salts and trace elements. Interesting fact: guava is 5-10 times more vitamin C than orange.

Guava fruits are widely used not only in food (jellies, jams, sauces, marmalade, juices), but also in the manufacture of alcoholic beverages.

Guava juice has a psychostimulating effect, in ancient times it was added to the drinks of warriors and hunters to give them vigor and strength, and Cuban women fed these fruits to their lovers, they contain aphrodisiacs - substances that strengthen "masculine strength" and enhance sexual desire.

Guava is also used as an air freshener - if the cut fruits are brought into a smoky room, then after 10 minutes the smell of tobacco will disappear.
Yellow watermelon

It looks like an ordinary striped watermelon, only inside it is an unusual, bright yellow color. Such a watermelon was born as a result of crossing a wild watermelon (which is exactly yellow) with an ordinary one. In addition to the unusual color, this watermelon contains very little, in comparison with red, seeds - sometimes we come across completely without seeds.

The first time we tried yellow watermelon in Malaysia and it turned out to be not very sweet, but in Bali we buy them often and always come across sweet ones. Once we bought both red and yellow for comparison of tastes, and so red turned out to be less sweet, even seemed watery, although if there is it separately from yellow, it is quite fragrant and sweet

Despite the fact that it is a hybrid, yellow watermelon, like ordinary watermelon, contains many vitamins and perfectly contributes to the regulation of the excretory system.
Sapodilla (sapodilla) aka savo, aka chiku, aka achra

A brown-green egg-shaped fruit, up to 5 cm in size. The smaller fruits look like small potatoes, and those that are larger are like kiwi. The peel is soft and easy to peel with a knife. The pulp is yellow-brown, juicy, very sweet with a caramel-date flavor, sometimes even sugary sweet if the fruit is ripe.

It is better to choose soft fruits, even if they are a little "wrinkled", they will definitely be sweeter. We tried this fruit for the first time in India and it immediately became our second favorite (after bananas). In India it is called "chiku", so we are more accustomed to this name. In Bali, it is known as "savo" or "Balinese kiwi". The fruit is eaten both raw and cooked - in the form of jams and salads, it is also stewed with lime juice and ginger, put in pies and even made wine based on it.

Chiku is rich in vegetable proteins, carbohydrates, iron, potassium and calcium, as well as vitamins A and C. The beneficial properties of chiku are used by cosmetics manufacturers - the fruit has antiseptic and regenerating properties.
Durian

In the countries of Southeast Asia, durian is considered the king of fruits. It is ovoid or round in shape, about 15-30 cm in diameter, weighing from 1 to 8 kg. Durian is covered all over with pyramidal hard thorns-thorns and is somewhat similar to Jack Fruit, many tourists, out of inexperience, even confuse them.

The fruit is a five-leaf capsule, each of the 5 chambers of the fruit contains one pale yellow seed with pulp, which has the consistency of a pudding and an incomparably "delicious" aroma. The smell of a ripe fruit is really peculiar, very corrosive, sweetish-putrid. The raw pulp of ripe durian fruit is considered a delicacy, the fruit is eaten by hand, breaking them at the seams and removing the pulp with seed from the chamber

Its taste is reminiscent of sweet almond cream with the addition of cream cheese, onion gravy, cherry syrup and other difficult foods to match.

Durian, if not overripe, smells only when cut, and the smell appears only half an hour after the fruit has been cut. The scent of durian is sometimes described as a mixture of rotten onions, cheese and turpentine.

Because of this, in many countries of Southeast Asia, it is forbidden to bring durian into public places and transport, in many hotels in those countries where durian grows, even a poster with a crossed-out image of a fruit hangs, especially we saw many such posters in Singapore, there is even a fine for it is supposed to.

Durian contains a rich set of minerals - potassium, calcium, magnesium and zinc, these are vital elements for the work of the cardiovascular, nervous, immune and other systems of the body. A decoction of the leaves and roots of durian is used as an antipyretic agent, and the pulp is used as an anthelmintic.

It is eaten fresh, added to pastries, as a filling in chocolates, ice cream, drinks, fried as a side dish, or mixed with rice.

For the first time, we decided to get to know the taste of durian in Malaysia by trying ice cream with this taste. We absolutely did not like it, although it hardly had anything in common with the taste of a real fruit - it contained soy milk and a dozen flavors, stabilizers, etc.

We have not met those indifferent to this fruit - we either love it dearly or disgust it. Previously, we avoided even talking about trying durian, but recently we decided to do this feat. Our verdict is that durian has a very rich taste with many shades, we liked it very much, so we will certainly buy it in the future.
Carambola or star fruit

There are mainly 2 types: sour, usually green, and sweet - yellow. The fruits of both varieties are very juicy and slightly herbal. Sour varieties have a pronounced tonic effect, we first tried them in Bali, these varieties are ideal for preparing salads.

We got acquainted with sweet varieties a long time ago, while traveling around Europe, we especially fell in love with them in the Canary Islands. The juicy pulp most of all resembles a harmonious combination of gooseberry, apple and cucumber. The sweet varieties are delicious raw, and can also be added to fruit cocktails, or used as edible decorations for ice cream and cakes to create cute stars when slicing.

Thanks to its juiciness, carambola is ideal for quenching thirst. The mineral and vitamin complex of the fruit is represented by calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium, potassium, beta-carotene and vitamins B1, B2, B5, and C. The aroma of carambola is significantly enhanced if it is slightly boiled in syrup until soft.
Asian lemons (lemon)

Of course, lemons are everywhere, and they can hardly be attributed to tropical fruits, but we decided, nevertheless, to write about them, because in appearance they are very different from the usual ones. Asian lemons are small, round, yellow-green or green, which gives them a similarity to lime, with which they are often confused by tourists.

By the way, lemon changes or transforms the taste of familiar fruits very cool. For example, try sprinkling papaya with lemon juice and you will get an unusual taste, the papaya will seem even sweeter.

We also often use lemons to make lemon-ginger-honey tea. Lemon contains so much vitamin C that even with a short-term heating of lemon juice to 100 ° C, the content of vitamin C hardly decreases, which allows it to be added to tea without losing its beneficial properties (the main thing is not to boil it).

Lemon juice is a prophylactic agent against heart attacks, strokes, and is also capable of killing dozens of viruses.
Chomphu, jambolan, yambosili or Malay apple, also called waxy, pink, mountain or water apple

Fruits are oblong, bell-shaped. Although the fruit is called an apple, outwardly it looks more like a small pear 4-8 cm long.The fruit has a pink-red or dark red, sometimes red-green waxy skin, inside is a white juicy crunchy pulp and 1 or 2 inedible brown seeds, although there are fruits and no seed. The ripe fruit has a pleasant, sweet aroma, and the fruit itself is good for quenching thirst. For the first time we tried it in Bali - we bought it several times, and each time the tastes are different, from very sweet to tasteless watery, apparently we have not yet learned how to determine the ripeness of the fruit.

Ripe wax apples are edible not only fresh, but also stewed with cloves and other spices, in cream. Unripe fruits are suitable for making jams, jams and marinades. Also, white and red wine is made from these fruits.

The Malay apple contains bioactive substances that help lower blood sugar levels, so it is very beneficial for diabetics. It is also actively used in traditional medicine in many tropical countries. For example, a decoction of the bark of a tree is used for intestinal disorders, the decoction of the root as a diuretic, and the juice from the leaves is used as a lotion for the face, or they take a bath with it. The fruit has antimicrobial properties, is used to regulate blood pressure and in the treatment of colds.
Sirsak, guanabana, annona prickly or sour cream apple

Fruits are heart-shaped or oval, irregular, 15-20 cm long and weighing up to 3 kg. The peel is thin and tough, has small fleshy spines located in a mesh pattern, the color is dark green, sometimes with black blotches, the ripe fruit turns slightly yellow. The pulp is juicy, fibrous, light creamy, similar to custard, divided into segments, has a fragrant unique smell reminiscent of pineapple, the taste is sweet with a slight sourness, nutmeg.

