Today, in the refrigerator of an average inhabitant of the post-Soviet space, “overseas” fruits have become familiar, the existence of which we only heard about thirty years ago, but did not try everything. These are kiwi, pineapple, avocado, persimmon, and, of course, bananas. Moreover, we have learned to grow some of the tropical fruits at home. Others have been replenished with species and varieties that can withstand the low winter temperatures of our climatic zone, so they can grow here – next to apple and pear trees.
Exotic fruits. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com filicorizecchini
But there are exotic fruits, which are extremely rare even in megamarkets, because they cost, as a result of difficult transportation due to a short storage period, “too decent” money. But in tropical countries, these gifts of nature are part of the daily diet of local residents. And … certainly tourists, because it would be a sin to visit an exotic country, not to get acquainted with the fruits of its plants. In our list, you will find 15 of the most interesting, in terms of tasty / healthy, exotic fruits that you should definitely try, for example, on vacation.
1. Carambola
This fruit is called differently in different parts of the world, but the most popular names are “carambola” or “carom”. You can try it on vacation in the countries of Southeast Asia. Carom is also grown in the American states of Florida and Hawaii. The yellow-green ribbed tropical fruit is known primarily for its non-standard “shape”. If you cut the carambola across, we get a pronounced star shape – a ready-made decoration for the festive table.
It tastes, as they say, for an amateur. Like apple and … cucumber-flavored gooseberries? Carom contains so much liquid that it is better to drink than eat. The fruits are rich in vitamin C, calcium, iron, sodium. Caloric content is only 35 kcal per 100 grams. A dream for those who want to lose weight!
Caramel. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com servingjoy
2. Dragonfruit, or pitaya
If you love growing cacti, you should definitely enjoy their fruits at least once in your life. Dragonfruit, or dragon fruit, or pitahaya, or pitahaya, grows on a liana-shaped cactus in Central and South America, where it comes from, as well as in Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and Australia, where it has been successfully cultivated for many years. The dragon fruit looks very exotic – a bright pink elongated “apple”, covered with scales, with bright light green ends. Its delicate flesh comes in different colors, each variety has its own.
The pitaya fruit can be virtually tasteless. But it is still noticeable in bright red specimens – it is an approximate mix of banana and kiwi flavors. The pitaya pulp is very watery, rich in small bones, containing tannin, an essential substance for good vision. Another “usefulness” of this tropical fruit is that people with diabetes can eat it without restrictions, since dragonfruit lowers blood glucose levels. True, “without limits” is not about this exotic, since overeating with pitahaya leads to diarrhea.
Dragonfruit, or pitaya
3. Guava, or psidium
These tropical fruits, which are round or oval in shape, are from 4 to 12 cm long, grow in the tropics of India, Mexico, Africa and in the countries of Southeast Asia. Guava has a pleasant smell of lemon zest, and its flesh is sweet or sweet and sour in taste. It is recommended to consume only fresh ripe psidium fruit. They are very rich in pectin, a substance that removes toxins from the body. Unripe guava is acidic and can negatively affect kidney function.
This tropical fruit is eaten with a peel, but if you bought it in a supermarket in Europe or Russia, you should still peel the guava before eating it. For long-term storage, guava is treated with chemicals that will not bring any benefit to your body.
Guava, or psidium
“The fountain of youth”, “superfood”, “Amazonian pearl” – as soon as the acai berries are not called today in advertising publications, recommending them as a panacea for rejuvenating the body and losing weight. True, in nature, the Euterpe palm tree, the fruits of which are acai berries, grows only on the Brazilian shores of the Amazon, and is cultivated only in countries with a tropical climate. The berries themselves have a shelf life of only a few hours! That is, the majority of consumers of eutherpe are familiar with vegetable capsules, juices, in the composition of dietary supplements and nutritional mixtures.
If you have an opportunity to try acai somewhere on vacation in a hot country, be sure to do it! First, it’s delicious. Each berry tastes like wine with a hint of chocolate. And, secondly … No, this is – firstly – the tropical acai berries are the healthiest berries in the world! It is believed that these fruits contain a unique concentration of antioxidants, the energy of which is incomparable to any other fruit or berry.
