Exotic – Tropical Fruits

Amazing tropical fruits, you have no idea even exists!

We all love fruits. We love them fresh, or in all kind of smoothies or juices. Depending on the location where we grow up, we had some seasonal fruits, or the local varieties that are native to one place or the another. But have you ever wonder how many types of fruits are really there?? Well, it may surprise you. Its over 20000  different types of fruits! Whoa! Where I grow up, in Europe, we had some types of fruits growing locally, and there was many of them, the so called “ tropical” ones, imported, available for some special occasions. I am quite simple person. I love apples, more than any other fruits. But it makes me think, since there is so many types of apples only ( over 7500), how many fruits are there, that is I have no idea about? Well, to my ignorance on the subject, I discover so many new species of delicious and unique fruits, that is I cannot wait to put my hands on… so, without further ado, lets go exploring!

Cherimoya

it is said to be one of the best tasting fruits in the world. Has a creamy texture, which is  very enjoyable when the fruit is well chilled. Cherimoya taste like a combination of: banana, strawberry and pineapple. The fruit has a noticeably short shelf-life, which is one reason why it is so hard to find.

 Soursop AKA Guanabana

The inside of the soursop looks like white pulp , full of  black seeds that cannot be digested. The flesh itself tastes like a combination of pineapple , strawberry, along with some more sour citrus elements. This makes it a common choice for smoothies and fruit juice , even thou the fruit so delicious on its own.

 Jackfruit

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This is a tropical fruit that is most commonly grown in Vietnam and Thailand. It is one of the largest fruits , where it can reach every 4 feet in  length.  Fresh, ripe, uncooked jackfruit has a delightfully sweet, tropical flavor, somewhere between pineapple and mango (some liken it to Juicy Fruit chewing gum). Within its uneven green skin lies a waxy yellow flesh, that falls apart into separate bulbs when cut.

Araza (Eugenia stipitata)

fruit tree that belongs to the guava family. It is indigenous to Brazil and parts of Peru in  the Western Amazon. The sweet araza fruit that has a yellow, round shape on the outside, and inside it is like nothing you have seen before. The araza fruit has appealing appearance but its flavor is not as tasty as its look might suggest. This fruit actually  is one of the sourest fruits you will ever find. That is why the fruit is mostly used for culinary purposes. It has one of the highest levels of vitamin C

Mamoncillo (Spanish Lime)

the fruit grow in clusters of 12 or more , at the end of the branches of large green, leafy trees. The small fruits measure about 1-2 inch in diameter and are almost perfectly round. The thin skin is smooth, tough, and leathery. The inside pulp like flesh, is  gelatinous and glistening. Quite similar to that of a lychee. The flesh is called  “aril” and can range in color from salmon-orange to pale yellow. It clings to a large white seed (sometimes two) at the center of the fruit. Unripe Mamoncillo can be sour and have a slightly ‘hairy’ texture. When Mamoncillo are ripe, the pulp is sweetly acidic and can be compared to a cross between a lime and a lychee.

Durian

Durian one of those foods that people either love or hate. Inside the thorny exterior is a soft creamy fruit that has an extremely intense aroma. In fact, you can often smell the fruit even when the shell is intact. When the fruit is just opened, it taste like vanilla custard, but when it stays on the Ione air , even for 15 minutes, it stinks! Literally, like days old rotten meat.

Ciruela

(Spanish Plum or Red Mombin, also called Hog Plum, Jocote, Purple Mombin). Hog plums are related to mangos and have a sweet-sour taste, depending on ripeness. The fruits can be eaten raw and whole as a snack, but they are commonly made into fresh juices, or used to produce ice cream, jams, and jellies. In Mexico, unripe hog plums are pickled to make a sour-spicy side dish.

 Pitaya ( dragon fruit)

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dramatically looking fruit with scales in the outside.  Colorful red and green, or yellow in color. This  cactus fruit has a milky white flesh spotted with tiny black seeds. It is remarkably similar in texture to a kiwi.  While the appearance is dramatic, the flavor for the Scarry looking fruit, its texture is  surprisingly subtle.