The fruit is eaten both fresh and used to make drinks, desserts, fruit salads, and ice cream. The fruits are harvested, not ripe, firm, because if they are allowed to ripen on the tree, they fall and become damaged. At room temperature, they ripen and become soft. In Indonesia, unripe fruits are used as vegetables.

We eat it fresh, we tried it for the first time in the Canary Islands, but then we did not appreciate the taste and did not buy it for a long time. And more recently, when they wanted exotic things and bought sirsak, I liked the taste. We just cut it in half, by analogy with pitaya, and eat the pulp with spoons, but you can cut it into cubes and eat it with a fork, whichever is more convenient.

Sirsak contains important minerals - calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, as well as vitamin C and B vitamins.The fruit is good for intestinal microflora, improves liver function, normalizes stomach acidity, removes uric acid from the body, therefore it is recommended for people suffering from such diseases like rheumatism, arthritis and gout. In folk medicine, bark and leaves are used as an antispasmodic and sedative; they are used for insomnia, cough, flu, asthenia, asthma and hypertension.
Bananas

This is by far one of the most popular fruits on the planet. It's hard to believe in looking at a pile of identical bananas in Lenta or Auchan, but there are more than 40 different species around the world. Most of the varieties, at the same time on sale, we saw in India (about a dozen). Bananas of different colors, shapes and sizes are sold there, from very small ones with a little finger, to giant ones under 30 cm, and of course, each of them has its own, unique taste.

Bananas were our number one fruit in India. Firstly, they are incredibly tasty, most of all we fell in love with yellow, finger and red, they are very sweet. Secondly, because of the convenience of their cleaning and safety in unsanitary conditions. Thirdly, they are very cheap - $ 0.3-0.5 for a large bundle weighing 1.5 kg.

By the way, red bananas are practically not exported, because they are very soft and tender, it is quite easy to damage them during transportation.

Ecuadorian bananas, to which everyone is accustomed in Russia, cannot be compared with Asian varieties in their sweetness and aroma.

Bananas are conventionally divided into two main groups: dessert, which are consumed, raw or dried, and plane trees, which require heat treatment.

The flesh of dessert varieties is very sweet in taste, contains a large amount of sugars, carbohydrates and a small amount of proteins and fats, so they are often used in sports nutrition.

Platano is a fruit with a green or red skin, with a starchy, tough, often unsweetened pulp, fried, boiled or steamed before eating. Most often in the markets and in cafes they are sold as a snack - banana chips or dessert "bananas in batter".

Bananas contain more vitamin B6 than other fruits, it is this vitamin that is responsible for a good mood, and because of its high phosphorus content, banana is called a fruit for intelligence.

By weight, the banana crop ranks second in the world, ahead of grapes (third) and behind oranges (first). India grows the largest number of bananas in the world.

Dried bananas - "banana figs" can be stored for a long time. In addition to fruits, young shoots of plants can be eaten, for example, in India, curry is prepared from them. In Bali, we tried to make curry from young shoots on our own, but apparently we did not take into account something - it turned out to be very bitter in taste.

By the way, you can buy bananas unripe and they will ripen at home, but you shouldn't store them in the refrigerator, there they quickly turn black.

Banana leaves serve as decorative elements in the ceremonies of Buddhist and Hindu cultures. They are also used as plates for traditional South Asian food in India and Sri Lanka.

In Kerala, we have eaten from such a leaf many times, the Indians believe that the leaf on which lunch is served gives food a peculiar taste.

Fun fact: The world record for the consumption of bananas is 81 bananas per hour!

The world's largest collection of bananas, which includes more than 470 varieties and about 100 species, is located in Honduras.
Cocoa (cacao)

Now we are not talking about dried cocoa beans, but about the plant itself and its fruits. We first encountered it in Bali, sometimes it can be found in a fruit shop or on coffee plantations.

A ripe fruit of a bright yellow color, large, 15-20 cm, shaped like a lemon, equipped with longitudinal grooves, inside there are many large seeds arranged in several rows and surrounded by white juicy pulp, which you can enjoy. We wrote more about the cultivation, drying and production of cocoa butter and cocoa powder, which are later used to make chocolate, in the article "Chocolate trees or how cocoa is grown in Bali."
Conclusion

In this article, we told you only about those fruits that we ourselves managed to get to know quite well and how to taste them. There are still so many interesting fruits in Asia, which we are only looking at or tried once, but have not yet understood the taste, that the fruit topic has not yet been closed on this

What kind of fruit do you like? Or maybe you've tried some interesting exotic fruit that we haven't written about? Share it in the comments, we'll be happy to read it!
: vespig.wordpress.com

Traveling abroad implies acquaintance not only with gorgeous landscapes and culture. Outlandish overseas fruits and unusual berries will help you create a complete taste picture of your location. It is easier to choose from the variety of offers what you like with the help of the description.

Avocado

It is considered to be a fruit. It tastes more like a vegetable, namely a pumpkin with notes of unripe pear with a nutty undertone. Ripeness is determined by the degree of softness. It has a large bone inside. The peel is not edible. Sizes up to 20 centimeters. The soft, oily flesh is eaten raw. Butchering involves removing the skin and bone. You can try in Vietnam, India, Cuba, Dominican Republic

Aki

Visually similar to a red-yellow or orange pear. Ripe fruits (unripe poisonous) are used thermally processed, with a taste reminiscent of a walnut. Maturity is determined by the opening of the fruit - the ripe bursts, and the pulp protrudes outward. It is offered to enjoy in Brazil, Jamaica, Hawaii.

Ambarella

Has the shape of an oval golden color. Grows in clusters. Tough rind on the outside, hard spiny bone on the inside. The pulp is sweet, juicy, with a taste with mango and pineapple notes. Growing places: India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Pineapple

The taste cannot be compared with those sold in Russia - juicy, fleshy, sweet and sour fruits with a bright aroma. Sizes from average apple to familiar to us. You should choose pineapple of medium hardness - the pulp will certainly be tasty. It will be possible to remove a sample in Brazil, China, the Philippines.

Bail (Wood Apple)

Fruit with a tough skin. Only a hammer will help to divide it in half. On sale it is more often presented cut. The pulp with villi, yellow in color, irritates the throat. It will be on sale in India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Sri Lanka.

Bam balan

The taste of the fruit resembles borsch with mayonnaise and sour cream. The smell is specific. Cleaning consists in removing the crust. They can offer a curiosity on the island of Borneo from the Malaysian side.

Banana pink

Miniature species up to 8 centimeters in size with a thick skin. The skin of ripe pink bananas bursts to reveal a pulp with many seeds. An unpretentious plant that can be grown even at home. Distributed throughout many warm countries.

Vodyanik

Berry with a black color and a neutral taste (neither sweet nor sour), similar to lingonberry. Outwardly, it resembles blueberries. There is an opportunity to try in the countries of the northern hemisphere - Korea, Japan, Canada, USA, China and even Russia.

Eye of the Dragon

Round brown fruit. The inside of the skin and bone is not edible. The consistency is jelly-like, transparent white. The taste is bright and sweet. High calorie content. If consumed excessively, the temperature may rise. You can buy it in Thailand, China, Cambodia, Vietnam.

Strawberry guava (Cattleya)

Fruits are yellow to red in color. The size reaches a diameter of 4 centimeters. Juicy, sweet guavas with a strawberry aroma - exotic fruits of India, Africa, Bermuda, America.

Guanabana (sour cream apple)

Fruit weighing from 3 to 7 kilograms. The shape is round, oval. The green surface of the soursop is covered with processes in the form of soft bells. Inside it is white, soft, with a taste reminiscent of sour citro. The ripe fruit is pressed with a finger. You can eat in the Bahamas, Mexico, Peru, Argentina.

Jaboticaba

Fruits that grow on poles and branches. Grows in clusters. Outwardly they look like black grapes. The skin is bitter and unusable. The pulp is similar to transparent jelly, sweet, with seeds. Grows in Brazil, Argentina, Panama, Cuba, Peru.

Jackfruit

A large green fruit, weighing up to 34 kilograms. It should be purchased already cut. The yellow slices taste like melon and duchess. Possible allergic reaction and difficulty swallowing. The symptom goes away after a few hours. It grows in Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand.

