What is the orange fruit called? exotic fruits of thailand

Fruits and vegetables in Thailand are very diverse. Below we have collected for you what you should definitely try while in the land of smiles.

Fruit in Thailand

1. Durian

Durian (Thai name - durian) is the undisputed leader of our list. The fruit is pale green-yellow in color with a shell-like skin. Weight from 2 to 5 kg. Durian has a very unpleasant smell and an excellent sweet-creamy taste. Durian is eaten raw, while the seeds are roasted and eaten instead of nuts. Keeping at home or in a hotel, as well as transporting, is not recommended due to the smell. In many hotels, hospitals, shopping centers and other public places, you can find special signs reminding you that it is forbidden to bring durian into the room. The Thais themselves speak of durian as "a fruit with the taste of heaven and the smell of hell."

Do not try durian - vacation in vain))

2. Mango

Mango (Thai name - mamuang) - outwardly yellow, green or reddish oblong fruit, outwardly a bit like a melon. Inside, juicy yellow-orange or green flesh with a sweet and sour taste.

In my opinion, the most delicious mango is green on the outside and yellow on the inside.

3. Dragon fruit

Pitaya or pitahaya ("dragon fruit", dragon's eye) (Thai name - geow mangon). Bright pink or yellow fruits with sparse green scales. Inside, white or red flesh with small black seeds.

4. Guava

Guava (Thai name - farang) - fruits of light green color, outwardly resemble an apple. Rough skin outside. The flesh is white or red, crisp like an apple, with many small seeds.

5. Papaya

Papaya (papaya) (Thai name - malakor) - pear-shaped fruits, green or yellow. The flesh is orange or bright pink. Papaya is eaten both as a vegetable and as a fruit, depending on the degree of ripeness. Thais love to cook their famous “papaya salad” from papaya.

6. Mangosteen

Mangosteen (mangosteen) (Thai name - mangkhud) - a small fruit that looks like an apple with a brown or purple skin. Sweet. Tastes like grapefruit.

7. Lychee

Lychee (Thai name - linchi) - fruits the size of a small plum, with a scaly pink peel. Inside is a white pulp that is eaten and an inedible pit. It tastes like grapes.

8. Sapodilla

Sapodilla (Thai name - la moot) - a yellow-brown fruit, similar to kiwi. Crispy flesh with a creamy caramel flavor and a few hard pits. It tastes like persimmon.

9. Passion fruit

Passion fruit is a purplish-purple or golden fruit, about the size of a small grapefruit. Under the peel are the bones in a juicy sweet shell. It turns out a very tasty cocktail: soda, passion fruit and sugar syrup.))

10. Longan

Longan (Thai name - lamyai) - small fruits of light brown color, resembling walnuts in appearance. Inside is a transparent white pulp and a hard bone.

11. Jackfruit

Jackfruit (Indian breadfruit, eve) is a large fruit with thick, spiky, yellow-green skin. It looks like a durian, but its "thorns" are smaller. The pulp is yellow, sweet, with an unusual smell and taste of a Duchesse pear. The segments are separated from each other and sold in bags. The ripened pulp is eaten fresh, the unripened is cooked. Jackfruit is mixed with other fruits, added to ice cream, coconut milk. The seeds are edible when boiled.

12. Pineapple

Pineapple (Thai name - sapa rot). Thailand's pineapples are considered among the best in the world. There are about 80 varieties of this fruit. Its taste is rich - from sweet and sour to honey. The smell of ripe pineapple is pleasant and slightly sweet. When choosing a pineapple, pay attention to its texture: it should be slightly crumpled under your fingers, but not too soft or, conversely, too hard. In Thailand, mini pineapple, or as it is called "royal pineapple", is also very popular.

13. Coconut

Coconut (Thai name - ma phrao). Season: all year round. If not for these fruits, Thai cuisine would be just a combination of Chinese and Indian. They are added to rice and eaten fresh. Most soups are cooked with coconut milk. Coconuts in syrup are offered as a dessert. The markets sell coconut milk right in the fruit. Be prepared for the fact that coconuts in Thailand are not the coconuts we are used to seeing in bounty ads. They are green and big. But, there is another type - small light brown.

14. Langsat

Langsat (Thai name - lang sat). Season: July to October. This fruit is almost unknown outside the country, but is very popular in Thailand itself. Its grayish flesh has both a sweet and sour taste. Langsat seeds are bitter, so the fruit should be eaten with care. Do not confuse with longan.

15. Pomelo

Pomelo (Thai name - som oh). Season: from August to November. It tastes like grapefruit, but more sweet than sour. In addition, the pomelo is much larger in size. The flesh is reddish, pale yellow and orange.

16. Rambutan

Rambutan (Thai name - ngaw). Season: all year round, peak - from May to September. One of the most noticeable and delicious exclusively Thai fruits. Bright red fruits with pale green bristles taste vaguely reminiscent of grapes, only sweeter. Rambutan grows in the central and southern provinces (Chanthaburi, Pattaya region, Suratthani).

