Unusual fruit names. The most exotic fruits

Thailand has always been famous for its abundance of exotic fruits. There are so many of them that your eyes run wide and you want to try everything at once. Thanks to the tropical climate, fresh fruits in Thailand are on the table all year round. And no matter what season you visit this country, you definitely won’t be left without fruit. Each fruit of Thailand has its own characteristics and it is better to prepare in advance in order to know how to clean it, eat it, what taste it has, what dishes it can be added to and what time of year it is harvested. Let's now plunge into the world of Thai fruits and study them more closely.

(Thai name - Mangkhud)

In Thailand, the mangosteen is called the "Queen of Fruits". Season from April to September. Throughout the rainy season, the stalls are bursting with mangosteen, at this time the prices for this fruit are the lowest and amount to 25-35 baht, but out of season the cost of the fruit can be 100 baht or more.

Outwardly, the mangosteen looks like a round eggplant. Under the thick dark purple peel hides white pulp in the form of garlic, sometimes hard bones are found in the pulp. The taste of mangosteen is delicately sweet with a slight tart aftertaste. It is eaten fresh and is also used in desserts. Mangosteen contains a huge amount of antioxidants and vitamins. For me personally, mangosteen is the most delicious fruit 🙂

How to clean and eat mangosteen?

It has a rather thick fleshy peel, it should not be cut in half, just cut around the circumference and open. The flesh is best eaten with a fork.

Rambutan

(Thai name - Ngaw)

Season from May to September. One of the most visible on the counter and the most exotic exclusively Thai fruits.Rambutans grow throughout Southeast Asia and differ only in varieties. Thais are very fond of these fruits and in August they even celebrate a holiday dedicated to rambutan.In season, the price per kilogram is 25-35 baht.

Very often, rambutan is called a hairy fruit, as its red skin is covered with pale green bristles. Inside the fruit is a large bone. The taste is vaguely reminiscent of grapes, only sweeter. Rambutan is eaten fresh, canned, made in desserts, jams and more.

How to choose rambutan?

The brighter the fruit, the better. The hairs on the rambutan should be green, not yellow or brown, and bouncy. These fruits are fresh and delicious.

How to clean and eat rambutan?

Rambutan, like mangosteen, should not be cut in half, as there is a bone inside. It is best to cut around the circumference and open, then remove the entire peel and put the white flesh in your mouth, then spit out the bone.

Lychee

(Thai name - Linchi)

Season from April to June. At first, lychee was brought to Thailand from China, so the fruit was considered quite expensive. However, now lychee is grown in Thailand, but despite this, prices for lychee have remained higher than for other fruits. The cost of lychee in season is 55-75 baht.

Lychee is a small pink fruit, usually sold along with branches. Under the peel is a white pulp with a black bone inside. The taste of lychee is bright sweet, you can’t confuse it with anything. Lychee is eaten fresh, and various desserts, juices, jams and syrups are also prepared. The fruit quenches thirst well and refreshes.

How to choose lychee?

The color of the lychee should be bright pink or even red, the fruit is elastic, it should not sag and juice should not flow from it.

How to clean and eat lychee?

The peel is easily separated from the pulp, so you can peel the lychee with your hands, and the white pulp should be eaten, just do not forget to spit out the bone.

Longan

(Thai name - Lamyai)

Season from June to August. The fruit came to Thailand from China and its name is borrowed from the Chinese "Long yang", which means "dragon's eye". Its cost per season is approximately 50-70 baht. It is sold in bundles on twigs that are intertwined with an elastic band.

Longan is a small fruit, covered with a light brown skin, inside a translucent fruit with a stone. Longan pulp is sweet with a honey flavor. Longan is eaten fresh, desserts are prepared from it and served with ice cream. You can also find dried longan, which is very similar to raisins.

How to choose longan?

The fruit should be elastic without cracks and dents.

How to clean and eat longan?

