13. Sugar Apple
The sugar apple is a strange fruit, which taste is just like
a pineapple-banana combo. The fruit is looking like an overgrown pinecone; the
scaly, green skin is filled with an edible custardy pulp. It’s a good source of
fiber and contains antioxidants and B vitamins.” Therefore, it contains low-calorie
treat in farmers markets, gourmet grocery stores in the Spanish markets. Sugar-apple
is high in energy, an excellent source of vitamin C and manganese, a good
source of thiamine and vitamin B6, and provides vitamin B2, B3 B5, B9, iron,
magnesium, phosphorus and potassium in fair quantities. The fruit is alike in
sweetness to the sugar-apple but has a very different taste like pineapple. The
arrangement of seeds is in spaced rows, with the fruit's flesh filling most of
the fruit and making grooves for the seeds, instead of the flesh's occurring
only around seeds. Source: Charismaticplanet
12. Rambutan
This hairy fruit looks like a sea creature than a fruit, but
don’t let its spines and leathery, red skin fool you. Rambutan taste is very
sweet and mildly acidic like grapes. This delicious fruit is full of vitamin C
and iron, the fruit’s translucent flesh resembles a boiled egg and is similar
to a lychee in texture. This fruit can be found in Asian market and eat it
right from the rind, but discard the single seed are toxic. However, in canned
form, you can mix it right into a fruit salad for a tropical twist.
11. Noni
This is a favourite fruit of juice lovers, because it is only
for sipping. Therefore, only a half cup
of Hawaiian noni juice has 15 calories and 1.5 grams of sugar, which is low for
fruit juice. This fruit also contains over
50% of the daily recommended value of vitamin C.” Pick up the nutrient-packed
fruit in juice and powder form at health food stores and drugstores like
Walgreens particularly during your period. “It was usually used in Polynesian
cultures to treat menstrual cramps; preliminary animal studies have also shown the
juice of this fruit is linked to cancer prevention and treatment.
10. Annatto
The spiny, heart-shaped fruit looks edible, partially, when its
seeds can be eaten, and they’re loaded with antioxidants, including
tocotrienols, a form of Vitamin E which has been shown to fight cancer-forming
cells. Annatto is an orange-red condiment and food coloring derived from the
seeds of the achiote tree , often used to impart a yellow or orange color to
foods, but sometimes also for its flavor and aroma. Its scent is described as
"slightly peppery with a hint of nutmeg" and flavor as "slightly
nutty, sweet and peppery". To reap the benefits, look for the seeds whole
or in powder form in the Latin food section of the supermarket or at Latin
markets, and enjoy their nutty, peppery taste as a seasoning on meats, soups
and rice dishes and in baked goods. But the super seeds have another purpose:
They give butter its yellow color.
9: Jackfruit
If you’re a fan of bananas, you’ll go bananas over jackfruit.
Under its enormous, prickly, green exterior (it’s the largest fruit grown on a
tree), the jackfruit’s numerous bulbs have a sweet, buttery flavor. “It’s a
good source of vitamin C and one of the rare fruits rich in the B-complex group
of vitamins, which benefit memory and mood and can even ease migraines,” says
Dimitriou. “They also increase energy and diminish heart-disease risk.” When
cooked; add jackfruit, sold at Asian food markets, to jams and desserts. Or fry
them as chips.
8: Horned Melon
This fruit has horn-like spines, hence named it “Horned Melon”.
It is also called Kiwano, Jelly Mellon, Hedged Gourd, Melano and KiwanoCucumis
metuliferus. The horned melon has orange skin/lime green with a refreshingly
fruity taste, and textures same to passionfruit or pomegranate or combination
of banana cucumber and lime. It is grown in the United States, Portugal, Italy,
Germany, Chile, Australia, and New Zealand. The fruit primarily used as a
snack, salad, salsa, cocktail and for decoration. Some also eat the peel, which
is very rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber. Moreover its health benefits
include high in Vitamin A, Beta Carotene and Magnesium, has high water content,
is good for weight loss and is packed with other vital minerals. The fruit can
be used in cooking, but when eaten raw, most suck out the pulp.
7: Carambola
Carambola or starfruit, is the fruit of Averrhoa carambola, a
species of tree native to the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Nepal,
India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Seychelles. The fruit has prominent
longitudinal ridges, running down its sides usually five when cut in
cross-section, hence its name in cross section, it resembles a star. The entire
fruit is edible and is usually eaten out of hand. They may also be used in
cooking and can be made into relishes, preserves, and juice drinks. Carambola
is rich in antioxidants, potassium, and vitamin C; and low in sugar, sodium,
acid, and also a potent source of both primary and secondary polyphenolic
antioxidants.