Durian

The king of fruits. Has a specific smell of a mixture of onions, garlic and dirty socks. The pulp is soft, sweet and healthy. You should buy cut slices. The whole durian grows to a large size and is covered with thorns. Due to the smell, it is forbidden to eat in public places and transport in transport. You can taste the wonder in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia.

Imbe (African mango)

Exotic tree with orange fruits. The size is small - up to 3 centimeters. The taste is bright, rich, sweet and sour. Has a coloring effect. You can try it in Africa.

Fig

The fruit is pear-shaped and blue-violet in color. Weight ranges from 80 grams and 8 centimeters in diameter. The peel can be eaten. The taste is juicy, watery, reminiscent of strawberries with an admixture of black currants. You can eat in the Mediterranean countries, Crimea and Central Asia.

Spanish lime (Giseps)

It looks like the usual lime only in shape. It looks light green, the peel is not edible, the inside is pleasantly sweet with a bone. You can eat by removing the tip of the peel and squeezing. Found in Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia.

Carambola

Star-shaped yellow-green fruit. Has a smooth edible skin. The taste is bright, with hints of a flower, similar to an apple. There are seeds inside that are edible. You can see it on the shelves of Thailand and Indonesia.

Kiwano

The oblong fruit is bright yellow in color. The ripe fruit is covered with yellow-orange horns and bright green inside. In cut, it looks like a cucumber. The taste is a combination of melon, avocado, banana and cucumber. The pulp is eaten by cutting the fruit like a watermelon. You can try in New Zealand, Africa, Chile, Israel.

Kiwi

Looks like hairy potatoes on the outside and gooseberries on the inside. Size up to 80 grams and 7 centimeters. The flesh ranges from yellow to green with edible black seeds. You should choose soft, even fruits. The taste is similar to strawberry. Cultivation countries: Chile, Italy, Greece, Krasnodar region of Russia.

Coconut

Round, large fruit, reaching 3 kilograms. According to the degree of maturity, it is divided into young and overripe. Young coconut has a tender skin, juicy pulp and milk / juice inside the shell. Overripe coconuts have a fleecy surface, a cloudy liquid inside and a hard inside. The latter are found in the countries of origin. Growing countries: Thailand, Vietnam, India.

Kumquat

Exotic fruits of China are predominantly. Small citrus fruits 2-4 centimeters long. They have inedible bones inside. They are eaten with the peel. The taste is similar to orange, but more sour. You can also try in Japan and Southeast Asia.

Cupuasu

Melon-shaped fruit. Covered with a red-brown hard crust. The inside is white, sweet and sour with seeds. The most delicious is the fruit that left the tree itself. The trees are located in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia.

Kuruba

Fruit in the form of a cucumber on the outside and corn on the inside. The ripe color of the fruit is bright yellow. Inside is a fiery orange pulp. The taste is juicy, sweet, with sour notes. Contains a lot of water. Grows in Bolivia, Uruguay, Colombia, Argentina.

Lychee

It is similar in appearance to longan, but has a brighter taste and smell. Ripe lychee has a red rind. The transparent smooth pulp has a sweet taste. Contains inedible bone. Where to eat: China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand.

Longkong

Outwardly, it resembles a longan. It is distinguished by the larger size and yellowish color of the peel. The delicacy inside is similar in shape to garlic. The taste is specific, sweet and sour. The peel is inedible, but healthy. You can find it in the markets of Thailand.

Magic fruit

Guest from West Africa. Small red fruits are 2-3 centimeters tall and grow on trees. They have a bone inside. The magic of the fruit lies in the ability to retain the sweetness of the taste for a long time. Lemons eaten after the delicacy, grapefruit will also seem sweet.

Mameya (Mammeya)

Similar to apricot in the form and taste of the pulp. Larger in size - up to 20 centimeters in diameter. The rind is light brown. The berry has one to four seeds. The flavor goes into mango. Location: Ecuador, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela.

Mango

A popular large fruit in tropical countries. It is better to cut the fruit with a knife - remove the skin and bone. The color of the fruit changes with the degree of ripeness - from green to orange-red. The palate contains notes of melon, rose, peach and apricot. Growing countries: Myanmar, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam.

Mangosteen

Outwardly it resembles a persimmon, only the color is dark purple. The skin is thick and inedible. Inside there are garlic cloves with a unique sweet and sour taste. The ripe fruit is firm and free of dents. The juice of the mangosteen peel is not washed off. Sample locations: Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Myanmar, Thailand.

Passion fruit

Fruits of various colors from yellow to purple. The size is 8 centimeters in diameter. Ripe fruits are covered with wrinkled skin. The pulp is the same iridescent depending on the variety, similar to sweet and sour jelly with seeds. It is an aphrodisiac. It grows in Vietnam, India, Cuba and the Dominican Republic.

Marang

The fruit is elongated. The peel is covered with thorns, the degree of maturity is determined by their hardness. Inside are white fruits with a stone. The flavor ranges from sweet ice cream to light marshmallow. Perishable, not subject to transportation. Grows in Australia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Marula

Fermented perishable fruit. The effect also affects animals. Fruits are small, yellow, with a stone. Fresh with a light aroma and not sweet in taste. You can meet only in Africa.

Mafai

Small fruits of yellow, orange and red shades. They grow up to 5 centimeters. The thin skin conceals transparent slices of fresh sweet taste. The fruit's bone is bitter and firmly attached to the pulp. You can find it in India, China, Thailand, Vietnam.

Medlar

Sunny orange small fruit with brown seeds. Unripe tastes like persimmon - tart and viscous. Ripe has the aroma and taste of blueberries. Home of the fruit: Egypt, Dominican Republic, Crimea, Abkhazia, southern Russia.

Naranjilla

A fruit shaped like cherry tomatoes. The hairy fruit goes through stages from green to bright orange in maturity. Taste - strawberry-pineapple with notes of mango. Grows in Panama, Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica.

Noina (sugar apple)

A fruit that is about the size of a medium apple and looks like a green cone. The internal component is soft, sweet, pleasant to the taste. Butchering is difficult due to uneven, inedible skin. The maturity of the fruit is determined by its softness. But do not be zealous - the fruit is fragile and may fall apart when checked. Place of growth - Thailand.

Noni

The fruit is shaped like a convex green potato. The smell of the fruit is specific - rotten cheese with mold. The taste is not happy - bitter. But at home, it is considered very useful and healing. Noni is the staple of the diet of the poor in Southeast Asia. You can meet in Australia and Malaysia.

Papaya

Fruit in the form of a cylinder. Color from unripe green to mature yellow-orange. The size reaches 20 centimeters. It is more convenient to buy a cut. The taste is a melon-pumpkin mixture. Places of cultivation: Bali, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia.

Pepino

Exotic fruits from Egypt. Large - up to 700 grams. Painted in different shades of yellow with lilac stripes. Inside are seeds that are edible. Ripe fruit should be chosen - it is tender, soft, with a melon note. The peel is removed - it is possible, but unpleasant to eat. You can also try in Peru, Turkey, New Zealand.

Pitaya

Oblong fruit of bright color (pink, burgundy, yellow). The surface is scaly. You can peel it like a grapefruit or cut it up and eat it with a spoon. Inside, the pulp is transparent, white or reddish, sprinkled with small grains. Grows in Sri Lanka, Philippines, Malaysia, China, Vietnam.

Platonia

Small brown fruits up to 13 centimeters in diameter. Inside they have a few grains that are not suitable for consumption. The inside is white with a tropical taste and aroma. Used as a base for sorbet and jelly. Habitat: Paraguay, Colombia, Brazil.

Pomelo

A citrus hybrid of orange and grapefruit. Has a large size, reaching up to 10 kilograms. The rind is thick, fleshy, green. The pulp is in filmy slices that are bitter. The taste is less juicy than grapefruit. Ripe should be chosen for its bright citrus scent. You can eat in Tahiti, India, China, Japan.

Rambutan

The fleecy fruit is reddish-purple in color. You can open it by twisting it with both hands in different directions. Transparent inside, with a bright taste. Unprocessed grains are poisonous. Ripeness directly depends on the brightness of the fruit color. It will be offered to buy in the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Thailand.