You tear off one fruit from the branch, the peel is soft, so you can clean the longan with your hands. Translucent pulp and you need to eat, be sure to spit out the bone.

Longkong

(Thai name - Long Kong)

Season from May to November. It grows in the south of Thailand, originally from Malaysia. Grows in clusters right on tree trunks. The cost of a longkong is 50-80 baht per kilogram.

Longkong is covered with a sand-colored peel, under which there is a pulp consisting of five slices of white translucent color and a stone inside. The taste of longkong is sweet with sourness. They eat the fruit fresh, but be careful with the bone, although it is soft, it tastes bitter. Longkong is rich in calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron and vitamins B1, B2 and C.

How to choose longkong?

The peel should be a light sandy color, not dirty, the lighter the better. The fruits should sit tightly on the branch. There should be no dents or cracks.

How to clean and eat longkong?

It is quite convenient to clean the longkong with your hands. We separate the peel from the pulp and eat it. Each slice contains a small bone, it is not necessary to eat it.

durian

(Thai name Durian)

Season from May to August. Durian is called the king of all fruits because of the huge amount of vitamins and minerals. Durian is famous for its unusual taste and specific unpleasant odor. The cost of durian is on average 80-100 baht per kilogram.

Durian fruits are quite large and can reach up to 10 kilograms. Outside, the fruit is covered with a peel with large spikes. Inside, it is divided into several departments, in which the flesh is light yellow. The pulp contains large bones. The pulp has a specific taste. When I first tried durian, it seemed to me that I was eating potatoes with garlic and rotten cabbage. Personally, I didn't like the taste or smell. However, the third time the durian seems to taste better. Also, durian should not be stored in your home, as the whole room will have a smell of durian. It is not for nothing that in many hotels it is forbidden to bring durian into the room. Durian is eaten fresh and made into desserts, sweets, dried.Durian is a fairly high-calorie dish: 147 calories per 100 g. It is not recommended to combine it with alcohol, as this can cause heart problems and blood pressure. Also, it should not be eaten by pregnant women and women during lactation.

How to choose durian?

You should not focus on the color of durian, it can be either green or brown. Personally, when choosing a durian, I recommend contacting the seller himself and asking for help choosing a durian. It is also possible to buy already cut durian. In this case, look for the pulp to be fleshy, elastic, but soft. If the durian flesh is firm, then it is not ripe enough. And if the pulp has lost its elasticity and begins to spread in the package, this indicates that it has long been taken out of the durian fruit and it is no longer fresh enough. In general, ideally, it is best to eat durian immediately after cleaning, as then it will taste completely different.

How to peel and eat durian?

Durian peel is quite hard, so you need to cut it with a sharp knife. With the help of a knife, we peel the peel and take out the pulp, which can be eaten with your hands or a fork.

Papaya

(Thai name Malakor)

Papaya season all year round. Thais mainly prepare spicy som tam salad (sliced ​​unripe papaya, dried shrimp, garlic and chili peppers) from it. Tourists prefer to eat fresh ripe fruits. The cost of papaya is 40-50 baht per kilogram.

Papaya looks like a zucchini. When unripe, the papaya peel is green, the flesh is light orange, and there are many small black seeds inside. This papaya has a sour taste and is used as a vegetable for cooking various dishes.

A ripe papaya has a bright orange skin and sweet flesh. In this form, papaya is used as a fruit. Eat it fresh or prepare desserts.

How to choose papaya?

A green and firm papaya will have a sour taste and is used as a vegetable. If you bought a green papaya, then you can put it in the sun and it will ripen on its own. Lovers of sweet papaya need to buy bright orange fruits.

How to peel and eat papaya?

There are many ways to clean papaya. I recommend that you first peel the papaya with a knife, then cut it in half, remove the seeds with a spoon and cut into pieces. Eat papaya with a fork.

dragon fruit

(Thai name Geow mangon)

Season all year round. Dragon fruit grows on a cactus native to Australia. Its price is on average 50-70 baht per kilogram.

