Exotic fruits: names, photos and description

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

It's hard to find a person who doesn't like fruits. There is an opinion that you need to eat fruits that ripen in the places where a person grew up. However, it is difficult to resist the temptation to taste tropical fruits, whose names often sound like spells from a fairy tale. This article will tell you what exotic fruits you can try in certain countries and how they look.

Durian

For those who are interested in the fruits of Vietnam, the name Durian will surely be familiar. True, this fruit, which also grows in Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia and Cambodia, has a bad reputation. Its fruits have a heavenly taste and at the same time exude a terrifying, truly infernal smell of ammonium. It is so unpleasant that durian is forbidden to be transported as part of hand luggage on airplanes or brought with you to a hotel. This is indicated by signs that can be seen in the lobby of any Thai hotel. So durian, as they say, is an amateur fruit, especially sinceits appearance is not particularly attractive: it resembles an irregular oval in shape with sharp spines.

Those who have neither the name of the fruit nor its description and characteristics discouraged the desire to immediately try the overseas fruit should adhere to the following rules:

• Don't try to choose the product yourself. The attempt will usually fail and bring only disappointment.
• Trust the seller to be asked to cut the durian and pack it in transparent film.
• Before buying, check the flesh of the fruit by lightly pressing on it with your finger. Durian, suitable for food, should not be elastic.
• It is not recommended to consume the fruits of this fruit with alcohol, as it acts as a strong stimulant on the human body.

Mangosteen (or mangosteen)

The name of the fruit suggests its relationship with the well-known mango. However, in reality, they have nothing in common. Mangosteen has a thick purple peel and is decorated with a "flower" of 6-7 round leaves at the stalk. It has white tender flesh that resembles a peeled orange with six or more soft white slices.

You need to choose a mangosteen by color. The dark purple fruits are the tastiest. When pressed, they should not be too soft.

You can try mangosteen from mid-April to October. Its trees grow in Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Colombia, Panama andCosta Rica.

Jackfruit

Jackfruit (another name for the fruit is eve) is a large fruit with thick, spiked yellow-green skin. The jackfruit has soft yellow, sweet flesh with a duchesse pear flavor that goes with an unusual smell. The ripe fruit is ready to eat, while the unripe fruit is used to prepare various dishes, it is added to ice cream and fruit salads, and also served with coconut milk. Even jackfruit seeds are edible, which must first be boiled.

You can try this fruit from January to August in the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and other countries.

Lychee

Another name for an exotic fruit that is common in Thailand, Cambodia, Australia, Indonesia and China is the Chinese plum. In shape, it resembles a heart or a regular circle and grows in clusters. Under its bright red skin is a juicy white flesh with a sweet taste. From May to July, the fruit is eaten fresh and canned.

Noni

Cheese fruit (or pig apple) is found in Malaysia, Polynesia, Australia, as well as in Southeast Asia. Its fruits with translucent skin become yellow or whitish when ripe. Noni has a bitter taste and a pungent aroma that can induce vomiting. Nevertheless, it is very useful and widely used in traditional medicine.

Mango (Mango)

Unlike most other fruits in Thailand, the nameswhich our grandparents did not even hear, this fruit was known to the inhabitants of the USSR. True, few people saw it with their own eyes, but it was still possible to buy juice in jars in large cities.

Mango is one of the most popular tropical fruits worldwide. It has large fruits of elongated, ovoid or spherical shape with yellow or orange, juicy and sweet pulp. The smell of mango, depending on the variety, can resemble the aroma of melon, apricot, lemon and even rose. By the way, this fruit is used not only as a dessert. Unripe fruits can be used raw in salads. They are also eaten sprinkled with s alt and black pepper. Before eating, the mango skin must be removed with a sharp knife.

You can taste the fruit in many countries. Considered to be the tastiest mango in Thailand, where it ripens in the spring. In Vietnam, its fresh fruits appear on the shelves in the winter, and in Indonesia, the harvest is harvested from September to December. An abundance of mangoes can also be seen in peasant markets in the Philippines, India, Myanmar, China, Pakistan, Mexico, Brazil and Cuba.