Acai berries, or vegetable eutherpe
5. Star apple, or cainito
These tropical fruits can be enjoyed while relaxing in Southeast Asia, South America, West Africa and India. They have an oval or round shape, up to 10 cm in diameter. The peel of the star apple is either green, purple, or brown, depending on the variety. It is thin, but under it there is a layer of a thicker and also inedible crust under it, which protects the sweet and sticky, jelly-like juicy pulp. It tastes like our apple. If you look at the cainito in section, you will see its star-shaped pulp.
Only ripe fruits are tasty, they have a slightly wrinkled crust. A star apple is stored at temperatures from +2 to +8 degrees for about three weeks and easily tolerates transportation. So you can bring a couple of these overseas apples as travel souvenirs. Cainito is eaten chilled. These are very nutritious tropical apples with a high content of vitamin C.
Star apple, or cainito. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Phillip Taylor
6. Jackfruit
The largest tree fruits in the world are jackfruit. India and Bangladesh are considered to be their homeland. There, jackfruits are revered as bread, and the trees on which they grow are called Indian breadfruit. They also grow in almost all countries of Southeast Asia. The length of the jackfruit can vary from 20 to 90 cm (!), And its weight reaches 34 kg. Ripe fruits, when tapped, make the same sound as our ripe watermelons. Inside, the jackfruit is divided into large portions filled with sweet and aromatic pulp. However, there is one “but”. In the bouquet of the aroma of cut fruit, next to the pronounced notes of banana and pineapple, there is also a subtle smell of … acetone.
Ripe tropical fruits are very satisfying. They contain up to 40% carbohydrates. They are also a source of vitamin A, sulfur, potassium, calcium and phosphorus. The seeds are delicious and nutritious too. Usually, they are roasted like chestnuts. Ripe jackfruit is consumed fresh, and unripe fruits are fried, steamed and boiled like vegetables.
Jackfruit
7. Longan
The longan tree grows in Taiwan and China, Indonesia and Vietnam, but you can enjoy its fruits while resting in other Asian tropical countries. For example, in Thailand, it grows in the northern regions. The longan’s thin skin can be easily removed. Its color can vary in color from yellowish red to brown. The pulp of this fruit is very juicy and sweet, slightly musky. Longan grows in clusters on trees.
They also sell it in bunches, like the grapes we are used to. If you buy, try one first. There are varieties that are more sour or sweeter. It is not a freshly picked longan that is considered tastier, but a couple of days lying down. This fruit is an extremely rich source of magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, vitamins A and C, and is considered a powerful antioxidant.
Longan. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Kriang kan
8. Rambutan
Outwardly, it somewhat resembles walnuts, but it has a hairy skin that protects the delicious and very tender pulp. Rambutan is mainly grown in the countries of Southeast Asia. The peel of its fruits is different: either red, or yellow, or white, its color depends on the variety. But, in any case, the peel is not edible.
Ripe rambutan is a rich source of carbohydrates, proteins, and beta-carotene. It also contains phosphorus, calcium, copper and iron. And also this tropical fruit is one of the record holders for the presence of vitamin C and (so necessary for beauty) group of B vitamins.
Rambutan. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Kam Haryatie Abdul Mutalib
9. Langsat
Langsat, or longsat, grows in almost all corners of the Earth with a tropical climate. But this fruit is especially popular in Thailand, which exports it to almost all countries of the world. Outwardly, the fruits look “so-so”, resemble young potatoes. But inside the ripe langsat is very sweet, however, there are also sour varieties.
Langsat is a must-have ingredient in Asian cuisine. Has a specific taste that can add non-standard shades to different dishes. It is boiled and canned, but you can eat langsat and raw. Delicious drinks are made with it. The fruits are widely used in Thai medicine. They are rich in vitamin C, calcium and carbohydrates.
Langsat. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com diamart
10. Papaya
Papaya is grown today in almost all tropical countries, although southern Mexico and Central America are considered its homeland. In our supermarkets, it has also been found lately. However, those who bought most often rate this fruit as a rare rejection. At the same time, papaya is one of the most delicious plant fruits in nature! But this can only be said about ripe fruits. They are dense to the touch, have a slightly dented greenish-orange peel. On the shelves of European stores, papaya, as a rule, comes in an unripe state.
And when ripe, it is sweet, juicy and tasty. It only has 39 calories per hundred grams! The beneficial properties of papaya have been known since antiquity. The fruit is rich in papain, a substance that helps the body get the most out of food. In addition, papaya is a source of calcium and sodium, iron and phosphorus.