17. Rose apple

Rose apple (Thai name - chom poo). Season: all year round. There are two varieties of this fruit: one is really pink, the other is green. To taste, the fruits are similar to ordinary apples, only a little more sour. The most beautiful rose apples appear on the markets during the cool season - from November to March.

18. Salak

Salak, snake fruit (Thai name - la kham). The scaly fruits are burgundy-brown in color, the shape is oval and slightly elongated, reminiscent of a drop of water. The peel is thin and fairly easy to remove, but when peeling the fruit, you need to be careful: it is covered with small soft spikes. The flesh of the herring is yellowish-white.

19. Sugar apple

Sugar apple (Thai name - noi naa). Season: June to September. Under the bumpy green skin lies a sweet and fragrant milky flesh. If the fruit is ripe enough, you can eat it with a spoon. By the way, the basis of the special ice cream served in Thai restaurants is the sugar apple. The fruit loves a hot and humid climate, so it is grown mainly in the south of the country.

20. Carambola

Carambola (Thai name - ma feung). Season: October to December. Fruits are yellow or green, oblong. Cut across have the shape of a five-pointed star. Because of this, they have a second name - star fruit, or "star fruit". Ripe fruits are very juicy. The taste is pleasant, with floral notes, not very sweet. Unripe fruits are quite sour. They contain a lot of vitamin C. The fruit is mainly used for making salads, sauces, juices and soft drinks.

21. Tamarind

Tamarind (Thai name - makham thad). Season: December to March. Tamarind is a sour fruit, but a sweet variety grows in Thailand. Thais usually boil the fruit in water to get a refreshing drink.

22. Watermelon

Watermelon (Thai name - Taeng Mo). Season: all year round. Peak season: October-March. Appearance: Watermelons are small in size, with red or yellow flesh. Yellow ones are more expensive, because in Thailand it is the color of wealth. Taste: Sugar-sweet common to watermelon, refreshing in both varieties. Significantly sweeter than Astrakhan. Consumption: Necks, smoothies and fresh watermelon juice are popular. Used for figured fruit carving.

23. Banana

Banana - (Thai name - Kluai). Season: all year round. Appearance: yellow or green. Taste: very sweet, the smaller the size and thinner the skin, the tastier, but these are not stored. Long ones are stored better, they cost more. Very nutritious, they are eaten unripe with spices, semi-ripe dried in the sun, ripened deep-fried, boiled in coconut milk or syrup, the flowers are used in cooking various dishes.

24. Mandarin

Mandarin (Thai name - Som). Season: all year round. Peak season September-February. Appearance. Smaller than European varieties, with a thinner, greenish-yellow skin. Taste: sweet with slight sourness, very juicy. Compared to European varieties, not so bright taste. Consumption: In Thailand, they are mainly juiced and sold everywhere on stalls on the streets.

Fruits in Thailand by seasons.

It is strange why in Spain I did not try this fruit. Apparently, I was confused by the name - nisperos. I didn’t know the translation, and there was no one nearby to tell me what kind of exotic it was.

This time I bought and tried. And I was not disappointed - tasty, juicy, refreshing. Fragrant and fleshy fruits caused an explosion of taste sensations. In surprise, I even coughed, as the juice jumped out of the fruit in splashes, like from a bottle of gas. Now I will not miss the opportunity to regale myself with a fruit that is open to me. So, live a century - and you will not try everything.

Nisperoc ( Nisperos) in Spanish (stress on the first syllable) or japanese loquat is an Asian fruit that has existed on earth for several millennia. The birthplace of this tree is China, its subtropical regions. The medlar has taken root well in Japan and hence its name.

Until the 19th century, medlar did not grow in Spain and other Mediterranean countries. It was brought to Spain by sailors about two thousand years ago. The warm coastal regions of the Mediterranean Sea are ideal for the delicate tree, which grows in the same place as citrus trees.

There are many varieties of medlar, each of which has some differences. As a rule, it has a pear-shaped fruit up to 8 cm in diameter, with a smooth skin from yellow-orange to dark orange. It has soft yellow very juicy flesh with a sweet and sour taste, similar to the taste of a mixture of apricot, apple, plum. In appearance, the medlar is very similar to an apricot.

The fruit contains 2-4 large seeds that can be dried, roasted, ground and brewed like coffee for cores. It is better not to eat raw bones, as they contain a small amount of toxic substances. But a decoction of the seeds can be used to treat the gastrointestinal tract.

In Spain, 2 varieties are most commonArgelino and Tanaka. The flowering of the evergreen tree begins in autumn, and the crop ripens from May to June. The flowers are reminiscent of the scent of almonds.

The fruits are consumed raw. Can be served with cheese or cold meat, jamon. And those with a sweet tooth can experiment by combining nisperos with bananas, ice cream, yogurt. Due to the high content of pectin, medlar is especially suitable for making jam or jam, you can make juice, compote, sauce.