 Jujube

also known as red or Chinese date. It  is native to Southern Asia but has become quite  popular in another parts of the world as well. It has small round fruits with a seed-containing pit. Jujube  grow on large flowering shrubs or trees (Ziziphus jujuba). When ripe, they are dark red or purple and may appear slightly wrinkled. Due to their sweet taste and chewy texture, they are often dried and used in candies and desserts in parts of Asia where they commonly grow.

 Mangosteen

(Garcinia mangostana) It’s originally from Southeast Asia but can be found in various tropical regions around the world.  It is an exotic, fruit with a slightly sweet and sour flavor. The fruit is sometimes referred to as purple mangosteen because of the deep purple color its rind develops when ripe.  The price of the fruits is pretty high, due to noticeably short lifespan,  and due to the mangosteen tree required almost 20 years , to start producing the fruit.

Cupuaçu

comes from the same family as cocoa. It is used to create a new variation of standard ‘chocolate’. The fruit is ovular with a brown rind and white, fleshy pulp. Its flavor is compared to chocolate with hints of tropical fruit like melon or pineapple, but the taste is compared to mix of pear and banana.  Cupuaçu is commonly used in desserts or pressed into a juice

Pomelo

Large citrus fruit, that originally comes from Southeast Asia. It looks much like oversize orange or grapefruit. When ripe, the fruit is yellow or pale green and tends to have white flesh and  extra thick rind. The taste is like a cross of grapefruit and orange. It lacks the bitterness of the  grapefruit.

Passion Fruit

(Passiflora edulis) native to southern Brazil through Paraguay and northern Argentina. Passion Fruit is considered to be the largest berry of all plants. The Passion Fruit’s thick purple skin wrinkles when ripe. Inside, it has small, black edible seeds surrounded by an aromatic, jelly-like pulp that has a lemony, sweet-tart flavor.

Muntries

low-growing shrub is typically in  Australia’s southern coast. The fruit tastes similar to apples combined with juniper. When fully ripe, the fruit is green with a reddish tinge. The  ripe fruit is good to eat fresh, but it can also be frozen or dried. It extremely popular way of making  jams and chutneys with it , or to serve it as a dessert with a scoop of ice cream.

Noni

This fruit is native to Australia, Asia, and the Polynesia. In the shape and  size close to a  mango. Eaten for its potential health benefits, rather than its taste. The antioxidant content of the fruit  is exceedingly high. The juice from it, it is very  bitter, so the best way is to  use it as part of a fruit juice or smoothie, so the taste can be masked.

 Lulo/ Naranjilla

The name translate to ” little orange” , because of the look if it; when in fact the fruits is closely related to eggplant and tomato, rather than citrus family. incredibly unique fruit from the Andes. Delicious, sweet-and-sour taste, kind of  orangy flavor. The round fruit has a smooth, leathery peel (that resembles a small orange)when ripe. Until then , the fruit is covered in thick brown hairs, which make look like a kiwi.  The hair can then be easily rubbed off when the fruit has properly ripened.  The flesh of the naranjilla is light yellow orange with a its pulp is citrusy, said to resemble a cross between a pineapple and a lemon.

Chayote

It belongs to the same family as squash, melons, and cucumbers. Grows abundantly in native Mexico. The fruit can be eaten raw and is sometimes used in salsas or salads.  It resembles a pear in the shape , where the taste is somewhat cross between an apple and cucumbers. Very crispy and juicy. The skin does not need to be removed prior to cooking.

 Monstera Deliciosa

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Intimidating looking  tropical fruit. Looks a lot more like an ear of corn than,  like some kind  fruit. The green scaly outside of the fruit is tough and completely inedible. Only the white flesh beneath is good for eating. It has a similar texture and taste to pineapple or  jackfruit. The fruit is only good to eat while fully ripe , otherwise it can irritate your stomach  and cause adverse reaction.

 Stinking Toe Fruit

Also known as locust fruit or jatobá, stinking toe fruit. It grows on West Indian Locust, which is the largest Caribbean tree. The fruit is hidden inside big brown pod that is shaped like a toe ( here comes the name). When the shell is broken, a pungent, off-putting odor (similar to foot stink) is released from the powdery flesh that surrounds the seeds (normally 3 to 6 seeds). The fruit itself it’s  dry and dense.  The flavor is sweet, just like  powdered sugar and dried milk, with slight hint of herbs. The fruit ‘flour’ is often added to smoothies or baked goods such as biscuits and bread.