Kiwi

The fruit got its name because of its resemblance to the bird of the same name, which is the national symbol of New Zealand. However, the kiwi is originally from China, although today it is also successfully grown in Italy, Chile, New Zealand and Greece.

The presence of this fruit in the list of tropical fruits of our planet is somewhat arbitrary, since in fact it is a large berry. The taste of kiwi resembles a kind of mix of strawberries, gooseberries, bananas, apples, melons, cherries and pineapples. The fruits are eaten fresh. However, they can also be used to make jam, make jelly, or include in salads. There are also many kiwi drink recipes. Many will be surprised, but the peel of this berry is considered edible. Moreover, it is high in antioxidants and has antiseptic properties.

Papaya

In any list with names and photos of exotic fruits, this fruit, which grows in India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Bali, Indonesia, the Philippines, Mexico, Brazil and Colombia, is always present.

It tastes like a cross between pumpkin and melon. Papaya fruits are quite large, up to 20 cm long, with a yellow-green peel. Ripe fruit has an unusually tender pulp, the use of which helps with digestive problems. Unripe fruits are added to the traditional Thai salad som tam. In addition, they are fried and stewed with meat.

Longan

Among the names of the fruits of Thailand (photos of exotic fruits are presented in the article) there are absolutely fabulous ones. For example, in this country grows a fruit called "dragon's eye". True, more often the words longan or lam-yai are used to designate it. At the same time, it looks very unsightly and looks like a small potato. Longan has a sweet, juicy and high-calorie fruit. Under the light brown skin is a transparent white or pinkish pulp, which resembles jelly in consistency. In the core is a large black bone. Fruit is good for he alth. However, more than one fruit per day is not recommended,as this may cause an increase in body temperature.

Besides Thailand, longan grows in Vietnam, China and Cambodia. You can taste the freshly harvested crop from mid-June to October.

Rambutan

In Thailand, the fruit called Rambutan is one of the most famous. It is distinguished by "increased hairiness", and under the red skin is a white translucent pulp with a sweet taste. To “open” the fruit, you need to “twist” the rambutan in the middle. It can be eaten raw or canned with sugar. Be aware that raw rambutan seeds are poisonous, but you can eat them roasted without any worries. It is best to choose the pinkest fruits for eating.

Try rambutan from mid-April to October in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, India, parts of Colombia, Cuba and Ecuador.

Pomelo

This exotic fruit has more names than others. This is pompelmus, and Chinese grapefruit, and sheddock, and so on. For those who love citrus fruits, the list of pomelo names can come in handy when traveling to Malaysia, China, Japan, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Tahiti, Israel and the United States.

The fruit looks like a very large grapefruit with pink, white or yellow flesh that is much sweeter and more aromatic. Pomelo is widely used in cooking and cosmetology. It is recommended to choose fruits with the strongest aroma, as they have a more concentratedtaste.

Citron

Another name for this fruit is Buddha's hand. However, behind such a mysterious " title" nothing interesting is hidden. The citron has oblong fruits, almost entirely consisting of a peel. They taste like lemon and exude the aroma of violets. Raw citron, which grows in China, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and India, is practically not used. It is usually used to make jellies, compotes and candied fruits.

Jaboticaba

The Brazilian grape tree grows in most of South America. Its fruits resemble currant berries, collected in clusters. Jaboticaba skin is bitter, so it is removed. The pulp is used for food, from which jelly and marmalade are prepared.

Pitaya

The names of Vietnamese fruits, photos of which are surprising to residents of northern latitudes, are often hard to remember, so they have more familiar European counterparts. For example, pitaya is often referred to as dragon fruit or dragon fruit. The fruits are very beautiful in appearance. They are bright pink in color and about the size of a large apple. Pitaya peel is covered with large scales with a green edge. Under it is a dense white, red or purple flesh with a large number of small seeds. Pitaya is eaten raw and in smoothies along with lime.