Hand of Buddha (Citron)

Handsome on the outside and uninteresting on the inside. The unusual shape of the fruit resembles a hand with many fingers. But 70 percent of the fruit consists of a peel, 30 percent - of a bitter sour pulp. It is actively used in culinary arts. You can admire the curiosity in India, Japan, Vietnam, China.

Sala

Convex brown fruit with small, spiny projections. It is advisable to clean with a knife. The inside is divided into 3 parts with a bright sweet pear persimmon taste. Parameters - up to 5 centimeters. Grows in Malaysia, Thailand.

Santol

It has a pear shape and an uneven brown color. The peel is inedible and needs to be removed. The pulp is white with a bright mangosteen flavor. Seeds have a laxative effect and are used as needed. Grows in Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines.

Sapodilla

Small fruit with a thin matte skin. Fruit size is 10 centimeters and 200 grams. Taste - milk caramel, causes viscosity in the mouth. It is not recommended to use sunflower seeds. Grows in Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Hawaii.

Sugar palm (Cambodian palm)

"Female" trees bear fruit. The fruit pulp is packed far inside, transparent white. Has refreshing properties. It is the basis for Thai sweet ice. Distributed in Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines.

Plum Natal

The fruits of this tree are the only part of the bush that does not harm people. Branches and leaves are unusable and contain poison. The color of the plums is hot pink with a wrinkled texture, and the taste is sweet. Suitable for use in baking as a filling. Homeland - South Africa.

Tamarillo

The berry is in the form of an oval with dimensions up to 5 centimeters in diameter. Skin color options: yellow, burgundy, purple. The peel is harmful to health, it is peeled off with a knife. Currant taste with notes of tomato. The smell is bright fruit. Located in Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile.

Tamarind

Outwardly, it resembles a bean pod with a light brown skin. It is used in the preparation of sweets and sauces for meat. The pulp is dark brown in color with a spicy sweet and sour taste. Has bones. You can try in Sudan, Thailand, Cameroon, Australia, Panama.

Feijoa

Green fruit with a ponytail on top. Weight reaches 45 grams, up to 5 centimeters in size. The rind is thin with an ambiguous taste, sour and causes a viscous mouth. It is recommended to peel the fruit from the skin or cut it in half and eat with a spoon. The color of the pulp varies from cream to burgundy (the latter indicates the spoilage of the product). The taste is fresh, tropical, with notes of strawberry. Grows in South America, Georgia, Abkhazia, the Caucasus.

Breadfruit

The unripe fruit serves as a source of nutrition for the inhabitants of African countries. It tastes like bread when cooked. Ripe fruits have a pleasant sweetness similar to banana. The size is large, up to 3.5 kilograms. It is recommended to purchase cut. There is an opportunity to take a sample in Southeast Asia.

Chrysophyllum (Star Apple)

The fruit is oval-shaped with skin color matching the pulp - soft green or lilac. The flesh is sticky, sweet, the consistency of jelly with bones like an apple. Cut like a star. It is recommended to eat only ripe fruits. Where it grows: India, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia.

Cereus

A relative of the pitaya, round and with a smooth surface. Inside is juicy transparent watery pulp with seeds. The taste is tropical, bright, sweet. Eat by cutting in half with a spoon. The peel is not good for food. Grown on the plantations of Israel.

Cherimoya

The surface of the fruit may be green or not bumpy. The pulp is similar in structure to an orange, but includes the flavors of mango, banana, strawberry with notes of ice cream. Contains tough, inedible grains. Habitat: Asian countries, Israel, Algeria, Australia, Spain.

Black Sapot (Chocolate Pudding)

A variety of persimmons are dark green in color. The pulp takes on an almost black color with brown seeds. Chocolate pudding taste, sweet and bright. The size reaches 13 centimeters in length. The homeland of the product is Guatemala, Brazil, Southern Mexico.

Chompu

The shape is similar to bell pepper. The light ranges from green to red. White flesh inside. The taste is sweet, watery. Quenches thirst well. It is not subject to cleaning, it has no seeds. Grows in Sri Lanka, Colombia, India, Thailand.

Jujube

Small fruits up to 6 centimeters. Smooth, green with brown spots. I have a sweet apple flavor and a tropical aroma. Delicious fruit - firm, not tough. The peel is edible, the stone is not. Found in Japan, China, Thailand, the Caucasus.

Lychee (Litchi, Chinese plum, Litchi).

Round red fruit, up to 4 cm in diameter. Wonderful, delicious fruit. It has one bone in the middle. Look like Longon in shape, texture and bone, but with a richer taste and aroma. Very juicy, sweet, sometimes sour. The peel is easily separated from the white-transparent flesh.

Unfortunately, fresh Lychee can not be consumed all year round: the Lychee harvest season begins in May and lasts until the end of July. The rest of the year, it is almost impossible to find.

In the off-season in Asia, you can buy canned Lychee in cans or plastic bags in your own juice or coconut milk.

Ripe fruits can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Peeled fruits can be frozen and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Lychee contains a lot of proteins, pectin substances, potassium, magnesium and vitamin C. A very high content of niacin - vitamin PP, which actively prevents the development of atherosclerosis. The widespread prevalence of Lychee in the countries of Southeast Asia is the reason for the low incidence of atrosclerosis in this region.

Rambutan

Rambutan (Ngo, "hairy fruit").

Round fruits of red color, up to 5 cm in diameter, covered with soft processes like thorns. The pulp that covers the stone is a transparent white elastic mass with a pleasant sweet taste, sometimes with a sour tint. The bone is quite tightly connected to the pulp, and is edible.

Contains carbohydrates, protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, niacin and vitamin C. The fruits have a short shelf life - up to 7 days in the refrigerator.

Harvesting season: May to October.

Peel by cutting the peel with a knife, or without using a knife, as if twisting the fruit in the middle.

Rambutan is eaten fresh, jams and jellies are boiled, and canned.

Mangosteen

Mangosteen (Mangosteen, mangosteen, mangosteen, garcinia, mancut).

Fruits are about the size of a small dark purple apple. Beneath the thick, inedible rind is the edible pulp in the form of cloves of garlic. The pulp is sweet with sourness, very tasty, unlike anything else. Generally pitted, although some fruits contain small, soft pits that can be eaten.

Sometimes there are diseased Mangosteen fruits, with a dark creamy, sticky and unpleasant-tasting pulp. Such fruits cannot be identified until you peel them.

The harvest season is from April to September.

Natural biologically active substances contained in mangosteen reduce inflammatory reactions: swelling, soreness, redness, high fever.

Eye of the Dragon

Dragon Eye (pitahaya, pitaya, lun yang, dragon fruit, pitaya).

These are the fruits of a cactus. Dragon's eye is the Russian version of the name of this fruit. International name - Dragon Fruit.

Quite large, oblong (palm-sized) fruits that are red, pink or yellow on the outside. Inside, the flesh is white or red, dotted with small black seeds. The pulp is very tender, juicy, slightly sweet, with an unexpressed taste. It is convenient to eat with a spoon, scooping out the pulp from the fruit cut in half.

The dragon eye is useful for stomach pains, diabetes or other endocrine diseases.

Harvesting seasons are all year round.

Durian

The king of fruits. Fruits are very large: up to 8 kilograms.

A fruit famous all over the world for its smell. Almost everyone has heard of it, some have smelled it, and very few have tasted it. Its scent is reminiscent of onions, garlic and used socks. With this fruit, because of its smell, it is even forbidden to enter hotels, transport and other public places. To remind of the ban in Thailand, for example, they hang out signs with a crossed-out image of a fruit.

The sweet pulp of the fruit has a very delicate consistency, and does not correspond to the unpleasant smell at all. You should try this fruit at least for the reason that many have heard of it, but few people dare to try it. But in vain. The taste is very pleasant, and the fruit itself is considered the most valuable fruit in Asia. It is very high in calories and healthy. Durian also has a reputation for being the strongest aphrodisiac.

Sold cut (into slices) and packed in polyethylene. In supermarkets you can find very interesting sweets with the taste and smell of Durian.

Sala

Sala (herring, rakum, snake fruit, sala)

Small oblong or round fruits (about 5 cm in length), red (Rakum) or brown (Salak), covered with dense small spines.