*Fun fact:  the foul odor is a sign that the fruit is ripe, and if it does not stink, it is probably rotten.

Fuyu Persimmon

are short and squat and are shaped much like tomatoes. When they are orange, they are ripe, and can be eaten like an apple. You do not have to peel them, but I do. Just cut out the crown, peel them or not, and cut into wedges to eat. Once in a while you may find a dime-sized brown seed, just remove. Fuyu persimmons can be used in salads, like this Apple Pomegranate Persimmon Salad, added to breakfast cereal, or frozen to use in smoothies. You can bake with them too, as you would apples.

Guarana

(Paullinia cupana) Native to the Amazon river areas. Guarana is famous for its stimulant effect. It contains twice the concentration of caffeine found in coffee seeds, that is why it is widely used in energy drinks. In the Brazilian Indigenous people’s language, Guarana means “fruit like the eyes of the people”, and when  you look at it, you can see the resemblance.

Lychee

Native to China.  Lychee is also known as “alligator strawberry” , due to its  red, bumpy skin. Lychees are round or oblong in shape and are 1 ½ to 2 inches in diameter. The outer rind of the fruit is inedible, but it is easily removed to allow access to the white flesh inside. The fruit is known for its floral scent. Lychee has a sweet taste like a grape with a hint of rose. This scent is lost when the fruit is canned, making the fresh fruit a more popular option.

Feijoa( Pineapple Guava)

Feijoas ripening on the fall. Commonly grown  in New Zealand. They tend to be hard to find in many other parts of the world, and due to that quite expensive.  This fruit has flavors of mint, pineapple, and apple, and they are commonly eaten by scooping out the interior with a spoon.  Commonly used as a smoothie ingredient, thanks to its unique taste.

Black Sapote

Against popular opinion, that’s dark colored fruit is rotten, when it comes to Black Sapote, the interior looks like this when the fruit is ripe and ready to eat. The texture, taste and color of the fruit have all been associated with chocolate pudding, which makes the fruit both appealing and highly unusual.

Carambola (star fruit)

when the fruit is it is sliced, the section form five-pointed stars. The flesh of the fruit is crunchy and juicy, and the taste can vary considerably across the fruit. Ripe fruit can be eaten raw (in their entirety), while unripe fruit are sometimes used in cooking

Java Apple/Water Apple  

Despite the name, java apple does not taste like an apple. The fruit, taste resemble more an Asian pear  with its mild, watery sweetness, while the texture will remind you greatly abut watermelon. . The shiny, waxy fruit, usually light red, sometimes greenish-white, or cream-colored. Pear-shaped, narrow at the base, broad, flattened, on top. With 4 characteristic bumps on top part.  The skin is very thin, the flesh white, spongy, dry to juicy. There may be 1 or 2 round seeds inside.

Langsat

(lanzones, or longkong; duku or dokong) are ball-shaped fruits that look a little bit like a small round  potato ,when the skin is on. Under there is hidden white, translucent flesh.  When ripe, the fruit is sweet and tastes a little bit like a bitter grapefruit. The simplest way to eat the fruit is to peel off the skin, and consume raw, although the fruit can also be cooked.

Jabuticaba

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Similar in the look or size to a plum,  but with the flavor of a grape. This fruit-often called the Brazilian tree grape-is, due to its unique  or strange growing habits. When most fruits grows on a vine, Jabuticaba grows directly on the trunk and branches of the Jabuticaba tree. The fruit can be picked and eaten raw, made into jelly, or fermented to make wine.

Rambutan

Grows  Mainly in Malaysia, China, and Indonesia, as well as almost all of Southeast Asia. At first, it looks a bit like a small red hedgehog or an unripe chestnut, because it is encased in a spiky “shell”. It is not as dangerous as it appears because the “spikes” are actually soft hair. It is enough to cut it open to be able to taste the sweet, refreshing flesh. How does it taste? Some people compare its aroma to plum, although there are quite significant differences between them . It is extremely healthy; it contains many valuable minerals and vitamins.