Its fruits are quite large, covered with a bright pink peel with large scales of green or light green color. The flesh inside is white or pink with small black seeds. The fruit tastes sweet and sour, a bit like kiwi.

How to choose dragon fruit?

The peel should be bright pink, the scales green or light green, not yellow or brown.

How to peel and eat dragon fruit?

It can be cleaned in different ways. I usually cut off the scales first, cut the fruit into 4 parts and eat the pulp either with my hands or with a spoon.

carambola

(Thai name Ma feung)

Season from October to December.

The fruits of carambola are yellow or green in color, oblong in shape. If you cut the carambola across, then the pieces will have the shape of a five-pointed star, because of this, the fruit received the second name star fruit. The taste of carambola is pleasant, floral, not very sweet. Unripe fruits have a sour taste. The fruit can be eaten fresh. And also it is used for preparation of salads, sauces, juices and as decorative elements. Carambola contains a large amount of vitamin C.

How to choose carambola?

The brighter the yellow color of carambola, the sweeter it is. It should not be soft or sluggish.

How to eat carambola?

It is not necessary to peel this fruit, it is enough to wash it thoroughly. And then you just need to cut the carambola into slices. You can eat with a fork or your hands.

Tamarind

(Thai name Makham Thad)

Season from December to March. Tamarind is a sour fruit, but the sweet variety grows in Thailand. Thais usually boil the fruits in water to make a refreshing drink. The cost of tamarind is on average 80-150 baht per kilogram.

Tamarind fruits are pod-shaped, the peel is quite hard light brown. Under the skin are dark brown flesh and hard bones. The taste of tamarind is sweet and sour and looks more like a dried fruit than a fruit. Tamarind is consumed fresh, it is used to prepare sauces, drinks, sweets and various desserts.

How to choose tamarind?

Choose larger fruits, without cracks and holes in the shell.

How to peel and eat tamarind?

Tamarind is most convenient to eat with your hands, you just need to press the shell and it will crack. Then just peel the pulp from the shell, remove the fibers near the pulp and the stone. And the remaining brown pulp should be eaten.

Jackfruit or breadfruit

(Thai name Kha nun)

Season from January to May. Jackfruit is considered the largest fruit in the world and its fruits can reach a weight of 40 kilograms. The jackfruit comes from India. Its cost is about 100 baht per kilogram.
The fruit of the jackfruit is covered with a greenish-yellow skin, under which there are slices of yellow pulp, which have a sweet taste and strong aroma, with numerous seeds inside. The ripened pulp is eaten fresh, the unripe is pre-cooked. Jackfruit is quite high-calorie and consists of 40% carbohydrates, so it is not for nothing that this fruit is called a bread fruit.

How to choose jackfruit?

I don't think it's worth buying a whole jackfruit, it's quite large, it's better to just buy the pulp in the package. Ripe jackfruit has yellow and firm flesh.

How to peel and eat jackfruit?

The whole fruit is cut in half and the yellow flesh is taken out, which is then eaten.

Guava

(Thai name Farang)

Season all year round. The birthplace of guava is South America and it is still not clear how the plant got to Thailand, but despite this, guava is now one of the popular fruits of Thailand. Thais eat unripe green guava when the flesh is still green and firm. The cost of guava is 25-50 baht per kilogram.

Guava in appearance resembles a large green apple, inside is white or pink flesh with numerous seeds. The taste of the fruit is sweet. Guava is eaten fresh with the skin on or cut into slices and eaten with sugar, salt or spices. It contains a huge amount of vitamin C.

How to choose guava?

In Thailand, only green unripe guava is mainly sold. See that the fruits are limp and without dents.

How to peel and eat guava?

Cut the guava into four parts, cut out the place with the bones and eat the pulp.

rose apple

(Thai name Chom poo)

Rose apple season all year round. The cost is 70-100 baht per kilogram.