It grows not only in Vietnam, but also in Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, China, Taiwan, some regions of Japan, the USA, Australia and Israel.

Carambola

If you are interested in the most unusu altropical fruits, the photo and name of this fruit will surely not leave you indifferent. Carambola, or "tropical star", has a very beautiful shape when cut. The fruit itself is colored yellow or green, has a slight floral aroma and not very sweet taste. Unripe carambolas contain a lot of vitamin C. The fruits are consumed without peeling, both raw and as part of salads and in cocktails

Carambolas grow all year round in Borneo, Thailand and Indonesia.

Guava

The name and photo of the fruit in our country met relatively recently. Guava, which grows in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Egypt and Tunisia, is a round, pear-shaped or oblong fruit 4 to 15 cm long. It has white flesh and yellow, hard, edible seeds. When ripe, the guava fruit turns yellow. It is recommended to eat it with the peel to improve digestion and stimulate the heart. Unripe fruits are eaten with hot spices and s alt.

Sapodilla

Like many other tropical fruits, photos and names of which you already know, this fruit grows in Vietnam and Thailand. In addition, sapodilla is bred in the Philippines, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and the USA. In appearance, the fruit resembles a kiwi or a plum. A ripe sapodilla has a milky-caramel taste, but its flesh can "knit" like a persimmon. Usually, the ripe fruit is used for salads and desserts, while the unripe fruit is widely used in Thai folk medicine and cosmetology.

Sugar apple

Tropical fruits (see photos with names and descriptions of some of them above) do not always look appetizing. For example, the sugar apple, which is common in Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Australia, and the southern regions of China, is an unsightly, pale green fruit covered with a marsh-green bumpy skin. Underneath lies a pulp with fairly large pits and a faint coniferous aroma. Ripe sugar apple fruits are moderately soft to the touch. In cooking, the fruit, which is harvested from June to September, is used in the preparation of Thai ice cream.

Chompu

Some names of fruits (see photo in the article) growing in the tropics are practically unknown to ordinary inhabitants of the northern latitudes. For example, many have never heard of chompa. The fruit is also called rose apple or Malabar plum. In shape, it resembles a sweet pepper of pink or light green color. Chompoo has white, firm, pitted flesh. There is no need to peel the fruit. Though slightly sweeter than many tropical fruits, chompoo is an excellent thirst quencher when chilled.

Aki

If before we looked at Thai fruits (the names and photos of some of them you already know), now let's talk about the fruits that grow in Jamaica, Hawaii, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Australia. Among them is aki. This fruit is pear-shaped and covered with an orange or reddish-yellow skin. After Akifully ripe, it bursts. In this case, the outside is creamy pulp, in which there are large glossy seeds.

When unripe, ackee is considered the most dangerous exotic fruit in the world. Its green fruits are poisonous and contain a high concentration of toxins.

Aki can only be eaten when boiled. Moreover, they need to be boiled for a long time in order to destroy the poisons contained in them. Aki tastes similar to walnuts. In African countries, the peel of its unripe fruit is used in the manufacture of soap, and fish are caught for the pulp.

Ambarella

This fruit, common in Indonesia, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Fiji, Australia, Jamaica, Venezuela, Brazil and Suriname, is known as the Cithera apple. It has golden oval fruits, collected in clusters, with crisp, juicy, yellow flesh and pits with thorns. Ambarella tastes like a cross between mango and pineapple. Ripe fruits are consumed both raw and canned. When unripe, they are used as a garnish and added to soups.

Salak

The fruit, also known as "snake fruit", grows in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia all year round. It has round or oblong fruits that are red and brown in color and grow in clusters. The rind of the herring is covered with small spines. It is easily removed with a knife. Inside, the fruit is divided into three sweet segments with a rich sweet and sour taste reminiscent of a persimmon or pear.