Marang

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This cousin of durian and jackfruit grows mainly in the Philippines and Borneo. The difference is that inside it has white, not yellow tubers. It has a very intense smell that may be a deterrent at first but is not as intense as the durian smell. It is compared to the aroma of jackfruit mixed with pear and banana. Better to keep it open to the outside! It also has a sweet flavor and is very nutritious. You can raw. When it is ripe, you can open it with your fingers. Its seeds are roasted or boiled – they are a favorite snack among Filipinos, and they are a real vitamin bomb.

Rollinia Deliciosa /Birbia

Brazilian custard fruit. Like many other members of the custard-apple family, birbia does not look all that much like a fruit from the outside. The outside of the fruit is yellow as it ripens. However, the interior of the fruit is a different story, and tastes like a lemon meringue pie. The fruit does have an incredibly short shelf-life, which makes it extremely hard to find.

Ackee ( Blighia Sapida)

this fruit belongs to the soapberry fruit group. Species within this family include the tropical fruits lychee, longan, and guarana, and an additional 2000 others. It is a tricky fruit,  because if not eaten properly, the fruit can lead to vomiting, a coma or even death. The fruit itself are pods, grown in clusters, that ripen from green to red, and are harvested when the pod splits open.  Once open and mature, the seeds, numbering from three to five, are clearly visible.  The only edible part of the fruit is the yellow flesh that surrounds the seeds. This part can also only be eaten when the fruit has turned red and split open.

Grenadillo

Fruit native to the Andes Mountains, mainly Peru, including Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela. These are smooth, orange-yellow skinned fruits , where the outer shell is hard and slippery and has soft cushioning on the interior to protect the seeds. The seeds ( fully edible), which are hard and black, are surrounded by a gelatinous sphere of fragrant, pulpy flesh. The pulp is the edible part of the fruit and has a sweet soft taste. It is very aromatic and contains vitamins A, C, and K, phosphorus, iron, and calcium.  

Rose Apple

The rose apple does not look like a normal apple in the slightest, and its shape and size is more similar to a small pear. When ripe the skin is also much waxier than is normal for apples. Despite this, rose apples do tend to taste like normal apples and can be eaten in the same way. However, the seeds of the apple are inedible, so these need to be avoided or spat out when eating the fruit.

Longan

The fruit grows in southern China, Taiwan, the Indian Peninsula, Indochina, and Malaysia. It is called the dragon’s eye. And indeed, it looks a bit like them, because it has a yellow color, the shape of a ball, its flesh is transparent, jelly-like, and the stone is black. The taste of the longan is sweet and somewhat reminiscent of lychee. It contains a lot of vitamin C. Tear open the skin and remove the flesh. The rind and the stone are not suitable for consumption.

Genips (Spanish Lime, Limoncillo )

Native to Mexico, South and Central America, and the Caribbean. Know also under the name of: mamón or mamones. The fruit peel is smooth, green, and thin but leathery in texture  and frail. The edible portion of the fruit (pulp) is called an aril. It is tasty, pinkish to white to yellowish and translucent. The pulp is creamy,  tangy  sweet and attached to the large seed. Some fruit have two seeds. Fruit must be ripened on the tree for best flavor. It can be eaten fresh, or made into jams/jellies, and limoncello!

White Star Apple

Chrysophyllum albidum is generally found in tropical Africa. This dark yellowish fruit is abundant from December to April. If picked from the tree too early, it is sour and acidic, but when the fruits fall to the ground, it is ripe and sweet. The edible pulp surrounds five brown seeds arranged in the shape of a star. Locals split it open by squeezing, which exposes the pulp. The pulp is eaten as it is by chewing it slowly after the milky, sticky juice has dripped away. The juice can be fermented into wine or distilled into spirits.

 Guava

(Psidium guajava) Native to tropical America. The fruit is recognized by a sweet and slightly granular flesh. The whole fruit is edible and has fruity and somewhat floral flavor. Almost  like a cross between a strawberry and a pear. It is a great source of essential nutrients such as vitamin C, iron, calcium, and phosphorus. It can be consumed in a variety of ways – fresh, in salads or as a dessert, canned, or in the form of jellies, jams, or juices.