The rose apple is shaped like a bell and smells like a rose. Covered with pink or green skin. The texture is similar to an apple, but the taste is somewhat sour. There are no bones inside.

How to choose a rose apple?

See that the fruits are not sluggish, without dents and cracks.

How to peel and eat a rose apple?

You can eat it whole, like an ordinary apple, or you can cut it into slices and eat with a fork.

sapodilla

(Thai name La moot)

The sapodilla season is from September to December. The cost is 30-50 baht per kilogram.

Sapodilla is a small oval light brown fruit. Under the skin is brown flesh with a sweet caramel flavor and a few seeds. Sapodilla is eaten fresh and used for serving dishes because of the beautiful brown hue of the flesh.

How to choose sapodilla?

The darker the peel, the riper and tastier the sapodilla. The peel should be without any damage, and the fruit itself should be soft.

How to clean and eat sapodilla?

First, peel the peel, and then cut into slices and eat with a fork.

Salak

(Thai name La Kham)

Herring season all year round. The fruit is also called snake fruit because of its numerous scales that look like snake scales. The cost of herring is 60-80 baht per kilogram.

The shape of the herring is oval with slightly elongated edges. The peel of the fruit is dark brown, thin and covered with small scales. The flesh is white with a yellowish tint and is divided into several segments. The taste of salak is sweet and sour. The fruit is eaten fresh and desserts are prepared from it.

How to choose salak?

Give preference to larger fruits. Salak should not be hollow, the peel without any damage.

How to clean and eat herring?

The peel is quite easy to remove, so you can clean it with your hands, just be careful with the scales so as not to prick your fingers. The pulp can be eaten with your hands, then spit out the bone.

Mango

(Thai name Mamuang)

Mango season from March to June. Varieties of Thai mango are very different from those that are brought to Russia. Varieties that grow only in Thailand have gained wild popularity in neighboring countries and are now exported by the Thais in tones. The cost of mango is 35-70 baht per kilogram.

Mango is an oval fruit with a yellow or green skin, under which is yellow flesh and a large flat stone in the center of the fruit. The taste of mango is sweet, has a pleasant aroma. They eat fresh fruit and prepare desserts from it. Thais also use unripe mangoes, prepare various dishes, salads from it.

How to choose mango?

The skin of the mango should be smooth, without dents. The fruit should be soft to the touch.

How to peel and eat mangoes?

Cut the mango in half along the pit on both sides. The pulp can be eaten with a spoon or cut into small pieces and eaten with a fork.

Coconut

(Thai name Maphrao)

Coconut season all year round. If not for coconut, Thai cuisine would not be so tasty and varied, and was a combination of Chinese and Indian. Coconuts in Thailand are added to a large number of dishes, just like we are potatoes. The cost of one coconut is 25-35 baht.

Coconut in Thailand looks different from what we are used to, it is covered with a green, not brown, hard shell. Beneath it is a white hard pulp and coconut milk. Coconut milk tastes sweet and has many health benefits. Coconuts are eaten fresh and added to various dishes; soups are cooked in coconut milk. Coconut is also often used for cosmetics.

How to choose a coconut?

The more coconut the better. Fresh coconuts are green in color. Sometimes the top peel is cut off and then it has a white color.

How to peel and eat coconut?

You can ask the seller to open the coconut on the spot, since the coconut itself is quite hard and it is not always easy to open it yourself. They usually open its upper part along the circumference, and then drink coconut milk with a straw, and eat the pulp with a spoon.

Here is a basic list of exotic fruits in Thailand. Of course, there you can find all the familiar bananas, watermelons and pineapples. I did not describe them, because you yourself know perfectly well what they are. The only difference is that these fruits in Thailand are more juicy and sweet, and also have a large number of different varieties.

Come to Thailand and enjoy a wide variety of fruits. And if you were in the country of smiles, then write e in the comments which fruits of Thailand you liked the most.