This low-calorie product, containing a lot of carbohydrates and fiber, is a storehouse of vitamins and minerals. It contains carotene, vitamin C and B vitamins. And the amount of minerals is too tired to list: selenium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, iodine, zinc, calcium, sodium - and that's not all.

Therefore, this amazing fruit can be safely used for weight loss and treatment of the urinary tract, to relieve pain in kidney stones, to normalize bowel function, to cleanse the liver and blood vessels from toxins and toxins, to reduce sugar. Medlar helps control blood cholesterol and blood pressure.

But you should not forget that you need to follow the measure when dieting: a fasting day can only be 1 time per week and eat no more 1 kg per day. In case of bronchial asthma and respiratory diseases, an alcohol tincture is prepared from the pulp of the fruit along with the seeds. Grind 5 pieces of medlar, add 2 tablespoons of honey and 100 ml of alcohol or vodka. Mix everything and insist in a dark place for a week. Take 30 g after straining 3 times a day before meals. Cough relief comes, sputum is removed from the lungs and the general condition improves. Fans of exotic plants have learned to grow medlar from seeds and admire it as an ornamental bush, and even harvest a small crop in 5 years at home. There is a Spanish site for lovers of this fruit http://www.nisperosruchey.com/

Almost two-thirds of the list of the most amazing tropical fruits on the planet is occupied by the fruits of Thailand. The rating includes little-known fruits with unique qualities and properties.

One could safely add some valuable and interesting fruits of Thailand to this fruit series, for example, the list did not include durian - a very capricious and ambiguous fruit or jackfruit - the largest fruit in the world that gave its taste and aroma to Juicyfruit chewing gum.

The list includes the least known, because the mysterious and amazing tropical fruits, the taste of which, in appearance, is very difficult to predict.

Its historical homeland is tropical America. It is widely grown in Pakistan, India and the Philippines.

Sugar apple is a permanent resident of the trading counters in Thailand. The fruit looks like a huge cone, about 10 cm in diameter. Under the tough, always green skin, there is a fragrant tender pulp with several seeds inside.

Uniqueness - sugar apple has a delicate aroma and taste of custard. After cutting it in half, pour coconut milk and refrigerate. It turns out excellent ice cream, exclusively from natural ingredients.

The evergreen sapodilla tree considers the countries of Southeast Asia, West Africa and South America to be its home. Found in Florida and Hawaii.

In fact, sapodila is a berry that can be up to 20 cm in diameter. A dense skin with soft orange or dark yellow flesh inside. It has from one to four large bones. Very tasty and sweet fruit of Thailand.

18 Cream apple

A cream apple is very similar to a sugar apple in both shape and color.

Many consider this one fruit with different varieties, connoisseurs say that these are two completely different tropical fruits, and here's why:

Cherimoya fruits are irregularly round in shape and have three types of skin from sharp, pronounced bumps to a smoother skin of light yellow or reddish color.

The flesh of the cream apple is white, juicy, reminiscent of cream, combines the taste of banana, passion fruit, papaya and pineapple. One of the most delicious fruits in the world.

Santol is one of the favorite fruits of Thailand among local children, in Southeast Asia it is called "fruit on a stick".

Ranging in size from orange to pamelo and similar in appearance to the popular citrus, but with thicker, darker colored skins.

Inside are several sweet and sour white segments with a pleasant aroma. Santol bones have sharp edges in autumn, so they should not be swallowed in any case.

The fruits of this tropical fruit can be found in the mountainous regions of South America.

The cocoon grows on a small shrub and can miraculously grow from fruit seeds in 9 months and it will take another 2 months for the fruits of the new bush to ripen.

The fruit is a red, orange or yellow berry, similar in appearance to a tomato, and is said to taste like a mixture of tomato and lemon.

A huge tree of the mulberry family, grows in India, the Philippines, Thailand and all the islands of Southeast Asia.

Ripe fruits taste soft and sweet, similar to bananas, unripe hard and starchy.

Various dishes are prepared from immature fruits, and when cooked, the fruits acquire the taste of freshly baked bread. Therefore, one of the versions of the name is breadfruit.

Another version is less romantic. Breadfruit is nutritious and is the main dish for low-income residents of India and some countries and islands of Southeast Asia.

Two more tropical top fruits of Thailand, included in the rating of "the most amazing fruits of the planet." Langsat and longan are completely similar fruits in appearance to berries that grow throughout Southeast Asia.

The size of walnuts. Langsat berries grow, as if sticking around a twig, like sea buckthorn.

Inside the langsat fruit are five segments, some have bitter seeds inside that taste like pamelo. Pamelo in miniature.

The rind of langsat contains a latex substance that holds the flesh together, making it harder to peel than longan, which does not contain latex.

Each fruit grows on its own branch, attaching to a larger branch, so it is sold in bunches. Has one bone in the center.

Longan is sweet and tastes like grapes.

They are canned, dried and dried like raisins. Thailand is the world's largest producer of langsat. It is cultivated and new varieties are being developed. Langsat grown in Thailand is the most delicious in the world.