Bail

The fruit is also knownas a tree or stone apple, as well as Bengal quince. When ripe, the gray-green fruit of the bail becomes brown or yellow. It has a dense peel, reminiscent of a nut, which cannot be reached without a hammer. As a rule, bail is sold already in a purified form. The pulp of the fruit is yellow, divided into segments, and it contains fleecy seeds. Bail is eaten dried or fresh. Tea and sharbat are prepared from the pulp of the fruit.

You can try bail from late autumn to December in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand.

Bam Balan

If a list of names of fruits with the most unusual taste were compiled, then bam-balan would take first place in it. The fact is that to taste it may well replace … borscht with sour cream. The bam-balan fruit, which grows only on the island of Borneo, has an oval shape, and to get to the pulp of the fruit, you just need to remove the skin from it.

Pepino

Strictly speaking, this is not a fruit, but a berry, just a very large one that grows all year round in Chile, New Zealand, Peru, Turkey, Egypt, Cyprus and Indonesia. It has a variety of fruits of different shapes, sizes and colors. Some of them are bright yellow in color. Pepino pulp tastes like pumpkin, melon and cucumber. It is very difficult to choose a fruit for eating raw. It is unlikely that anyone would want to eat both overripe and unripe pepino.

Kivano

This fruit, which is also called African or horned cucumber, to tastereminiscent of banana, melon, kiwi and avocado. When ripe, the shell of the oblong fruit of the kiwano is covered with yellow spikes, and its flesh becomes a rich green color. The fruit is cut like a watermelon. It is pickled and also added to sweet and spicy dishes.

Tamarind

In the list of names of citrus fruits, as well as any other, you will not find this fruit. The fact is that it belongs to the legume family, but is used as a fruit. It has curved fruits up to 15 cm long. They have a brown skin and sweet and sour flesh.

Tamarind is used as a spice. In particular, they are seasoned with the famous Worcestershire sauce, and are also used in the preparation of desserts, snacks and various drinks.

You can taste tamarind from mid-autumn to February in Thailand, Australia, Sudan, Venezuela, Cameroon, Oman, Colombia and Panama.

Magic Fruit

The fruits, which are also known as sweetish puteria, are outwardly unremarkable. However, this fruit is a big deceiver. If you eat such a fruit, then within an hour, any product that you try will seem sweet. The only exceptions are sweets, which seem tasteless. The trick lies in the miraculin protein contained in the fruits of the magical fruit, which "deceives" the human taste buds.

Marula

This fruit can only be tasted in Africa, and only if you are lucky to be in Mauritius, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Botswana and some other countriesSouth Africa in the days of its maturation. The fact is that immediately after this, the yellow fruits of marula, resembling a plum, begin to ferment. As a result, they form something like a low-alcohol drink that elephants adore. Ripe marula fruits are yellow in color and resemble plums in appearance. The flesh is white, with a hard bone. Until the fermentation process begins, marula has a pleasant aroma and unsweetened taste.

Kumquat

This fruit is also known as Japanese orange or fortunella. It has small, whole edible fruits. Outwardly, they resemble small oranges with a very thin skin. The taste of kumquat, which grows in the south of China, in Japan, in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Greece (Corfu) and the USA, is pleasantly sour, and by smell it can be confused with lime. The kumquat is harvested from May to June, but it can be found on sale all year round, as it is easy to store, providing the appropriate temperature conditions.

Mameya

Small, round fruits of this fruit taste like apricots. Inside is orange pulp, which is widely used in the preparation of desserts and confectionery. Mameya is also preserved, and jelly can be made from its unripe fruits. The fruit can be tasted in Latin America, the Antilles, Florida, Hawaii and Southeast Asia.

Naranjilla

The fruit, also known as the golden fruit of the Andes, looks like a hairy tomato. To the taste of naranjillareminiscent of strawberries and pineapple. Its juice, along with the pulp, is added to fruit salads, ice cream and other desserts and cocktails.

Now you know the most popular tropical fruits, including citrus fruits. The list with names and photos presented above, of course, is not complete. However, we hope that this information will help you not to get into trouble when you find yourself in hot countries, where you can find fruits of unprecedented shape and taste on the shelves of the markets.