 Cocona

tropical fruit growing in South America and the Andean region. It is characterized by its thin, yet tough skin, and a tart, fruity flavor. Cocona’s flesh is remarkably similar to the tomato, and it is often used in the preparation of sauces, juices, ice creams, and desserts. The taste of it will resemble the tomato one, as well, with the difference of a hint of lime tartness.  The fruit is extraordinarily rich in vitamin B5 and iron, making it a healthy, yet flavorful and versatile ingredient for numerous culinary uses.

Salak ( snake fruit)

particularly common in Indonesia. The fruit is just about the size of a strawberry, but it has a complex taste. The taste is usually sweet and acidic, with a strong sharp punch. Its apple-like texture, with hint  that includes honey, citrus and pineapple , can vary from very dry and crumbly to moist and crunchy, almost spongy like. Despite this, it is a fruit that people quickly come to love, and it is easy to eat straight out of its rind

Jenipapo (Genipa)

this fruit belongs to the coffee family. Jenipapo look like a fig, but it is twice as big as one, and it tastes sweet but slightly acid. It smells and taste resemble overripe bananas. Jenipapo is widely used to produce delicious liquors, syrups, and juices. It smells a bit weird but is rich in vitamin C and B and iron, and calcium.

*Fun Fact: can be dried, then made into ink!

Abiu

(Pouteria Caimito)it is native to South Amazon region. It can be completely round. Alternately, it can be oval with a pointed ending. When the fruit becomes ripe, the skin becomes bright yellow.  It has 1 to 4 large seeds inside. This skin is not edible and, when chewed, produce a very sticky latex. Nevertheless, the fruit that is hidden inside the skin (that is the pulp) is the actual thing. It is white and translucent in color. The texture of the pulp is like that of a jelly, and surprise surprise, its taste is remarkably

similar to a  sweet caramel custard.

Pitanga /Surinam Cherry

south Brazilian berry, that is in fact resembles a cherry fruit. With very pleasant taste, ranging from sweet to sour, Pitanga is a versatile fruit. That is because it can be consumed raw or used to prepare pulps, juices, ice creams, popsicles, sweets, liqueurs, and even fermented. The fruit is also a rich source of vitamins C and A and the minerals calcium, iron, and phosphorus.

Santol

(Cotton Fruit)Highly unusual fruit that grows in the Southeast Asia. It has a very thick skin, with white segments of flesh inside. Grow to the size of softballs on the tree before turning yellow, orange, and finally a rusty, yellowish orange color when fully ripe. The surface of the Santol is similar to a peach. The fruit itself is a mixture of sweet and sour, which can be appealing to some and not to others. The pulp from the fruit sticks strongly to the seeds. You do need to be careful not to swallow the seeds in the process.

Buriti

(Mauritia flexuosa) the fruit grows on a palm tree in the tropical region of the Amazon. The skin, that is looks more like a reptile back, is highly textured and dark brown reddish. The taste of it  is similar to a mango, and the edible nut inside is the tree’s seed. Buriti is rich in vitamins A and C, the plant has been used to produce natural oils for skin.

 Ambarella

(June Plum) fruits are crisp with a mildly acidic, green flavor producing notes of pineapple and mango. The fruit may be eaten raw; The flesh is golden in color, very juicy, vaguely sweet, but with a hint of tart acidity. June Plums are a great source of Vitamin C and K. Unripe, they carry a good amount of protein. They are helpful for lowering high blood pressure.

Milk fruit

(Chrysophyllum caimito, Caimito) native to the Greater Antilles and the West Indies. The fruit exists in three colors, dark purple, greenish brown and yellow. The purple fruit has a denser skin and texture while the greenish brown fruit has a thin skin and a more liquid pulp; the yellow variety is less common and difficult to find. A star pattern is visible in the pulp. The skin and the rind are not edible. The flattened seeds are light brown and hard. A creamy white flesh lies beneath the skin. Fragrantly sweet white flesh, juicy and sweet,  (a little like congealed milk) are perhaps the reason for its name,  even though the skins of the young fruit oozes a milky sap when cut.

Loquat

(Japanese plum) Small round fruit that is grows on clusters,  resembles an apricot, and like an apricot, the yellow flesh of the fruit is the part that is eaten. It can varies in color from light yellow, to dark red.  The fruit is best if picked when the fruit is entirely yellow, but before it starts to go orange, as the yellow stage is where the flavor is the most intense. The fruit does have a very thin skin, and from 1 to 4 large dark brown seeds inside.