13 African pears

African pears are the fruit of an evergreen tree found in the tropical rainforests of Africa. Sappho grows as far south as Angola and as far north as Nigeria.

Fruits are dark blue to purple oblong to 14 cm long with pale green flesh inside. These are fatty fruits, and according to scientists, African pears can end hunger in Africa.

The fruit contains 48% essential fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins and triglycerides.

It is estimated that one hectare of an African pear plantation can produce 7-8 tons of oil, with all parts of the plant being usable.

A very strange plant from the southeastern part of Brazil.

What makes it amazing is that fruits grow from its trunk.

Initially, yellowish-white flowers appear all over the trunk and at the base of the branches, then they grow into fruits 3-4 cm in diameter. Under the dark purple skin is yellow flesh with 1-4 black seeds.

Brazilian grapes are sweet. They are eaten fresh, wine and liquor are prepared.

The fruits do not persist for a long time, 3-4 days after harvest, they begin to ferment.

The most popular exotic fruit of Thailand and Southeast Asia, this is his homeland.

The unusual peel of the fruit adds exoticism to the fruit, the consistency of the pulp is like that of a grape with a stone inside. The taste of rambutans is sweet and juicy.

Rambutan fruits are oval in shape and about 3-6 cm in diameter. It is not difficult to peel if you cut the peel in a circle.

Noni, the fruit of Thailand, is otherwise known by various names around the world - great moringa, cheese tree, Indian mulberry, dog dumplings and tempo.

All coffee trees are related to him, all of Southeast Asia and Australia are his home.

The tree bears fruit all year round. Its fruits have a pungent odor. Despite the strong and slightly pleasant smell, the fruits are rich in vitamins, proteins, iron, calcium and high in fiber.

Noni is added to stews or eaten raw with salt. Popular and probably very useful noni juice.

It tones up, fights excess weight and helps, as the manufacturers say, from many ailments. In many Pacific Islands, noni is a staple food and medicinal plant.

Marula grows on deciduous trees in South and East Africa.

The trees spread across the continent, following the roads of the Bantu people, for whom it is the main source of food.

The Bantu people planted trees all along their path. Green fruits turn yellow and become ripe. Marula has white, juicy flesh with an excellent aroma.

As they fall from the trees, no fruits begin to ferment and provide a little alcoholic pleasure to the elephants and baboons.

Marula is used to make the popular Amarula liqueur, which is sold at all Duty Free airports around the world.

The homeland of beautiful berries is the western coast of North America, stretching halfway from Alaska to California. They are found in moist forests and form dense thickets. The berries are similar to raspberries, but bright orange, salmon. They are sweet when eaten raw. Juice, wine, jams and marmalade are prepared from them.

Salak, also known as snake fruit.

It comes from a species of palm trees native to Indonesia.

These fruits grow at the base of palm leaves and get their name from their red-brown scaly skin.

It is easily removed and inside there are three white, sweet segments, each of them has a black inedible bone. The fruits have a sweet and sour taste and texture similar to those of apples.

6 Bale

An amazing tropical bale fruit, it can be found in all stores and souvenir shops in Thailand.

Bale is surrounded by many ancient legends. The fruit has many names - golden apple, stone apple.

The peel of the bale is colored yellow, green, gray and is so strong that you need to use a hammer or a saw to open the fruit.

Inside, fragrant yellow flesh with fluffy seeds. The pulp can be eaten fresh or dried.

Sherbet is made from the juice of fresh fruits - water, sugar and lemon juice are added to the hole in the peel.

From the largest fruit, you can get 6 liters of sherbet. An amazing fruit that grows as a dried fruit.

Dragon fruit or dragon fruit is a cactus fruit - a beautiful and bright representative of the amazing fruits of the planet and a popular fruit of Thailand, which can be tasted in the Land of Smiles all year round.

It grows throughout Asia, Australia, North and South America, although originally, its homeland is Mexico.

There are two main types of dragon fruit - sour, which is popular in America, and sweet, popular in Asia.

Dragonfruit has three varieties that differ in color: red, yellow, and Costa Rica. "Red" fruits - with bright crimson skin and light, white flesh, yellow pitahaya with bright yellow skin and light, creamy flesh, Costa Rica pitaya with purple skin and purple flesh.

Dragonfruits are juicy, slightly sweet with a slight pleasant aroma.

1 Miracle Berries

A very strange berry native to West Africa.

What makes the fruit weird, wonderful and wonderful is miraculin (a sugar substitute) which is found in high amounts in the fruit combined with a glycoprotein.

The fruit itself does not contain much sugar, its taste is only slightly sweet, but an hour after eating the wonderful berries, when the glycoprotein acts on the taste buds of the tongue, the taste of any product is distorted, turning into sweetness.

For a practical study, you can eat a lemon after the wonderful berries to taste the sweet syrup.

Certain reasons for this phenomenon are not fully understood, it would seem how miraculin can distort the perception of receptors on the tongue so that they perceive acid for sweetness.

In the 70s, attempts were made to sell the wonderful fruits as dietary products in the fight against diabetes and excess weight.