6: Pitaya (Dragon Fruit)
A pitaya is the fruit of several cactus species indigenous to
the Americas. Pitaya usually refers to fruit of the genus Stenocereus, while
pitahaya or dragon fruit refers to fruit of the genus Hylocereus. The sour
pitayas are a variety that is commonly eaten in the arid regions of the
Americas, refreshing, with juicier flesh and a stronger taste. Dragon fruit is
a tropical fruit that has become increasingly popular in recent years. People
enjoy it for its unique look and taste, and there’s evidence it may provide
health benefits. Dragon fruit is a low-calorie fruit that is high in fiber and
provides more than one-third of the RDI for vitamin C. Dragon fruit contains
several antioxidants that protect cells from damage. These include betalains,
hydroxycinnamates and flavonoids. Dragon
fruit may look exotic, but its flavors are similar to other fruits. Its taste
has been described as a slightly sweet cross between a kiwi and a pear. Dragon
fruit is easy to prepare and can be enjoyed on its own or paired with other
foods in healthy recipes.
5: Guanábana or Soursop
The agressive looking guanábana contains a docile white
custard-like and headily perfumed flesh. It is usually made into a paste, ice
cream or agua fresca, but can be consumed as is. But be sure to buy a nice ripe
one. The flavour of the fruit has been described as a combination of strawberry
and pineapple, with sour citrus flavour notes contrasting with an underlying
creamy texture reminiscent of coconut or banana. Soursop is widely promoted as an
alternative cancer treatment, however, no medical evidence that it is
effective.
4: Passion Fruit
This fruit is native to South America, grown in green houses
to boost its flavor. It is usually found bright red in color but variations can
exist, you might also get to see them half green and half red and quite bulky
in size. There are two types to know
about, one is the poisonous sibling and the other as passionate as its name.
How natural is that, because it is cultivated commercially in tropical and
subtropical areas for its sweet, seedy fruit is a pepo, a type of berry, round
to oval, either yellow or dark purple at maturity, with a soft to firm, juicy
interior filled with numerous seeds. The fruit is both eaten and juiced;
passion fruit juice is often added to other fruit juices to enhance aroma. Passion
fruit flower is the national flower of Paraguay.
3: Ackee
This is Jamaica’s national fruit. The seeds of this fruit
were bought from West Africa into Jamaica on a rumored slave ship and from then
on this has become the delicacy around the Caribbean. To eat this fruit, one
has to remove the black tops and cut open the fleshy yellow arils, because the
reddish region in between is very toxic. Ackee you are very tricky! The fruit
is pear-shaped, however when it ripens, it turns from green to a bright red to
yellow-orange, and splits open to reveal three large, shiny black seeds, each
partly surrounded by soft, creamy or spongy, white to yellow flesh the aril. The
dried seeds, fruit, bark, and leaves are used medicinally.
2: Buddha’s Hand
You may be scared in the first look, but didn’t feel a thing
when you’ll swallowed it; it just tastes like a lemon. The fingered citron is unusually
shaped citron variety whose fruit is segmented into finger-like sections,
resembling a human hand. It is called as such because of its shape, it
resembles a tightened octopus. It is found in China and India. It is used to
flavor fish and eaten raw with spices when mixed with salad. Buddha's hand
fruit is very fragrant and is used predominantly in China, Malaysia and Japan
for perfuming rooms and personal items such as clothing, and in cupboards to
keep out the smell. The Buddha’s Hand fruit can also be eaten often as a zest
or flavouring in desserts, savory dishes and alcoholic beverages or candied as
a sweet. The sliced, dried peel of immature fruits is also prescribed as a tonic
in traditional medicine.
1: Tamarillo
Tamarillo is known as the popular sibling of the regular
tomato we use every day, its paler and burnt in color. The fruit is eaten by
scooping the flesh from a halved fruit, when lightly sugared and cooled; the
flesh is used for a breakfast dish. The fruit is distinctively shaped seeds in
the middle when you slice it in half. Tamarilllo fruit grows in Ecuador, Peru,
Bolivia and Colombia and tastes similar to the Passion fruit. The fruit color
varies from yellow and orange to red and almost purple. Sometimes they have
dark, longitudinal stripes. It is used in making juices and in certain areas of
Bolivia it is used in cooking, particularly to prepare the sauce. In the
industry it is used as a strong preservative because the fruit contains a high
amount of pectin.