A short tour of the fruits of Thailand, their description, prices and seasonality. There are a lot of fruits, and all of them deserve special attention, because they are insanely tasty and unusual.

(Durian)
Thai name: too rian / too-ree-an (turian)

This is the most popular fruit in Thailand! It is about him that there are so many conversations that they do not talk about any other fruit. The durian is often debated, because it has a lot of passionate lovers and haters.

The season of this divine fruit of Thailand starts from April-May to September, with the peak in August. When it ripens, its awesome aroma begins to be very felt through the peel, which can itself begin to burst, although it is very thick and tough. The pulp when ripe is very creamy, reminiscent of ice cream or cake cream, sometimes condensed milk. When people first try durian, many people think that its sweetness has a hint of fried onions, and sometimes smacks of dumplings / whites. But after the second or third sample of durian, no one feels anything like that. There are a lot of varieties of durian, and all of them are very different both in taste and in appearance.

Durian pulp is slightly oily, about 5 grams per 100 grams of product. This is a very nutritious fruit! Usually durian lovers eat so much of it that they quickly gain weight.

It is best to buy unpeeled durian and either peel it yourself or have the seller do it in front of you. The thing is that already opened, peeled durian quickly oxidizes in air, which can cause it to acquire an unpleasant smell and taste. Fresh good durian will never cause discomfort.

Inside the pieces of pulp, which is yellow, orange and white, there is one large brown bone. Durian is usually eaten with the hands, without any utensils.

(Jackfruit)
Thai name: ka-noon / kha-nun (kanUn)

This is the largest fruit in the world! Its weight can reach 40-50 kg. In Thailand, it is most often sold already peeled, precisely because of its large size, and also because of the problems in cutting it. The fact is that the layers between the segments of the jackfruit pulp contain a sticky substance - latex ... which can only be washed with oil (coconut, vegetable or other).

On average, jackfruit fruits weigh 10-15 kg, and one fruit contains from 100 to 500 pulp segments (lobules), each of which has a large bone. Thais do not throw away jackfruit seeds, but roast and eat them. They are similar in taste and texture to fried potatoes. And raw jackfruit seeds, respectively, raw potatoes.

(Carambola, Star Fruits)
Thai name: ma-fuang (mafuan)

Very juicy watery fruit, but the taste is not particularly bright (slightly sour). This fruit is more beautiful than delicious. Maybe someone will like it, but I did not like it.
Season: all year round.

(Wax Jambu, Java Apple, Rose Apple, Water Apple, Bell Fruit, Malay apple)
Thai: Chom-phoo.

Something like carambola, a beautiful fruit and very juicy, but the taste is not bright ... coniferous. There was even a feeling that I was chewing needles from a Christmas tree. The shape is unusual, bell.
Season: winter and spring (but available all year round)

pineapples
Thai name: saparot (SaparOt)

Thai pineapples are incredibly sweet. There are three varieties:
1) Elongated prickly yellow pineapples with bright yellow flesh of a dense consistency, like a cabbage.
2) Plump pineapples with green or yellow-green skin and light yellow almost white flesh, very delicate texture, super juicy.
3) Tiny sugar mini pineapples.

Season all year round.

Read about all varieties of pineapples in Thailand.

watermelons
Thai name: taeng mo (teng mo)

Thai watermelons are incredibly sweet by tropical standards. Much sweeter than in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Their sweetness is about the same as that of Vietnamese watermelons. The most common variety is small, dark-skinned watermelons. Their weight is on average from 2 to 4 kg.

Also in Thailand there are yellow watermelons. Outwardly, they differ in the color of the peel - they have light green with characteristic stripes. Yellow watermelons in Thailand are significantly more expensive than red ones. By the way, they taste different from red ones, no matter what they say. Red watermelons have their signature watermelon flavor, which is not found in yellow ones. Yellow watermelons are simply sweet.

