Carambola is an evergreen, slow-growing tree
5 m high with drooping branches and dense, highly branched
rounded crown or shrub.
The leaves are soft, dark green, smooth on top and covered
whitish pubescence below. Leaflets are sensitive to
light and get together at night.
The flowers are small pink or purple-red.
Carambola fruits are fleshy, crispy and juicy, slightly
spicy, with massive ribbed growths, size
from a chicken egg to a large orange. Ripe fruits
amber yellow or golden yellow. By form
they are unusual – they look like a ribbed airship. On the cross
cut – a point star, hence one of the names
in English – star fruit, i.e. fruit-star,
star fruit, another name is tropical stars.
The peel of carambola is edible. The pulp is juicy, slightly spicy.
There are two types of fruits: sweet and sour and sweet.
The taste of some fruits resembles the taste of plums, apples and grapes.
at the same time, others – gooseberries with a plum scent. IN
in the tropics, carambola with sour fruits is more appreciated.
The taste is juicy, strong carom flesh resembles
harmonious combination of green gooseberry, apple and
cucumber. The taste of some varieties resembles the taste of plum fruits,
apples and grapes at the same time, others – gooseberries
with a plum scent. Carambola is more prized in the tropics
with sour fruits. The aroma is strongest when the carom
lightly boiled in syrup until soft.
Carambola seeds are ovoid, flattened, light brown, up to
1,2 cm long.
Useful properties of carambola
Fresh carambola contains (in 100 g):
Calories 31 Kcal
Vitamin C 34,4 Potassium, K 133 Vitamin
B4
7,6
Кальций, Ca
3
Витамин B5
0,391
Фосфор,
P 12 Vitamin
B3 0,367 Magnesium, Mg 10 Vitamin E 0,15 Sodium,
On 2
Full composition
Carambola fruits contain organic acids (presented
mainly oxalic), calcium, phosphorus,
iron, sodium, potassium.
The vitamin complex of carambola is represented by the vitamin
C, beta-karatin, vitamins B1, B2,
B5, provitamin A. The medicinal properties of carambola are known
few. In folk medicine of Asia, for medicinal purposes, they use
its leaves and flowers.
In India, the fruit is used as a hemostatic
remedies, including for hemorrhoids, juice or dried
the fruits are used against fever. Canned candied
fruits are used to reduce bile levels, against
diarrhea, as well as to relieve hangover.
In Brazil, as a diuretic and in the treatment of eczema.
A decoction of fruits and leaves is used as an antiemetic. Leaves,
tied to the temples, relieve headaches, and crushed leaves
and shoots help with chickenpox and ringworm. Flowers are used
as an anthelmintic. Sugar carambola roots are the antidote
in case of poisoning. Found in the leaves, stems and roots of the plant
glutamic acid. A decoction of crushed seeds of carambola fruit acts
as a lactic acid and easily intoxicating. Crushed into powder
carambola seeds are used as a sedative
with colic and asthma.
Carambola excellently quenches thirst and reduces arterial
pressure, acts as an excellent laxative, increases
the body’s defenses (due to vitamin C), and thanks to
magnesium removes excess fluid from tissues. Very helpful
with vitamin deficiency. Carambola juice is much more effective
than ordinary pickle, relieves hangovers. Moreover, with
it can be used to whiten dentures. For this
you need to hold them in a glass of juice for several hours.
If the juice is too strong, you need to dilute it by a quarter.
distilled water. Carambola helps with headache
pain, fever and colic.
Canned candied carambali fruits are used
against diarrhea, as well as to relieve hangover.
Dangerous properties of carambola
The presence of a large amount of oxalic acid in sour varieties of carambola
requires caution when eating them with enterocolitis,
gastritis,
peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum in the acute stage.
Eating a lot of acidic fruits can lead to
to a violation in the body of salt metabolism and the development of renal pathology.
There are known cases of individual intolerance to carambola.
Do you like making lemonades at home? Then take on board another recipe – exotic lemonade with carambol.
