A trip to your department store may leave you feeling that you have an amazing amount of fruits to choose from. But the reality is that these fruits are only a small sample of the bounty of Mother Nature.
Out there in the world is a choice of exotic and unusual fruits, which you may have never heard of. Oranges and apples may seem mundane after you have tasted some of these fruits.
Here is a list of top exotic fruits from around the world:
- Ackee: This fruit is at times called as ‘vegetarian brain,’ as it is only the yellowish aril, which is brain shaped is edible. Originally from West Africa, today it is grown all over the Caribbean and is a part of Caribbean cuisine.
- Rambutan: Native of Malay Archipelago, the name is after the Malay term for ‘hairy’. As the name suggests, it has a hairy exterior that can be peeled away revealing delicious, tender, fleshy fruit inside with a sweet and sour taste. Today, it is cultivated in places like Hawaii.
- Physalis: A relative of tomato, it has the same slightly acidic taste. Native to the American continents, they are mostly imported from South America.
- Jabuticaba: A fruit that is rare as it appears to be sprouting out of the trunk of the tree. When in season, the tree looks like it has purple warts. It is native to South America and is excellent for making liqueurs and wines.
- Blow Fish Fruit: Also called as African horned cucumber, it has yellow, spiky exterior and green, juicy interior. Tastes like a cross between zucchini and cucumber and is rich in fibre and vitamin C. Cultivated in Chile, New Zealand and Australia.
- Durian: Called as ‘King of fruits,’ its flesh tastes like rich custard with flavour of almonds. But it is most famous for its thick husk and pungent odour (like rotten onions or gym socks). Hence, it appeals to only those who can withstand the odour and enjoy the taste.
- Miracle Fruit: Originating from West Africa, it is so named because of its ability to transform sour taste into sweet. This feat is achieved by its molecules called as Miraculin, which acts on the sweet parts of human taste buds.
- Mangosteen: The edible, fragrant flesh of Mangosteen amounts to peachy, sweet, tangy and citrusy taste. Its hard shell, purple in colour has to be cracked open before enjoying the flesh inside. It is a very expensive fruit.
- Langsat: These orb shaped, translucent, small fruits are found mostly in Bhutan, India and South East Asia. Unripe fruits are sour, but ripe ones are perfectly sweet.
- Cherimoya: Mark Twain once called it one of the most delicious fruit appreciated by man. Flavour is a cross between pine apple and banana, the flesh has been described to resemble commercial bubble gum. Native to South America, today they are grown also in the Mediterranean climates.
- Jack Fruit: It is the largest fruit born on trees with a heavy weight of over 80 pounds. Cultivated in India around 6000 years back, today it is the national fruit of Bangladesh. Its delicious buttery flesh is rich with fibre. Can be made into crunchy delicious fried chips.
This is the list of the top exotic fruits from around the world. Next time, you plan to get fruit baskets delivered to loved ones, try to follow a theme of exotic fruits and include some of the above-mentioned fruits in the fruits hamper.