Bananas
Thai name: kluey / kluai (klui th)

In Thailand, there are also large bananas, like Ecuadorian ones, which are sold in Russia, but small bananas are most valued here. The most common Thai bananas are as follows:
1) Small plump with a plush skin (they are also Thai hairy bananas). The variety is called. They have a white sugary pulp, often come across large black bones almost the size of a pea. It is necessary to choose such bunches of bananas of this variety so that there is not a single gram of green on the peel, it is even better that the peel begins to turn black. Then bananas will be really tasty and sweet.
2) Small thin elongated bananas. Very fragrant, with white sweet pulp.
3) Small short bananas. They have bright yellow flesh, strong sweetness and rich aroma.

Season all year round, growing in Thailand like weeds.

pomelo(Pummelo, Shaddock)
Thai: som-oh.

It is very different from those pomelo that are brought to Russia. Thai pomelo taste is very pleasant, not intrusive, but bright. Especially tasty varieties with pink flesh.

Thai name: som

These are Thai tangerines. Their peculiarity is that the skin is often completely green or green with orange, while the flesh is always bright orange, with a bright taste, not like classic tangerines. Season all year round.

By the way, tropical citrus fruits always have a green peel due to climatic conditions. Only in cooler climates does the peel turn orange.

It is a relative of the mango. Small sweet and sour fruits. To make the Thai plum really tasty, you need to choose super ripe fruits. Otherwise, this fruit will be tart, sour and completely tasteless.

Season from December to March.

Thai name: som-tra

These are imported oranges from the USA. Thailand does not grow its own oranges.

Their prices are different, from 39 to 140 baht / kg.

melons

The taste of Thai melons is not at all bright, they are more like sweet pumpkins. Juicy, refreshing, but cannot be compared with Uzbek Torpedoes. Small, 1.5-2 kg. Beige is 35 baht/kg, yellow is 79 baht/kg and green is 99 baht/kg. Their consistency is not quite melon - more watery.

(lychee, lychee)
Thai name: lin-chi

Santol(Thai apple, Santol, Kechapi)

Round fruit, about the size of an apple, beige. Inside are white slices containing small bones. Outwardly and to taste, the pulp resembles a mangosteen, but still less tasty. The bones of santol do not separate from the pulp at all, which is why few people like this fruit.

Season: May-August.

grenades(Pomegranate)
Thai name: phila

Thai pomegranates have a light skin. Not as tasty as Uzbek and Turkish ones.

Season: August-October.

In Thailand, they are grown very, very little, which is very strange, because. in all the countries bordering Thailand, everything is in perfect order with avocados. It is Thai avocados that can be found on sale in September and October, but in limited quantities. Price 79 baht/kg. Were seen in the Makro supermarket and on.
Outwardly, you might think that this is an imported variety, but in fact these are Thai avocados grown in Thailand. And they are smaller than Hasses, the texture is coarser, less greasy, and they have a pine-nutty taste.

For fruit lovers, what could be better than enjoying a juicy and ripe product. Pears or apples familiar to our climate are delicious, but there are many exotic berries and fruits, some of which can be purchased at the supermarket, while others - only in hot countries. This article will focus on pink fruits, their beneficial properties and what they are called.

Lychee

The birthplace of this fruit is China (in translation, it grows in clusters, has an oval shape, the volume of the berry does not exceed four centimeters, weighs no more than twenty grams. The fruit is pink, white inside, has a dense but brittle skin of different colors from pink to bright purple. The flesh of the fruit is white or creamy, jelly-like in texture, with an inedible brown pit inside.

Taste. In this fruit, only the pulp is edible. It is tender, with a refreshing sweet and sour taste, vaguely reminiscent of grapes. The taste depends on sunny days and rainfall, so it can be from very sweet to very sour.