Lilly Pilly

(RiberryLily, PilySyzygium, Luehmannii) evergreen plant with dense and glossy leaves, grown throughout Australia as an ornament plant. There are more than fifty varieties of the plant, so the fruit can vary in size and color. Typically, it is a pear-shaped or spherical and ranges in color from magenta to light pink. It has a characteristic firm texture and a flavor of apples and pears; the fruit can be eaten straight from the tree, but is also easily incorporated in various desserts, or made into jellies and sauces. In New Zealand, lilly pilly is known as Monkey Apple.

Jamun/Jambula

tropical fruit It is also known as black plum, java plum and syzygium cumini. It is a berry with an oval shape, that is looks like Kalamata Olive.  The dark of the skin, is in a great contrast with the light pink or white flesh of the fruit. It is very juicy, and  it’s got a sweet and sour taste, with long lasting , lingering aftertaste in your mouth.  and is used for medicine in some of the  African countries.

 Pacay / Guama

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(Ice Cream Bean) extra-large bean pod looking fruit, with a sweet surprise hidden inside. White, cotton like  edible flesh, surrounding black shiny seeds.  The amazing thing about is, that is the fruit taste like vanilla ice cream. The black seeds are not edible when raw and must be cooked before consumption, developing a mild, nutty flavor.

Kiwano/African cucumber/horned melon

From the outside, the kiwano looks a little strange, out of the planet. Even though it is  actually grown in Southern Africa, California, and New Zealand.  The flesh itself actually  has a citrusy flavor, and tastes like a combination of kiwifruit, banana, and cucumber. Yellow, thick exterior encases a bright green, jelly-like fruit with edible seeds.  The pulp is also good as a garnish, in fruit salads or in drinks.

Babaco

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(Carica pentagona, Mountain Papaya) The fruit is pentagonal in shape, is giving it the scientific name.  Its fruit, which is yellow when ripe and shaped like a torpedo, is sometimes called Champagne Fruit for its refreshing, fizzy flesh. Some say it tastes like a cross between strawberry, papaya, and pineapple. The fruit’s skin is smooth and thin and when fully ripe will turn golden yellow in color. Its flesh is cotton-white, seedless, juicy, and melon-like in consistency

Bignay fruit/Queensland Cherry

(wild cherry, currant tree, mamao dong) A highly nutritious fruit growing on  of an evergreen tree found across Singapore and Malaysia. Its  fruits are small berries, in the size of a gooseberry,  that are sour and  very much cranberry-like when immature, but tart and sweet when ripe. Bignay is well known for its health benefits.

Bread fruit

An interesting thing about the breadfruit is that it can be  safely eaten different stages of its development.  When the fruit “ green” and unripe, it can be processed using all cooking methods ( fried, boiled, baked), when its fully mature, it can be eaten raw and has a sweet and creamy taste. Just like a combination of a chestnut and artichoke.  The raw fruit is a good option for desserts, but it  also makes a good substitute for most starchy vegetables, like potatoes, and mature breadfruit can actually replace them in many recipes.

Citron

it looks a lot like overgrown lemon with wrinkled ( less often smooth), thick skin  on the outside. The inside pulp accounts  takes only about 25% of the fruit, and its pretty dry,  and is acidic in flavor, slightly bitter. Because of its particular flavor, the citron is perfect both for adding to sweet juices as well as being paired with savory dishes. But the star of the dish is the skin. The thick rind, that is being use in many culinary ways: for jams or jellies, for pickling or marinating, and for cooking with savory meats.

Pindo palm/Pindo/Jelly palm

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Those small round fruits, grown on the palm trees, in large clusters. You can eat pindo fruit fresh off the tree, by chewing out all the juices from fibrous flesh. It is commonly  used it to make jellies and jams or ferment it into wine. It is said have an apricot-mango-peach-like base flavor. Some are more tart, almost lemony. Regardless of the flavor differences they are addictively  and uniquely sweet and tart  at the same time when fresh, and the cooked jams and preserves, together with the wine making, makes the fruit famous everywhere they are grown.