Papaya
11. Lychee
The fruit of an evergreen tree that grows in tropical countries is called differently in different regions: – lynchi, liji, litchi, laysi or Chinese plum. The harvest ripens in clusters in May-June. Lychee is a red oval “plum” about 4 cm long. Its rind has sharp tubercles, and inside it is a light jelly-like mass, delicious, like sweet grapes.
Fresh liji fruits are always bright. They darken over time and, accordingly, their taste deteriorates. Lychee skin is inedible, but peels off easily with your fingers. Most European tourists consider the Chinese plum to be the most delicious tropical fruit. But it is valuable not only because of its excellent taste. Lychee berries contain a huge amount of B vitamins. Therefore, eating them on vacation, you have an excellent opportunity to “heal”, among other things, your nails and hair.
Ичи. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Ekaterina Kondratova
12. Maracuya
This tropical vine is cultivated in hot and humid countries, primarily for its valuable juice. It is very aromatic, therefore it is added to many other industrial juices. Ripe passion fruit are oval, dark purple fruits 6 to 12 cm long. To enjoy the fragrant pulp, simply cut the fruit in two. Passion fruit seeds are also delicious and edible. They are often used for decorating pastries. Passion fruit can be kept in the refrigerator for about a week.
A very valuable food product due to its peculiarity to remove uric acid from the body. In addition, it is an excellent antipyretic and anti-anxiety agent. They say that one fruit at night helps a lot to fall asleep after a busy tourist day. When you’re in the tropics, be sure to check it out!
Marakuya. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Mark Gillow
13. Mangosteen, or mangosteen
There are tropical fruits in nature, which contain an almost complete set of vitamins and minerals, in one or another amount that are part of all other fruits known to mankind. These include mangosteen. If you eat a couple of mangosteen fruits a day, you will fully meet your vitamin and mineral needs. No wonder mangosteen is called the king of fruits.
This hybrid, in the creation of which man is not involved, is the so-called polyploid of two types of trees. Mangosteen contains not only carbohydrates, proteins, but also fats. And most importantly, it also contains 39 out of 200 natural antioxidants known to medicine today. These tropical fruits taste like strawberries, grapes, cherries and pineapple at the same time.
Mangosteen, or mangosteen
14. Durian
Such exotic as durian, you still need to look for all the tropics. Its fruit is huge – up to 30 cm in length and up to 8 kg in weight. It is all covered with pyramidal thorns, and inside there is a juicy tender pulp, divided into five chambers. It is very popular at home – in the countries of Southeast Asia, Central Africa and Brazil. You will probably never hear such contradictory reviews about the same fruit. To some, the taste of durian resembles a nut-cheese paste, others claim that it is similar to custard, to others it seems that durian tastes like a banana seasoned with spices, or dried persimmon along with strawberries … In general, try it, share your opinion …
Durian is a rich source of vitamins B and C and is the only edible fruit containing organic sulfur. It is important to know about durian and one more thing – it has a very unpleasant smell! When fresh, it is not allowed to be brought into the hotel or on public transport. Durian is exported only dried or preserved. And, at least a few hours before and after eating durian, you should refrain from drinking alcohol. This is fraught with health complications!
Durian
15. Mango
Among other exotic species, mango seems to us less and less exotic lately. We are beginning to get used to it, as we once got used to kiwi and pineapple, because more and more often you can buy mango in supermarkets in large cities of Russia and the near abroad. In India and Pakistan, where the mango comes from, this tree is considered a national symbol. This culture is cultivated in almost all countries with a tropical climate. 300 species of mango have been bred, 35 varieties of which are grown on an industrial scale.
Therefore, it is difficult to assert the ripeness of this tropical fruit by its color, the color of the fruit depends on their variety. Mangoes are also eaten unripe, many like such fruits even more ripe ones. If desired, the mango can be placed in a dark place with room temperature and the fruit will “reach the desired condition” in a week. The main difference between mango and all other fruits is that its fruits are rich in essential amino acids that a person can get only from food. And it contains five times more carotene than tangerines! Well, of course, a whole range of vitamins and minerals is also available. By the way, some nutritionists consider the mango-milk diet to be the most balanced.
Mango
But, we hope, on vacation you just won’t lose weight … Therefore, remember that mango, first of all, is just very, very tasty!
Attention! Write in the comments to the article, which of these tropical fruits have you tried? Which ones did you like and which ones you didn’t? What does a particular fruit taste like?