Fruit with a very unusual, bright sweet-sour taste. Someone resembles a persimmon, someone a pear. It is worth trying at least once, and then, as you like ...

You should be careful when peeling the fruit: the thorns are very dense and dig into the skin. Better to use a knife.

The season is from April to June.

Carambola (Starfruit, Kamrak, Ma Fyak, Carambola, Star-fruit).

"Star of the Tropics" - in the context of the shape, we represent an asterisk.

The fruit with an edible peel is eaten whole (there are small seeds inside). The main advantage is a pleasant smell and juiciness. The taste is not particularly distinguished by anything - slightly sweet or sour-sweet, somewhat reminiscent of eating apples. Sufficiently juicy fruit and excellent thirst quencher.

Sold all year round.

It is not recommended to consume Carambola for people with severe kidney problems.

Longan (Lam-yi, Dragon's Eye).

Small fruits, similar to small potatoes, covered with a thin inedible skin and one inedible bone inside.

Longan pulp is very juicy, has a sweet, very aromatic, taste with a peculiar shade.

The season is from July to September.

Long Kong / Langsat

Longkong (Longan, Longcon, Langsat, Lonngkong, Langsat).

Longkong fruits, like Longan, are similar to small potatoes, but slightly larger in size and have a yellowish tinge. You can distinguish it from Longan if you peel the fruit from the peel: peeled, it looks like garlic in appearance.

They have a sweet and sour interesting taste. The fruit is rich in calcium, phosphorus, carbohydrates and vitamin C. The burnt skin of Long Kong gives off a fragrant scent that is not only pleasant, but also healthy, as it serves as an excellent repellent.

Fresh fruit can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 4-5 days. The skin of a ripe fruit should be firm, without cracks, otherwise the fruit will quickly deteriorate.

The season is from April to June.

Sometimes the same variety is sold - Langsat, which outwardly is no different, but has a slightly bitter taste.

Jackfruit (Eve, Khanoon, Jackfruit, Nangka, Indian breadfruit).

Jackfruit fruits are the largest fruits growing on trees: their weight reaches 34 kg. The inside of the fruit contains several large sweet-yellow slices of edible pulp. These slices are sold already peeled, because you yourself cannot cope with this giant.

The pulp has a sugary-sweet taste, reminiscent of melon and marshmallow. They are very nutritious: they contain about 40% carbohydrates (starch) - more than in bread.

The season is from January to August.

You can take the risk of bringing such a monster home as a whole, it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. But it is better to buy cut and packaged slices of pulp.

Important! Some people, after eating Jackfruit, have an unhealthy reaction in the throat - cramping, it becomes difficult to swallow. Everything usually goes away in an hour or two. Perhaps this is an allergic reaction. Be careful.

Pineapple (Pineapple).

Pineapple fruit needs no special comment.

It should only be noted that Pineapples bought in Asia and Pineapples bought in Russia are completely different things. Pineapples in Russia are a pitiful likeness of real Pineapples that you can taste in their homeland.

Separately, it should be said about Thai Pineapple - it is considered the most delicious in the world. You should definitely try and be sure to bring home with you to pamper your family. For local consumption, it is better to buy already peeled.

Pineapple Season - all year round

Mango (Mango).

By some estimates, Mango is considered the most delicious fruit in the world.

Mango is quite widely known and sold in Russia. However, the taste and aroma of Mango in its homeland is very different from what is sold in our stores. In Asia, its fruits are much more aromatic, juicier, and the taste is richer. Indeed, when you eat a fresh, ripe mango grown, for example, in Thailand, it seems that there is nothing tastier.

The fruit is covered with an inedible rind that does not separate from the pulp: it must be cut off in a thin layer using a knife. Inside the fruit there is a rather large, flat bone, from which the flesh also does not crumble, and it must be separated from the bone with a knife, or simply eaten.

The color of Mango, depending on the degree of maturity, varies from green to yellow (sometimes to yellow-orange or red). For local consumption, it is better to buy the most ripe - yellow or orange fruits. Without a refrigerator, such fruits can be stored for up to 5 days, in the refrigerator for up to 30 days, unless of course they have been stored somewhere else before.

If you want to bring some fruits home, then you can buy fruits of medium ripeness, greenish color. They persist well and mature on the road or at home.

Noina

Noina (Sugar apple, Annona scaly, sugar-apple, sweetsop, noi-na).

Another unusual fruit that has no analogues and does not look like any of the fruits we are used to. The fruits of Neina are the size of a large apple, green in color, and lumpy.

The inside of the fruit has a sweet aromatic pulp and many small hard seeds.

It is very inconvenient to clean because of the bumpy skin. If the fruit is ripe, then the pulp can be eaten with a spoon, after cutting the fruit in half.

The fruit is rich in vitamin C, amino acids and calcium.

The season is from June to September.

Sweet Tamarind

Sweet Tamarind (Indian date).

Tamarind is considered a spice of the legume family, but it is also used as an ordinary fruit. Fruits up to 15 centimeters long have an irregular curved shape. There is also a variety of Tamarind - green Tamarind.

Under the hard brown peel, resembling a shell, there is a brown, sweet and sour pulp with a tart taste. Be careful - there are large hard bones inside the Tamarind.

Juice is obtained by soaking the tamarind in water and grinding through a sieve. Ripe dried tamarind is used to make sweets. You can buy in the store and bring home a wonderful tamarind sauce for meat and sweet tamarind syrup (for making cocktails.

This fruit is rich in vitamin A, organic acids and complex sugars. Tamarind is also used as a laxative.

The season is from October to February.

American Mammea (Mammea americana).

Also known as American Apricot and Antilles Apricot, this fruit is native to South America, although it can now be found in almost all tropical countries.

This fruit, which is actually a berry, is quite large, growing up to 20 centimeters in diameter. Inside there is one large or several (up to four) smaller bones. The pulp is very tasty and aromatic, and, in accordance with its second name, tastes and smells like apricot and mango.

The ripening season is different depending on the region, but mainly from May to August.

Cherimoya (Annona cherimola).

Cherimoya is also known as Cream Apple and Ice Cream Tree. In some countries, the fruit is known in general under completely different names: in Brazil - Graviola, in Mexico - Poox, in Guatemala - Pac or Tzumux, in El Salvador - Anona poshte, in Belize - Tukib, in Haiti - Cachiman la Chine, in the Philippines - Atis , on Cook Island - Sasalapa. The homeland of the fruit is South America, but it can be found in the warm all year round countries of Asia and South Africa, as well as in Australia, Spain, Israel, Portugal, Italy, Egypt, Libya and Algeria. However, in these countries, the fruit is rare. It is most common, however, on the American continent.

It is quite difficult to recognize the fruit of Cherimoya from the first inexperienced glance, since it exists in several species with different surfaces (lumpy, smooth or mixed). One of the lumpy varieties, including, is Noina (see above), which is widespread in the countries of Southeast Asia. The size of the fruit is 10-20 centimeters in diameter and the cut fruit resembles a heart in shape. The pulp in consistency resembles an orange and is usually eaten with a spoon, very tasty and tastes like banana and passionfruit, and papaya and pineapple, and strawberries with cream. There are very hard pea-sized bones in the pulp, so be careful or you might end up missing a tooth. It is usually sold a little unripe and firm and must lie down (2-3 days) before acquiring its real amazing taste and texture.

The ripening season is usually from February to April.

Noni (Noni, Morinda citrifolia).

This fruit is also known as Big Moringa, Indian Mulberry, Healthy Tree, Cheese Fruit, Nonu, Nono. The fruit is native to southeast Asia, but now it grows in all tropical countries.

The Noni fruit resembles large potatoes in shape and size. Noni cannot be called very tasty and aromatic, and, apparently, that is why tourists very rarely come across it. Ripe fruits have an unpleasant odor (reminiscent of moldy cheese) and a bitter taste, but are considered very healthy. In some regions, Noni is the staple food of the poor. It is usually consumed with salt. Noni juice is also popular.

Noni bears fruit all year round. But you can find it not in every fruit market, but, as a rule, in markets for local residents.