Nere/African Locust Bean/Dawadawa

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they are grown primarily for its pods that are full of sweetish pulp and seeds. Widespread in Africa. It has a pungent aroma which is not particularly attractive, but in a sauce or stew, the unmistakable umami flavor enhances the taste so much. The dried-up pods and seed have a lot of medicinal properties.

Buddha’s Hand

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Also known as the Fingered Citron, the Buddha’s Hand is one of the oldest citrus fruits. Sometimes described as a “ lemon  with fingers”  this strange looking citrus is treasured for its sweet floral fragrance and mild zest. Inside the fruit there is little to no flesh or juice––it is  basically rind and pith. Multiple different varieties of Buddha’s hand exist, often with variation in the way that the “fingers” are positioned:  close together , almost like a fist,  while in other varieties they are splayed out in an open hand pattern. The use of this fruit is largely ornamental. Nevertheless, the fruit can be eaten, and is sometimes used in desserts and in savory meals.

Atemoya

The atemoya is actually a hybrid of two different fruits: cherimoya and the sugar-apple. It is very juicy and smooth, tasting slightly sweet and a little tart, reminiscent of a piña colada. The taste also resembles vanilla from its sugar-apple parent. Many inedible, toxic, black seeds are found throughout the flesh of the atemoya. When ripe, the fruit can be scooped out of the shell and eaten chilled. While the flesh of the fruit is edible and delicious, the seeds are not safe to eat and should be avoided.

Canistel AKA Tiesa

Canistel is one of a few fruits in the world that is not juicy or particularly easy to eat. It is called “Egg Fruit” for a one specific reason. Its dry, chalky consistency resemble yolk of a hard-boiled egg.  At the same time, the taste of the fruit is reminiscent of a sweet potato, although it does tend to be a more intense flavor. When eating this fruit, you want to be sure that it is ripe.

Cucamelon

(Mexican sour gherkin or melothria scabra). It is a grape-sized fruit that grows on vines, just like grapes. It looks like a baby watermelon on the outside, with a surprising taste hidden on the inside.  It tastes like a cucumber, but a bit sweeter, with a hint of lime. You can eat them raw, straight from the garden, or pickled them as you will do with cucumbers.  

Gac /Baby Jackfruit

From the outside, gac does kind of look like a baby jackfruit, but visual appearance is where the similarity ends.  Bright orange, shiny spiky shell, is encasing the dark red edible center. The fruit has a noticeably short harvest season, making it a relatively rare food. The gac fruit has very mild flavor , similar to an avocado but slightly sweeter, it also comes with a refreshing aroma that can remind you of cucumbers. It does not taste bitter or sour. Because of its mild tastes, gac complements very well with other fruits.

Calamansi Lime

Often described as a mix between a lime and an orange. They have strong citrus fragrance and much more juice than typical limes. They still have that sour tartness of limes and they can be used in the same way as a lime. The limes are often green and tend to be relatively small. Nevertheless, the fruit can come in color variations, even with an orange  outer skin, causing some confusion.

Sapodilla (sapota, chikoo, naseberry, nispero,  naseberry)

The sapodilla is known for its unique  taste combination. It is said to taste like a mixture of root beer and brown sugar. Because of this, the fruit is commonly eaten as a sweet treat.  With its closed texture, and crispness, the texture of the fruit most closely resembles a pear, although botanically it is considered to be a berry.

Yangmei/Bayberry

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extremely common in China.  Popular for eating fresh and raw,  as well as used in creating alcoholic drinks. The flavor of yangmei is similar to strawberry and raspberry, but slightly more tart and with an herbal taste to it. There is a hard seed at the center that is about half the size of the berry. Bayberries are sweet and tart, with juicy pulp. The juice can stain hands and lips. Vendors often sell them in different stages of ripeness depending on what the buyer wants. Fruits with a deep, dark red color are sweeter and best eaten fresh.

 

Longan

Like the lychee, the longan comes from the soapberry family, although it is not as well known. The shell of the fruit is both firm and thin. This makes it easy to get the fruit out of the shell simply by cracking the shell apart. The fruit also has the name Dragon’s Eye, because of the way the fruit and its black seed resemble an eye when cut in half.