But they were unsuccessful when the FDA declared them a dietary supplement under pressure from the sugar companies, who had foreseen the losses.

In the past two years, the berry has been gaining popularity again, becoming a guest star at many parties in the United States.

Guests are invited to taste the wonderful sweet berries first, and then all kinds of common foods to experience new taste sensations with each bite.

How amazing and diverse our world is. It's a shame that you won't have time to go around and learn a lot, and you won't even get a bite :-(

Bananas, oranges, kiwis and pineapples no longer seem like exotic foods to us. They are exported all over the world and are included in the diet of almost every fruit lover. But there is a wider list of tropical goodies that are rarely found in our supermarkets.

Below is a list of exotic fruits that you would definitely like to try.

1. Kiwano melon

Kiwano melon is perhaps the most beautiful tropical exotic fruit(Cucumis metuliferus) This exotic is also called African horned cucumber, Antillean cucumber, horned melon, anguria. Homeland melon Kiwano African continent. The exotic Kiwano fruit is cultivated in New Zealand, California, in the semi-arid regions of southern and central Africa.

The taste of the fruit of medium maturity is fresh, lemon-cucumber. Ripens well at room temperature. Ripe and overripe Antillean cucumber combines the taste of melon, cucumber, banana. Exotics are not peeled from the crust; cut into slices along or across and suck out the juicy pulp along with immature seeds. The pulp of the Antillean cucumber is saturated with B vitamins, vitamin C. Kivano melon refreshes, has a tonic effect. The wild fruits of the horned cucumber are bitter because they contain saponin.

An exotic fruit is used in the design of cocktails, desserts, cakes. Drops-capsules can float freely on the surface of the drink. If you cut the exotic horned fruit across, you get a decorative cup, the contents of which are supplemented with whipped cream, cookies, pieces of ripe mango ... Kiwano Melon fruit is 12 cm long, weighs 300 gr.

2. Romanescu, or Romanesque broccoli, cauliflower

Romanescu is a close relative of broccoli and cauliflower. If you love cabbage, then you will surely enjoy this fantastic vegetable. In addition, this amazing vegetable is literally crammed with antioxidants.

Designers and 3D artists are raving about its exotic fractal-like shapes. Cabbage buds grow in a logarithmic spiral. The first mention of Romanescu cabbage came from Italy in the 16th century.

Romanesque broccoli has the most subtle taste that cabbage can have. Romanescu is not crumbly, tastier than broccoli, sweetish with a nutty rather than sulphurous flavor. A fresh head of Romanescu cabbage should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 4 days. Since the cabbage is hard, the head is cut into pieces with a serrated knife.

A casserole is prepared with pieces of Romanescu cabbage, served with bechamel sauce and Roquefort cheese. Romanescu cabbage is rich in antioxidant carotenoids, vitamin C. This exotic vegetable is easy to grow for those who have experience in growing broccoli, as the farming technique is identical.

3. Exotic citron "Buddha's hand

Exotic citron "Buddha's hand" in China is called "fu shou", "bushukon" in Japan, "Layamau Yari", "Jerek tangan", "Layamau lingtang kerat" in Malaysia, "Dhiruk tangan" in Indonesia, "som-mu" in Thailand, Fat-Thur in Vietnam. The fragrant exotic fruit is divided into several lobes, similar to the plates, with a small amount of pulp and undeveloped seeds, there are varieties without seeds.

Citron is the oldest citrus native to Western India, Western Asia, and the Mediterranean. It has not received wide application in cultivation and cultivation, since the shrubs freeze slightly at -3 ° C. With a tree height of up to 3 m, the fruits reach a length of up to 40 cm, and up to 28 in diameter. All parts of the plant are fragrant. Large white or purple flowers are no less showy than the fruit.

Perennial plant of the rue family, genus Citrus. The variety of Citron is represented by varieties. Other names: ‘Corsican’ Corsican lemon, ‘Diamond’ Sicilian citron, ‘Ethrog’ Israeli spindle-shaped citron, and finally the fingers (or hand) of the Buddha.

Gardeners in England, specializing in exotic plants, grow Buddha's Hand Citron in greenhouses.

In India, several varieties of citron are cultivated in the exotic form "Buddha's Hand". ‘Bajoura’ is a miniature juicy fruit with a thin skin. ‘Chhangura’ is a wild variety with small, rough fruit without pulp. ‘Madhankri’ or ‘Madhkunkur’ is a large fruit with sweetish flesh. ‘Turunj’ is a large fruit with a thick skin, white interior and edible sweet but poor in juice. The fruits of the wild 'Chhangura' are marinated in India. Exotic lemon is eaten whole, used in refreshing drinks with ice.