Marula (Marula, Sclerocarya birrea).

This fruit grows exclusively on the African continent. And it is not easy to find it on sale fresh in other regions. The thing is that after ripening, the fruits almost immediately begin to ferment inside, turning into a low-alcohol drink. This property of the marula is happily used not only by the inhabitants of Africa, but also by animals. After eating marula fruits that have fallen to the ground, they are often "tipsy".

Ripe Marula fruits are yellow in color. The size of the fruit is about 4 cm in diameter, and inside is white flesh and a hard stone. Marula does not have an outstanding taste, but its flesh is very juicy and has a pleasant aroma until it begins to ferment. The pulp also contains a huge amount of vitamin C.

The harvest season for Marula is March-April.

Platonia insignis

Platonia grows only in the countries of South America. It is impossible to find it in the countries of Southeast Asia.

Platonia fruits are up to 12 centimeters in size, with a large thick skin. Under the peel there is a white tender pulp with a sweet and sour taste and several large seeds.

Kumquat

Kumquat is also known under the names Fortunella, Kinkan, Japanese oranges. It is a citrus plant. It grows in the south of China, but is widespread in other tropical countries. Kumquat fruits can also be found on the shelves of our stores, but to taste it is not at all what you can try in your homeland in the freshest form.

Kumquat fruits are small (from 2 to 4 centimeters), similar to small oblong oranges or tangerines. The outside is covered with a very thin edible rind, the inside is almost the same in structure and taste as an orange, except that it is slightly sour and bitter. Eaten whole (except for seeds).

Ripening season from May to June, you can buy it all year round.

Guava

Guava (Guajava), Guiava or Guayava is found in almost all tropical and subtropical countries. Despite the fact that the fruit is considered exotic, you should not expect an exotic taste from it: a rather mediocre, slightly sweet taste, reminiscent of a pear. It may be worth trying once, but you are unlikely to become a fan of it. The aroma is another matter: it is quite pleasant and very strong. In addition, the fruit is very useful, rich in vitamin C and perfectly raises the general tone of the body and strengthens health.

Fruits come in various sizes (from 4 to 15 centimeters), round, oblong and pear-shaped. The skin, bones and pulp are all edible.

Passion fruit / Fruit of passion

This exotic fruit is also called Passion Fruit, Passiflora, Edible Passionflower, Granadilla. Homeland is South America, but can be found in most tropical countries, including the countries of Southeast Asia. It got its second name "Fruit of Passion" because it is credited with the properties of a strong aphrodisiac.

Passion fruit fruits have a smooth, slightly elongated rounded shape, reaching 8 centimeters in diameter. Ripe fruits have a very bright juicy color and are yellow, purple, pink or red. The yellow fruits are less sweet than others. The pulp also comes in various colors. Under the inedible peel there is a jelly-like sweet and sour pulp with seeds. You can't call it especially tasty, juices, jellies, etc. made from it are much tastier.

When consumed, it is most convenient to cut the fruit in half and eat the pulp with a spoon. The seeds in the pulp are also edible, but they cause drowsiness, so it is better not to abuse them. Passion fruit juice, by the way, also has a calming effect and causes drowsiness. The most ripe and tasty fruits are those, the skin of which is not perfectly smooth, but covered with "wrinkles" or small "dents" (these are the ripe fruits).

Ripening season from May to August. Passion fruit can be stored in the refrigerator for one week.

Avocado

Avocado is also called American Perseus and Alligator pear. It is generally accepted that Avocado is a fruit. Perhaps scientifically, it is, but it tastes more like a vegetable.

Fruit Avocado pear-shaped, up to 20 centimeters long. Covered with a tasteless and inedible rind. Inside there is a pulp dense like a pear and one large bone. The pulp tastes like an unripe pear or pumpkin and is nothing special. Avocados are more commonly used in food preparation than eaten raw. So do not rush to try this fruit by all means. But dishes cooked with Avocado can greatly diversify the festive table. On the Internet you can find many recipes for avocado dishes, including salads, soups, main courses, but on vacation you are unlikely to need all of this, so you can not look at the Avocado.

Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis, breadfruit, pana)

Do not confuse breadfruit with Jackfruit. Jackfruit, although known as the Indian breadfruit, is actually a completely different fruit.

The breadfruit can be found in all tropical regions, but mainly in the countries of Southeast Asia and Oceania. Due to the very high yield of the Breadfruit, its fruits in some countries are the main product of kicking, like our potatoes, for example.

The fruits of the Breadfruit are round, very large, can reach 30 centimeters in diameter and four kilograms in weight. Ripe fruits are consumed raw, like fruit, and unripe fruits are used as vegetables for cooking. It is better to buy ripe fruits on vacation, and even better already cut into portions, because you are unlikely to be able to cut and eat the fruit whole. In ripe fruit, the pulp becomes soft and slightly sweet, tastes like banana and potatoes. This is not to say that the taste is outstanding, and therefore breadfruit is not often found in tourist fruit markets. The taste of bread can only be felt when preparing an unripe fruit.

Ripening season of the Breadfruit tree, 9 months of the year. You can buy fresh fruits all year round.

Jabuticaba

Jaboticaba (Jaboticaba) is also known as the Brazilian grape tree. It can be found mainly in the countries of South America, but sometimes it is found in the countries of Southeast Asia.

It is a very interesting, tasty and rare exotic fruit. If you can find it and try it, consider yourself lucky. The fact is that the Jaboticaba tree grows very slowly, which is why it is practically not cultivated.

The way the fruits grow is also interesting: they grow right on the trunk, and not on the branches of a tree. Fruits are small (up to 4 cm in diameter), dark purple in color. Under a thin, dense skin (inedible) there is a soft, jelly-like and very tasty pulp with several seeds.

The tree bears fruit almost all year round.

Kiwano Melon is also known as Horned Melon, African Cucumber, Antillean Cucumber, Horned Cucumber, Anguria. Kiwano really looks like a large cucumber in the cut. Although it is a fruit, it is still a question. The fact is that Kiwano fruits grow on a liana. It is cultivated mainly in Africa, New Zealand, and the American continent.

Kiwano fruits are oblong, up to 12 centimeters long. The color is yellow, orange and red, depending on the degree of ripeness. Under the dense skin, the flesh is green, the taste is somewhat reminiscent of a cucumber, banana and melon. The fruit is not peeled, but cut into slices or halves (like a regular melon), and then the pulp is eaten. In its raw form, both unripe and unripe fruits are consumed. Unripe fruits can be eaten with the seeds as they are soft. It is also used with salt.

Miracle fruit

The magic fruit is native to West Africa. It does not have an outstanding exotic taste, but it is known and interesting for the fact that after you eat it, all foods will seem sweet to you for about an hour. The fact is that the Magic Fruit contains a certain protein that blocks for some time the taste buds on the tongue, which are responsible for the sour taste. Therefore, you can eat lemon, and it will taste sweet to you. True, only fresh plucked fruits have this property, and during storage they quickly lose it. So don't be surprised if the "trick" doesn't work on purchased fruits.

The fruit grows on small trees or shrubs, have a rounded oblong shape, 2-3 centimeters long, red, with a hard bone inside.

The magic fruit bears fruit almost all year round.

Bael (Bael, Aegle marmelos)

Baile is also sometimes called the "Stone Apple" because of its peel. It is very widespread in the countries of Southeast Asia.

Bail's fruits are not so easy to find in fruit markets as a whole. And even if you meet him, you yourself will not cope with him. The fact is that its rind is hard as stone, and it is impossible to get to the pulp without a hammer or hatchet.

Fruits are round or pear-shaped in diameter up to 20 centimeters. Ripe yellow fruit. Inside is flesh and several bones covered with hairs. The pulp is yellow, fragrant, not too sweet and slightly astringent.

If you don't manage to taste the fruit fresh (which, in general, you shouldn't worry about), you can buy tea made from Bail fruits, called Matum. It is a fruit cut into circles and dried. It is believed to be very effective in treating colds, bronchial and asthmatic diseases.

The Buddha's hand is a kind of Citron. It is also called the Fingers of Buddha and Finger Citron.

