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Oranges, tangerines, kiwi and other fruits have become as familiar to us as apples or pears. There is no need to travel hundreds of kilometers to try them, just walk to the nearest supermarket. There you can also buy more exotic fruits, such as pomelo or mango.
But there are more than 200 types of fruits in the world, some of which have a special taste and aroma, and they are worth a try.
10 Carambola
This evergreen tree can be seen in India, Indonesia, Brazil. Its fruits are yellow or green. In shape and size, they are similar to sweet peppers.
If they are cut in half, the cut will be shaped like a star. Therefore, this fruit is sometimes called “tropical stars”.
Ripe fruits are crisp and juicy, not very sweet. The taste is light, floral, peculiar. The scent is similar to jasmine.
They are put in salads, decorate cocktails. In unripe fruits, there is a lot of vitamin C. They smell like cucumbers, they taste a little sour. The length of the fetus is from 7 to 18 cm, they weigh up to 135 g.
9. Pitahaya
You won’t be able to try this fruit in Russia, because. they are easily damaged and do not tolerate long-term transportation. And they can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 4 days.
Other names for this fruit are pitaya, lun yang. It is also called “dragon fruit”, because. according to legend, he emerged from the mouth of a dragon. When during the battles with people the monster could not spew fire, a pitahaya flew out of its heart. Its peel is covered with large scales resembling dragon armor.
These are the fruits of epiphytic vine-like cacti that grow in Mexico and America. The white flowers of this plant open on days 1 and 15. After 35-50 days, fruits are formed.
Up to 6 crops can be harvested per year. The most common pitahaya is red, in which the fruit is red with white flesh. There are also fruits with red pulp. But the sweetest ones are yellow, with white flesh, they have a unique aroma.
There are many small seeds inside the fruit. It is similar in size to a large apple, but some specimens can weigh from 600 g to 1 kg. It tastes like kiwi with a banana or strawberry flavor.
8. Papaya
The tree that papaya grows on looks like a coconut tree. When ripe, they become amber or yellow in color, similar in shape to a melon, but smaller (up to 50 cm).
Various dishes are prepared from it, for which papaya is fried or stewed, added to soups, meat and fish dishes. Its taste is characterized in different ways. Some tourists are sure that it resembles a boiled sweet carrot. Others describe papaya as a ripe melon. Someone thinks that it tastes like a cross between a melon and a pumpkin.
Unripe fruits are not so tasty, they are used for cooking various dishes, for example, when stuffing meat. Ripe fruits can also be eaten raw, like melon slices.
7. Passion fruit
Fruits of tropical vines, round or oval, may be red, greenish or yellow. You cannot try it on the territory of Russia, because. it deteriorates quickly.
Passion fruit is sometimes referred to as the big grape because in shape it resembles these berries. She has a dense peel, under which there is a jelly-like pulp.
Doesn’t have an alluring scent. Taste – sweet and sour, tart. But you should not eat too many fruits, because. they want to sleep.
Usually it is cut in half and the pulp is taken out with a dessert spoon. If it is sour, add some sugar. Pies, jams, juices are usually prepared from it, added to ice cream and yogurts.
6. Kumquat
It is also called golden apple or Japanese orange. It has oval fruits, similar to a large plum, up to 5 cm long. The kumquat has a sweet, edible skin that has some pulp underneath. Fruits of different colors, from light yellow to orange.
It is the only citrus fruit that does not contain nitrates. And he is the smallest citrus. Kumquat smells like lime. It tastes like an orange, but slightly sour.
5. Fejxoa
This is a green berry of an oblong shape, no more than 7 cm in diameter. It weighs from 20 to 120 g. The fruits are eaten completely, with a peel. She is thick and tough. And the pulp of the berry is soft and juicy, the taste is sour-sweet.
Feijoa are shaped like plums, but unlike plums, they are bright green. On the surface of the peel there are small tubercles, like lemons.
Compotes, jams, salads, wine are prepared from it. If there is firm white pulp inside the berry, then the fruit is not yet ripe. In ripe fruit, it is translucent, and brown indicates that the feijoa is overripe. These berries are rich in iodine.
4. lichee
It is also called Chinese plum. At first, an evergreen tree 10-30 m long was grown only in China, but gradually it spread to neighboring countries.
It grows in clusters, the diameter of the fruit rarely exceeds 4 cm. without them, it quickly deteriorates.
Lychees are oval, their length is from 2,5 to 4 cm. They have a bright red peel with many tubercles. Underneath is white flesh. It is watery, jelly-like, very sweet, with a slight wine aftertaste. There is a brown bone inside.
Tastes like grapes with strawberries. They can be a little astringent if harvested unripe. They can be eaten fresh. To do this, cut the peel with a knife and separate the pulp.
Jelly, ice cream, wine are prepared from it, canned in sugar syrup. You can not eat a large number of these unripe fruits on an empty stomach, because. this may cause poisoning.
3. Jackfruit
This close relative of the breadfruit has the largest edible fruits. They grow up to 20-110 cm, can weigh up to 34 kg. The peel of this fruit does not smell very pleasant, but the flesh has a sweet aroma, similar to the smell of banana and pineapple.
Unripe fruits are green in color, they are cooked like vegetables, stewed or fried. As they ripen, they turn yellow. The pulp consists of slices, inside which you can find the bones. It is also either yellow or orange.
At the first tasting, you may not like the taste, but then you get used to it. The pulp is sugary-sweet, somewhat similar to a melon. It is eaten fresh, added to desserts and salads.
2. Guava
From one tree you can collect up to 100 kg of fruit. In appearance, they resemble a lemon, pear or apple. They are about 10-15 cm in diameter, covered with a wrinkled skin. Its color depends on the variety: green or raspberry. The flesh may be white or red.
For the preparation of some dishes, unripe fruits are used, sprinkling them with salt or pepper. Ripe guava tastes like a mixture of pineapple and strawberries. It is eaten with the skin on.
1. Mangosteen
It is also called mangosteen or mangosteen. It is a round fruit with a diameter of 3,5 to 7,5 cm. It has a thick purple rind that is considered inedible. Under it there are several cloves that resemble cloves of garlic.
It has little pulp, but it is very juicy, tender and elastic. It is difficult to describe the taste, because. it is peculiar: sweet, but with a slight sourness. Everyone describes it in their own way: someone thinks that it resembles grapes, to someone it seems like strawberries.