4. Durian

Durian is an evergreen tree with dark leaves and spreading branches, reaching a height of 40 m. Durian fruits are a five-fold ovoid or round box, its length is 15-30 cm, weight is up to 8 kg. The box hangs on a peduncle 10-20 cm long. The fruit leaves, green on the outside, have a coarse fibrous structure and a thick skin; their surface is densely covered with pyramidal 3-7-sided spines. In each of the 5 chambers of the fetus is one shiny seed ranging in size from 2 to 6 cm, having a color from pale yellow to red-brown. The seed is surrounded by a thick top (aryllus) that has the consistency of a pudding and is cream to deep yellow in color. This edible arillus has a sweet, nutty-cheesy flavor and an incomparable aroma. The ripe fruit has a peculiar, very corrosive, sweetish-putrid smell.

Durian grows in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia, it is often grown in the Malay Peninsula and Indonesia, less often in South India, Sri Lanka, southern Thailand, Indochina and the southern Philippines. The species is also cultivated in East Africa, very rarely in Latin and South America.

Durian fruits contain vitamins of groups B, C, carotene (provitamin A), trace elements - iron, phosphorus, calcium, sulfur; nicotinic acid, antioxidants, amino acids, etc.

The uniqueness of this fruit is that it contains a large amount of organic sulfur. It is because of the volatile sulfur compounds that this exotic fruit has an unpleasant odor. Durian is the only edible fruit in the world that contains organic sulfur.

The characteristic unpleasant smell of durian is due to the presence of indole in it, a chemical compound with an unpleasant odor, which, however, when strongly diluted, gives a delicate jasmine note. Indole is very bactericidal and extremely useful, so the use of durian in food helps to restore the health of sick people and animals.

In the twenties of the twentieth century, a pharmacological preparation appeared in pharmacies, tablets, which were called "Dur-India", it was offered as a constant use for three months. These tablets contained durian and a rare variety of Indian onion, rich in vitamin E. The course of such a drug provided the body with concentrated vital energy, bringing strength and indefatigability to the body, and clarity and spiritual youth to the spirit.

But perhaps the most remarkable property of this amazing plant is its ability to increase potency.

A decoction of the leaves and roots of durian is used as an antipyretic, and the pulp as an anthelmintic. The juice of the leaves is applied to the head of a febrile patient. Medicinal baths with durian leaves are prescribed for bile spills, and a decoction of leaves and fruits is applied to inflamed skin. The ashes of the burnt bark are consumed after childbirth. Durian leaves contain hydroxytryptamine and mustard oil.

In the West, durian is of great interest to scientists. Studies have shown that it has a wide range of nutrients, unmatched in the content of antioxidants, vitamins, proteins, amino acids, essential fatty acids (EFA), organic sulfur. It is the presence of volatile sulfur compounds that gives durian its specific smell. The healing properties of bioactive sulfur can hardly be overestimated. Durian is the only edible fruit in nature with a high content of organic sulfur!

Biologically active sulfur is easily digested, is included in the body of proteins, some hormones, such as insulin, thereby ensuring the balance of blood sugar. Sulfur is a necessary part of the molecules of important antioxidants that fight the aging of the body. It is also involved in slag removal and many biochemical reactions in the cell.

Durian contains an excellent set of minerals, including potassium, calcium, magnesium and zinc. These are vital elements for the work of the cardiovascular, nervous, immune and other body systems.

6. "Poor Man's Banana", aka "Prairie Banana" or Paw-Paw. This is Asimina triloba.

Few people know that there is a North American Lapa-paw banana (prairie banana). This banana grows in the southeast of America. Outwardly, it is very similar to an ordinary banana, only a little shorter and has a more aromatic smell.

It is believed that the name Paw-Paw may be a corruption of the Spanish word papaya - by association of the appearance of asimina fruits with these fruits. Historical documents have been preserved that mention that asimina fruits were George Washington's favorite dessert, these trees also grew in Thomas Jefferson's garden, in Monticello.

In recent years, interest in asimina has increased, because this tree is resistant to diseases, its cultivation does not require the use of pesticides. The asimina fruit contains a lot of protein, it is a delicate and nutritious fruit that has not received well-deserved fame and wide distribution due to its poor suitability for transportation.

This is the only plant of the Annon family that does not live in tropical areas. Trees growing in the north have deciduous leaves, while those growing in more southern latitudes have evergreen leaves. The height of asimina ranges from two to twelve meters. Asimina branches are red-brown in color, rather strong, the bark is brown, smooth at a young age, covered with shallow cracks and a mottled gray pattern as it grows. When kneaded, asimina leaves emit a rather pungent odor.

Asimina flowers smell unpleasant. They are collected in clusters of 6-8 flowers, however, single flowers are also found. Asimina flowers are quite large - up to 6 cm in diameter with six sepals and six petals. The flowers are white at first, but as they mature, their color gradually changes, becoming gradually red-brown; having gained full color, the flowers fall off. Asimina are pollinated by blowflies and carrion beetles, which are attracted to a nasty smell. During the flowering period on large plantations, asimins specially lay out rotten meat to attract the largest number of insects.

Asimina fruits are very similar to small plump bananas, which, like flowers, change their color as they ripen, becoming green, first yellowish, and then brown. The fruits fully ripen by autumn, they are very juicy and taste like, depending on the area where the tree grew, bananas or mangoes.