We decided to mention this very exotic fruit so that you do not try it during your holiday in a tropical paradise. This is not the kind of fruit you enjoy. Undoubtedly, the fruit is very interesting and healthy, and when you see it, you will most likely be tempted to try it. But don't be in a hurry. It is widely used in cooking, but you are not likely to eat it. The fruit of the Buddha's Hand consists almost entirely of the peel (inedible pulp), which is similar to lemon peel in taste (bitter-sour taste) and violet in smell.

The fruit is very interesting in shape and looks like a palm with a large number of fingers, reaching a length of 40 centimeters. You can buy it only in order to bring it home with you as a souvenir, and already at home prepare various dishes with citrus flavor from it (compote, jelly, candied fruit).

The term "fruit" appeared in 1705 and since then means edible or inedible fruits of trees, shrubs (before, all fruits of plants 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 slightly more than 2,000 fruits on the planet.

Apricot

A small tree or large shrub with a broadly rounded crown. Its reddish-brown or brown-olive, shiny, naked shoots, often in places (but not entirely) covered with a grayish film, are very elegant, buds 2-3 side by side. Very decorative at the time of flowering, decorated with numerous large white or pale pink flowers, with dark red bent sepals. The apricot is no less beautiful 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, lives 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 bottle gourds, there are black, pimpled, oval and huge spherical avocados. Moreover, some of these varieties differ from each other three times in a number of important indicators of chemical composition. Nevertheless, with the help of correctly selected varieties, people in different parts of the world take care of the condition of the skin, health of the hair, treat atherosclerosis, alleviate the symptoms of arthritis and normalize the functioning of the nervous system.

Cherry plum

Strongly thorny, branched, multi-stemmed trees, sometimes shrubs, 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, yoghurts and pies. Fewer people know that pineapples can be fermented and cooked into cabbage soup. Even less - 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 6m in height, in the room it is much lower. Unlike some others, annona is an evergreen tree. Leaves are oval or oblong, glossy, leathery, dark green, up to 15 cm long. They have a slightly spicy odor, 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 in length, 15 cm in diameter and weighing up to 3 kg, dark green in color, when ripe they become yellow-green.

Orange

There are many legends about the beneficial properties of orange, some of which, however, are not confirmed by anything. For example, some people believe that the 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 weight loss in diets. This is also not entirely true.

Banana

Bananas have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anti-allergenic properties. With the help of banana components (dopamine, serotonin, adrenaline and norepinephrine), they treat atherosclerosis, hypertension, increase the activity of the liver enzyme, relieve convulsions, and small doses of banana increase the quality and quantity of sperm. The main thing is not to overuse 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 an orange and a citron. The bergamot peel contains valuable essential oils that are used in the cosmetic and perfume industries, as well as in medicine.

Grapefruit

Grapefruit (eng. grape and fruit- grapes and fruit) is a citrus yellow-orange fruit that grows in subtropical climatic latitudes. The grapefruit grows on an evergreen tree of the same name, reaching a height of 13-15 m. Ripe fruit is no more than 15 cm in diameter. By its external features, the grapefruit is most similar to an orange, but its pulp is more acidic, and the inner white veins are bitter. Many scientists believe that grapefruit originated in India as a result of the natural hybridization of pomelo and orange.

Pear

This is a fruit plant with a multi-thousand-year history of cultivation, which has been fighting for the right to be no worse than its close relative, the apple, for almost all this time. 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. For example, pears have been experimentally proven to reduce the risks of 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. It 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 ripens ninety to one hundred and fifty days after flowering. The shape and size of the fruit is extremely variable. Guava looks like a lumpy apple of green or yellow color. Guava fruits are round and pear-shaped, with 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. Due to the content of the ester of hexahydroxidiphenic acid and arabinose, immature fruits have a very sour taste, which disappears in ripe fruits.

Jackfruit

A plant of the mulberry family, a close relative of the breadfruit. 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 projections. Young fruits are green, when ripe they become green-yellow or brown-yellow and, when tapped, emit a hollow sound (unripe fruits are deaf). Internally, the fruit is divided into large lobes containing a yellow aromatic sweet pulp composed of juicy soft fibers. Each slice contains one rather large oblong white seed, 2-3 cm long. The cut jackfruit fruit has a pleasant specific smell, slightly reminiscent of 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 fruit of the pitahaya, the color of the pulp (white, pink, purple), the color of the skin (from yellow to orange, from red to purple) and the texture of the surface of the fruit (with small outgrowths, with thin colored scales) vary. The flesh of the dragon fruit is always filled with small black seeds, which are usually peeled off.

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 above and covered with whitish pubescence below. The leaves are light sensitive and gather together at night. The flowers are small pink or purple-red. Carambola fruits are fleshy, crispy and juicy, slightly spicy, with massive ribbed growths, ranging in size from a chicken egg to a large orange. Ripe carambola fruits are amber-yellow or golden-yellow in color. They are unusual in shape - they look like a ribbed airship.

Kiwi

The herbaceous vine Actinidia chinensis and its fruits are berries with green flesh and brown skin covered with fine hairs. The history of the kiwi is quite unusual. The birthplace of the creeper with the name Mihutao, which became the progenitor of the kiwi, is China.

Clementines

Clementine or Citrus clementina is one of the varieties of Tangiero. It is a hybrid of orange and tangerine. It was created back in 1902 by Father Clemen, 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 much sweeter.

Kumquat

whale. golden orange
A yellow-orange tropical fruit of the citrus family of an evergreen plant. This fruit also 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 the sour tangerine, but at the same time the rind has a sweet-tart aftertaste. The kumquat is native to the southern part of China.

Lime

Lime is the fruit of a citrus plant native to India, genetically similar to lemon.
Lime is a small tree or shrub with a height of 1.5 to 5.0 m. The crown is dense, the branches are covered with short thorns. Inflorescences axillary, with 1-7 flowers, remontant flowering. Lime fruits are small - 3.5-6 cm in diameter, ovoid, lime pulp is greenish, juicy, very sour. The rind is green, yellowish-green or yellow, very thin when fully ripe.

Lemon

Although lemon is popularly considered the record holder for the amount of vitamin C, in fact, for 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 a worthless product. Traditional medicine includes lemon in the recipes of drugs for "a thousand diseases": from seborrhea and arthritis to constipation and tuberculosis. And scientific research is aimed at using the lemon potential in therapy to restore liver function, lower "bad" cholesterol and blood pressure.

Lychee

lat. Litchi chinensis- Chinese plum
A small sweet and sour fruit with a crusty rind. 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 ripe fruit has a dense red rind 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 is in May-June.

Longan (Lam Yai)

The fruit of an evergreen longan tree found in China, Taiwan, Vietnam and Indonesia.
The juicy pulp of longan has a sweet, very aromatic, nephelium-like taste with a peculiar hue. The hard, inedible outer shell of the fruit ranges in color 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 in color, but quickly turn dark green. The flowers are white to pink in color, after opening, they have a scent similar to that of lilies. Ripe mango fruits hang on long stems and weigh up to 2 kg. The mango peel is thin, smooth, green, yellow or red depending on the degree of ripeness (a combination of all three colors is often found). Mango flesh can be soft or fibrous, and depending on the ripeness of the fruit, it surrounds a large, hard, flat bone.

Mangosteen

A tall evergreen tree up to 25 m high with a pyramidal crown and black-brown bark. 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, 3.4-7.5 cm in diameter, covered with a thick (up to 1 cm) burgundy-violet inedible rind containing a sticky coloring latex, under which there are 4-8 segments of white edible pulp with tightly adhering seeds ... Mangosteen bears fruit late - the first fruits on trees at 9-20 years of age.

Mandarin

There are many myths about mandarin. Many have probably heard that you can't eat more than 4 fruits a day? This is an exaggeration - there is no common table for all, indicating the dangerous amount of this citrus. They also say that the green leaves on the tangerine are a sign of its special freshness, that the orange the peel, the sweeter the fruit, that the naringin contained in the zest directly burns fats and that citruses in general and tangerine in particular are hardly the best source of vitamin C. 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

Ancient tropical culture of the genus Passiflora, producing oval fruits of yellow or dark purple color (when mature), growing on vines. Passion fruit is grown for its juice, which is often added to other fruit juices for flavor. Passion fruit is a yellow-orange or dark purple oval fruit that is about 6-12 cm in size. Fruits with smooth, shiny skin are preferred, but sweeter with rough, cracked skin.