Wood Apple/Elephant Apple

(limonia acidissima)The wood apple seems to get its name from the extremely hard rind of the fruit. it looks like a rotten coconut on the outside, and on the inside, it does not get any prettier. Nor does it smell right – many refer to as a sort of mixed stench of rotten blue cheese with overripe bananas. It appears greenish brown in color from outside and contains sticky brown pulp and small white seeds.

Bael/Wood Apple

(Bengal quince, golden apple,  Japanese bitter orange, stone apple). The wood apple seems to get its name from the extremely hard rind of the fruit. it can grow  quite large, resembling a grapefruit or pomelo in size.  It is slightly pear-shaped with a thick, hard rind and does not split upon ripening. The woody shell is smooth and green, gray until it is fully ripe when it turns yellow. Inside are 8 to 20 sections filled with fragrant orange pulp. Each section with 6 to 15 flattened-oblong seeds.  It taste like citrusy marmalade and scent of roses.

Pulasan

This Malaysian native fruit is often mistaken with Rambutan. In contrast to it, the Pulasan seeds are fully edible, and it said  it has a similar taste to almonds. The flesh is extremely sweet and juicy, and separates easily from the seed, much more easily than the rambutan.

Platonia /Bacuri

With a spotty yellow-brown outer skin,  looking like bit up papaya, the Bacuri fruit is unlikely to win any beauty contests. Yet, under the blemish shin, it is  surprisingly tasty and achieves a good combination of both sweet and sour. The “Bacuri”  has  3 to 5 big seeds covered by a  sticky white pulp. It has unique flavor,   sweet and sour at the same time, and very fragrant, and is much appreciated for juices, ice creams, creams, and tarts in general. The fruit is largely eaten fresh, although are a few other uses, such as creating jams and jellies from the fruit.

Duku

is actually a member of the same species as the fruit langsat. However, the two are considered to be different cultivars. Species that fall under the duku variety tend to have thick bright green leaves with bunches that contain just a few fruit. The fruit themselves tend to be large and round with thick skin.

Safou/African Pear

The popular name used for this fruit is Butter fruit. This is the most distinctive features about safou,  its butter like texture when they are cooked. Safou fruit has a slippery consistency with a sour, mildly acidic, and tangy flavor when eaten raw and  fresh. The fruit also bears an aromatic fragrance similar to the scent of citrus. The fruit is high in calories and in fat, while it also contains a significant number of nutrients.

Miracle fruit

Surprisingly, the name is entirely accurate and fits perfectly. This extraordinary berry is significant because  it has glycoproteins, which will bind to the taste buds on the tongue. It means that, for about an hour after eating the berry, any other food you try will be distorted into having a sweet taste. This feature of the fruit can create whole new taste. For example, the lemon would taste sweet.

Quandong

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small Australian fruit with a bright red color. It slightly tart flavor that is often depicted as a cross between peach and apricot. Fruit pits at the center have an almond-like flavor and can be roasted or pressed for oil. It is recommended to use quandongs for the preparation of fruit jams, pies, or fruit purées.

Akebi

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Akebi has the appealing nickname of chocolate vine, which tends to get people’s attention relatively quickly, although the fruit certainly does not taste like chocolate. Instead, the pulp of the fruit is relatively mild and tends to have a very slight coconut flavor. The fruit has a noticeably short fruiting period. This means that it is not very widely available and can be difficult to find.

Pu Hala/Screwpine/Pandan

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you will be wondering if you are looking at a giant pinecone or a mutant pineapple. This unique fruit, from the Pandan fruit family,  is grown and eaten exclusively by Pacific Islanders. It is made up of dozens of segments, called keys or cones. The insides of each key are pulpy, while the green outer edge is so fibrous it can be used as dental floss. It has delicate, sweet taste. It is eaten fresh, boiled, or ground into a paste, or squeezed into juice.

Bergamot/Kaffir Lime

Citrus bergamia, the bergamot orange, is a fragrant citrus fruit the size of an orange, with a yellow or green color similar to a lime, depending on ripeness. The fruit is a cross between a lime and a sour orange. While  much too bitter to be eaten raw, Bergamots can be turned into jams or marmalades. Bergamot juice and zest can also add a bright flavor to custards, cookies, and other desserts.