7. Dragon Fruit or Pitaya

The dragon fruit is a very sweet and tasty fruit with white flesh, studded with small edible seeds, like a kiwi. Many who have been to Thailand have already "tasted" pitahaya. Currently, this fruit is rapidly gaining popularity in the Western world. It is possible that it will soon appear on our shelves.

An interesting fact is that these plants belong to the cactus family. The fruit has not only an exotic name, but also an appearance. Its color is bright pink, the size of the pitahaya is similar to a large apple, only more elongated. The fruit is covered with large scales, the tips of which are painted in bright light green or green. Pitahaya pulp is white or purple in color, it has a lot of small bones that are distributed throughout the fruit.

Eastern legends say that the fruits of pitahaya appeared as a result of battles with dragons. When the monster could no longer release flames, a dragon fruit flew out of its mouth. It was believed that it was placed deep in the body of the dragon, where the most delicious meat is. The love for this fruit led to the fact that all the dragons were exterminated. So it turns out that the dragons died out, and the fruits of a bizarre shape and color, reminiscent of the scales of monsters from legends, grow to this day.

However, the real homeland of pitahaya is America.. Since the fruit is very easy to pick and does not need to be cooked, it was very popular with the Indians. So the Aztecs ate the pulp of pitahaya. And the roasted and ground seeds served as a kind of seasoning for stew. Now this plant is cultivated in countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Malaysia, Japan, Taiwan, China, Israel, USA, Mexico and Australia. Of course, the conditions for the growth of a dragon fruit must be special, because in fact it is a cactus. It suits a dry tropical climate with moderate rainfall. The plant on which these exotic fruits grow, curls like a vine, and at night during the flowering period, beautiful white flowers bloom on it. Fruit sets in 30-50 days. 5-6 crops of pitahaya are harvested per year.

In fact, there are different types of pitahaya. They differ in the color of the skin and pulp, in shape and size, in taste and in the presence of plates or growths on the skin. Usually, three types are distinguished - red (it was in Vietnam that they called it “dragon fruit” for its bizarre shape and color), Costa Rican and yellow. Accordingly, the red pitahaya has a reddish-pink skin and white flesh, the Costa Rican has both the skin and the flesh is red, and the yellow pitahaya has a yellow skin, and inside it is white. Yellow fruits are considered the sweetest, they also have a rather strong smell. Red pitaya has a more bland taste and a light grassy aroma. The most popular type of this exotic fruit is red, which is most often found on store shelves. Although it is called that, in fact, the scales that make up the peel have a rich pink color, and their tips are painted light green or green. In appearance, the “dragon fruit” looks like a small pineapple, by weight it can be from 150 to 700 g. The shell of the fruit is quite soft, easily cut with a knife, and inside it is white pulp, similar in texture to sour cream and having a delicate aroma. Pitahaya tastes like banana and kiwi.

8. Jabotacaba

9. Carambola or Star Fruit

Homeland carambola - Southeast Asia. There, this exotic fruit is eaten in the same way as we eat apples or cucumbers. And to taste, it is something between an apple, gooseberry and cucumber. In Europe, carambola is also quite popular due to its unusual shape. The fact is that this yellow-green ribbed fruit in cross section has the shape of a star. Therefore, carambola is also called star fruit. It is enough to cut it across, and the decoration for any table is ready.

Carambola has a sweet and sour refreshing taste. and contains a lot of liquid, so it is an excellent thirst quencher.

In different countries, carambola has different names, among them are "carom", "starfruit", "gherkin", "fifth corner" and "star apple". This fruit grows in India, Ghana. Indonesia, Polynesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and other countries. Carambola is also grown in the South of America, in the state of Florida and on the Hawaiian Islands. It is brought to Russia from Brazil, Israel and Thailand.

One of the advantages of starfruit is its low calorie content., for 100 g of fruit there are only 34-35 kcal. The fruits are quite high in calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium, magnesium and potassium. It also contains a lot of vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, beta-carotene and pantothenic acid. Not much is known about the health benefits of carambola. However, the composition of the fruit speaks for itself - it is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals.

In Asia, carambola is used for weak immunity, beriberi, headaches, fever, colic and constipation. Quite a lot in starfruit and oxalic acid. Of course, it is also useful for humans, but people with diseases of the kidneys or digestive system should not get carried away with this fruit. But in Sri Lanka, for example, people very successfully use the acid contained in carambola to remove stains from clothes. Also, with the help of starfruit, copper and brass are polished.