Medlar

tour. muşmula
it is a whole genus of plants, which includes almost 30 species. However, there are two main cultivated types of medlar: Germanic and Japanese. The Germanic medlar was known to mankind for over 1000 years BC. In the territories of Ancient Babylon, Mesopotamia, it was freely traded, it was transported on ships to the west to Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. It was from here that the medlar came to European lands. Today, the German medlar grows in the Balkans, Asia Minor, the Crimean mountains, the Transcaucasus, Armenia, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Greece and northern Iran. The tree is quite picky and grows well only in dry, sunny places and on slightly acidic soil.

Nectarine

A fruit that is a smooth-skinned peach. Despite popular myth, nectarine is obtained by selection or simple mutation of peaches and is not a hybrid of a peach and a plum.
This classic example of a bud mutation appeared when self-pollination occurred in peach trees. Nectarines sometimes appear on peach trees, and peaches on nectarine trees. Nectarines are first mentioned in 1616 in England.

Papaya

A short, slender tree with a thin, branchless trunk 5-10 meters high, topped with an umbrella of finger-dissected leaves on long petioles. Papaya leaves are large, 50-70 centimeters in diameter. 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 ranging from amber to yellow.

Peach

A tree of the Pink family, has the subgenus almond. It differs from almonds only in fruits. 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 stone of the peach is wrinkly furrowed and with dotted dimples.

Pomelo

English pomelo
Citrus fruits of the eponymous evergreen tree. The peel of the fruit is quite thick, and the slices are large, separated by hard white partitions, with a bitter taste. Ripe broomsticks can range in color from light green to yellow-pink. Usually only one side acquires a pink color, which was turned towards the sun during ripening. The fruit holds the record for citrus fruits. Its diameter can be 30 cm, and its weight can reach 10 kg. The taste of the pomelo is very close to that of grapefruit, but the pulp is not so juicy and when peeled, the inner membranes are easier to separate from the edible part.

Orange

It is also called Chinotto or Bigaradia - it is a woody evergreen plant belonging to the Rutaceae family, a species of the genus Citrus. It is considered a hybrid of a pomelo and a tangerine. Fresh orange is considered inedible, and it is prized mainly for its zest. The peel is quite easily separated from the fruit, you just need to cut it into 4 parts. The zest of pomeranians is used for making desserts. It is also often added to ice cream. For such a dessert, you need to take the zest and juice of an orange, cream and sugar. All this must be whipped with a mixer and sent to freeze.

Today, on the shelves of shops, there is a real abundance of exotic fruits. Not all people know their correct name, and they have not the slightest idea about the taste. In our article, we will take a closer look at the "asterisk" fruit. First of all, let's dwell on how it is correctly called and in which countries it grows. We will also definitely consider how to choose a ripe fruit so that it pleases with excellent taste and is useful for the body.

What is the name of the "star" fruit?

In Europe, this fruit is loved for its unusual shape. It is enough to cut it across - and the original decoration for the festive table is ready. In different languages, the name of the fruit of an interesting shape sounds different - starfruit, carom, tropical star, star apple. And they all perfectly characterize the appearance of the plant.

The correct name of the fruit with an asterisk, according to scientific classification, sounds like this - carambola. It belongs to the oxalis family, the genus of woody plants Averroa. The fruits grow on trees with a dense crown reaching a height of 3-5 meters and wide leaves up to 50 centimeters long. Glossy to the touch, it has a ribbed surface. In section, the fruit forms a five-pointed star.

Where does carambola grow?

The homeland of the asterisk fruit is Southeast Asia. In the wild, carambola grows on the island of Sri Lanka, India and Indonesia. The plant is acclimatized in Brazil, Guiana, some US states (Hawaii, Florida), Israel. From these countries, molds are often imported to Russia.

Tourists can admire how carambola grows when visiting Thailand. The plant blooms several times a year. At this time, its crown is covered with beautiful, pink-lavender flowers. After about 2 months, ribbed green fruits are formed, inside which there are several seeds. As it ripens, the fruit turns yellow. The length of the carambola does not exceed 15 cm. The ripening period of the fruit falls on May-August.

If desired, carambola can be easily grown at home from an ordinary seed. The plant is unpretentious in care, shade-tolerant, not afraid of drafts. Medium watering is required.

Taste qualities of an exotic fruit

We can say for sure that this fruit is very juicy. But his taste can be completely different. Unripe fruits, namely in this form, they are removed from trees for subsequent import to Russia, are quite sour, with an unpleasant aftertaste. This fruit looks more like a vegetable, such as a cucumber. Ripe fruits with massive ribbed growths have a rather sweet taste. Carambola is often compared to gooseberries, apples, cucumbers, grapes and even oranges. Several flavor notes are combined in one plant at once, which is why it is so difficult to describe this tropical fruit. Thanks to its high water content and sweet and sour refreshing taste, carambola easily quenches thirst.

Fruit "star" in the cut has an almost regular shape of a five-pointed star, so it is often used for desserts. At home, carambola is stored in the refrigerator for about three weeks.

Composition and benefits for the body

One of the pleasant advantages of the "asterisk" fruit is its low calorie content. 100 grams of juicy and ripe carambola fruits contain only 34 kcal. The pulp contains a large amount of minerals important for the body (calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus and iron), as well as vitamins (C, B1, B2, B5, beta-carotene).

• weakened immunity and vitamin deficiency;
• headaches, dizziness and fever;
• colic in the abdomen and constipation.

Sweet and sour tropical fruits of an unusual shape are a source of antioxidants, have antimicrobial and antifungal effects on the body. The pulp of ripe carambola helps to reduce the level of glucose and cholesterol in the human blood.

Asian healers use for medicinal purposes not so much the fruits as the leaves and flowers of the plant. But regular consumption of fruits will be enough to improve your condition and improve your health.

Harm and contraindications

Because of its high oxalic acid content, carambola may not be as beneficial as it seems at first glance. People with diseases of the kidneys, stomach and duodenum should refrain from eating sweet and sour fruits with juicy pulp. Oxalic acid can aggravate the course of diseases such as gastritis and enterocolitis. At the same time, the properties of this substance are used by residents of Asian countries for removing stains, as well as for polishing copper and brass.

Excessive consumption of carambola fruits can cause intoxication. Signs of this condition include hiccups, vomiting, numbness, muscle weakness, or insomnia. Intoxication manifests itself within 1-14 hours after the use of carambola.

How to choose ripe fruits?

Only fruits ripened on the tree have a sweet taste and pleasant scent of jasmine. They are distinguished by their characteristic bright yellow color and brown stripes on their massive ribs. Unfortunately, they can only be purchased in places where carambola is directly grown. To import fruits hundreds of kilometers away, they have to be picked while still green. Such fruits ripen directly on store counters or in a home refrigerator.

In Russia, it will be quite difficult to choose ripe carambola fruits. The star fruit presented in our stores is light green or pale yellow in color. Until it is fully ripe and eaten, the carambola should lie at room temperature for several days or in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.

How is the star-shaped fruit eaten?

The unusual shape of carambola allows you to use the fruit cut into thin slices as a decoration for drinks, desserts, fruit salads and other dishes. However, the use of an exotic fruit with an asterisk in cooking is not limited to this.

In Asian countries, carambola is used in the preparation of many interesting drinks and dishes:

1. The juice of sweet and sour fruits is added to alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails, giving them an exquisite taste.
2. Unripe fruits are used as vegetables and can be fried, stewed and pickled.
3. Ripe carambola is boiled in syrup and served as a delicious dessert.
4. Sweet, naturally ripened fruits are used in the preparation of jams, marmalade and jellies.
5. In China, chefs add carambola to meat or fish dishes and make a delicious sauce from it.

When eaten raw, the fruit is not peeled but eaten directly with a smooth and thin skin. First, the carambola is washed well, removing dirt from the depressions and ribs, and then cut into 1 cm thick slices.