How to choose the right carambola

Asians appreciate the not quite ripe sour fruits, the narrow ribs of which are clearly divided. But lovers of sweet fruits should look for light yellow or yellow-green carambola, which has fleshy side ribs and a dark brown stripe on them. In such fruits there is a very small sourness, and by smell they are a bit like jasmine flowers. It is almost impossible to describe the taste of carambola, someone compares it with cucumber and gooseberries, someone with grapes and plums, and some clearly feel the taste of orange and apple. Of course, it is best to try this amazing fruit and find something of your own in its taste. Unfortunately, in Russian stores you cannot find starfruit that has ripened to the end on a tree. Like many other fruits, it is plucked and sent to us still unripe, and it ripens on the way. But otherwise, carambola simply cannot be delivered. But it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

How to eat carambola

We already know that the star fruit can be used to decorate salads, smoothies or ice cream and that it is delicious on its own. However, this is not all of its virtues. In different countries, this fruit is used to prepare a variety of dishes. Carambola will add a mysterious exotic taste and aroma to the most ordinary food. In Sri Lanka, carambola is eaten raw, with the skin on. But the Chinese are very fond of cooking fish with starfruit. In Hawaii, they make delicious sherbet by mixing carambola and lemon juice and adding gelatin to it. In general, carambola juice can be added to cocktails, mixed with sapelle, pineapple or mango juice.

You can make carambola sauce, which is perfect for meat. To prepare it, you need to mix chopped starfruit with horseradish, celery, vinegar and spices. And you can shift the pieces of stew with thin slices of carambola. It will simultaneously give an unusual taste to the dish and decorate it.

Unripe carambola is used as a vegetable. It can be stewed with other vegetables for a delicious stew. It is also pickled and salted. All kinds of mashed potatoes, puddings, jellies, juices and other dishes are made from sweet fruits. In South Asia, sour carambola flowers are also used as food, adding them to salads.

10. goat beard (aka salsify, aka goatbeard, aka oat root, aka winter asparagus

goat beard is a herbaceous plant Tragopogon porrifolius, which is bred in the Mediterranean for its edible thick white roots with a delicate, pleasant, subtle oyster flavor. Very popular in Europe and the southern United States. For its spicy taste, reminiscent of oysters, it is sometimes called the "oyster plant" (English - "oyster plant").

Usually used as an addition to various dishes, from soups to stews.

Like all root crops goat beard can be boiled and mashed.

Vegetarians in the 19th century even made the so-called “mock-oyster soup” out of it. In many European countries (especially in Italy, Spain and Greece), the young goat's root is eaten raw, and is also used as a filling for pies and added to soups. Meadow goatbeard (meadow salsify) is a related plant of the species T. Pratensis, common in the meadows and forest glades of Europe and acclimatized in North America. Sweetish juicy leaves, flowers and roots of this species are quite suitable for salads, soups and side dishes. True, the term black salsify in English refers to a completely different plant with edible roots - scorzonera.

11. Salak or snake fruit

Salak is an exotic fruit. Its fruits are brown or red-brown in color, and their surface looks like snakeskin. Therefore, they are otherwise called snake fruits. Salak grows on palm trees, so it can be attributed to the palm family. The height of herring palms does not exceed two meters. The peculiarity of these trees is that they have feathery leaves, the upper surface of which is dark green in color, and the lower one is light. Salak grows in clusters, starting at the base of the trunk, close to the ground and throughout the tree.

Externally, herring fruits resemble bulbs, covered with scales and rough to the touch. The fruit is covered with small spines and is often difficult to peel. The flesh of herring has a beige-yellow color, sweet taste and aromatic smell. Salak grows in Southeast Asia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia. There are two varieties of salak: crayfish, with a characteristic reddish color and oblong fruits, the pulp of crayfish is watery fibrous (grows in Thailand) and salak, the fruits of which resemble an onion, and inside are juicy crispy slices.

12. Mangosteen.

The fruit tastes like a combination of pineapple, grapes and strawberries. Only the inner part of the fruit, similar to garlic, is edible.

The white segments of the pulp of the mangosteen fruit are edible fresh, sometimes they are preserved. Freshly squeezed mangosteen juice is also popular. A decoction of leaves and bark is used for dysentery, diarrhea and to reduce fever. The bark contains antioxidants. Due to the abundance of xanthones, it is used in the production of cosmetics.

13. Rambutan.

Rambutan is a tropical fruit tree of the Sapindaceae family. Rambutan fruits - small, the size of a hazelnut - grow in clusters of up to 30 pieces and are rounded "balls" with elastic yellow or red skin, covered with fleshy hairs 4-5 cm long. Rambutan pulp covering the bone (edible, but to taste resembling an acorn), is a transparent white gelatinous mass, a pleasant sweet taste.

Rambutan is one of the most popular trees in Southeast Asia where it is grown commercially in small gardens. But rambutan is also widely distributed throughout the tropical zone: it is bred in Africa, Central America, the Caribbean and Australia. There are extensive rambutan plantations in Cambodia, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.

Rambutan is sometimes also called the hairy fruit. When buying rambutans, pay attention that the fruits are saturated red, and the tips of the “hair” are greenish. Rambutan does not store well, it can be kept in the refrigerator for no more than a week.

The fruits have a short shelf life after being picked.

Well, a little more briefly...

Morinda citrus (noni). The fruit exudes a fetid odor, reminiscent of the smell of spoiled moldy cheese; taste is slightly bitter. (Scot Nelson)

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