Beneficial features. The composition of the pink-white fruit includes vitamins C, K, PP, B1 and B2, as well as iron, copper, potassium and phosphorus. A high concentration of carbohydrates contributes to the normalization of digestive processes. It is recommended to use in the following diseases:

• in diabetes mellitus to normalize sugar levels;
• with anemia;
• mild anemia;
• with diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• with high cholesterol;
• with disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.

And also low-calorie fruit can be consumed during diets.

Harm. Pink-white fruit has no special contraindications. Not recommended for small children or in case of personal intolerance. And you can also harm the body if you eat a fruit with a stone or with excessive daily consumption.

How to choose? The freshest fruit can only be purchased in the countries where it is grown. When choosing, you need to know that lychee is divided into several varieties, if the fruit does not look like in the picture, this does not mean that it is stale or of poor quality. What you should pay attention to:

• the fruit should not be broken and contain soft areas;
• peel - whole, without cracks and breaks;
• to the touch the fruit is dense and elastic;
• brown shades indicate staleness.

How to store? Buy fruit should be in clusters along with foliage and branches. Store at room temperature for no more than three days, in the refrigerator - about 30 days.

How to peel and eat pink fruit with white flesh? Before use, use a knife to cut the shell, separate the pulp and pull out the bone. The fruit is consumed not only in its raw form. It is added to cocktails, various sauces, desserts.

Kepundung (Asian gooseberry)

Outwardly, it resembles longan (spherical orange fruits that form into clusters). Despite the dense peel, the fruit is easily peeled. A fruit with a pink-white jelly-like pulp, inside there is a hard-to-separate stone. Refreshing taste with sweet and sour notes. Contains large amounts of vitamin C.

• are used for the treatment and prevention of colds, throat diseases, diseases of the gastric tract;
• helps with liver problems.

Due to the fact that the stone is difficult to separate, the fruits are practically not consumed fresh. They are added to sauces, syrups or dried.

Chompoo (Malay apple)

The fruit is oblong in shape and more like not apples, but small pears. The rind is shiny and looks like it has been waxed. Skin color can be pink or deep red. The pink fruit inside has a white juicy pulp and a pair of inedible brown seeds.

Taste. The pulp is juicy, when biting a crunch is heard. The taste is sweet and sour, in order to fully enjoy all its shades, it is recommended to use the fruit chilled.

• beneficial effect on the work of the gastrointestinal tract;
• removes toxins from the body;
• has a diuretic and anti-inflammatory effect.

The pink fruit has no contraindications, but acquaintance with this fruit should begin with small doses.

They are used not only fresh, but you can also stew them with the addition of spices, prepare jams and jams.

Rambutan

Rambutan is the most exotic pink fruit that is extremely rare outside of its habitat. The size of the fruit is no larger than a chicken egg with a pronounced pink color, there are green hairs on the peel. Outwardly resembles a fluffy ball. The pulp is of a jelly consistency, its color is pink, white or milky. In the middle of the pink fruit is an inedible brown oblong bone.

The taste varies from variety, it can be sweet or sour. The whole fruit has no smell, but when opened, the smell is similar to ordinary blue grapes.

The composition contains vitamins of group B, folic and nicotinic acids, vitamin A and C, minerals. Benefit:

• stimulates the work of the kidneys;
• normalizes blood sugar;
• strengthens bones;
• helps with diets.

Fruit is contraindicated in large quantities, no more than five fruits should be consumed per day. The peel of the fruit contains toxic substances, so medicinal products based on it should be used in doses.

In what form are they used? In order to properly peel the fruit, it is necessary to find a natural seam on the peel, scroll on both sides in opposite directions along the seam. The pulp is added to the cream for cakes, and sauces, ice cream, syrups are also made from it.

What to look for when choosing? First of all, the staleness of pink fruits is indicated by the excessive softness of the fruit, as well as wrinkled skin. If the hairs have fallen off or changed color, you should not buy such a fruit. Make sure that the fruit has a whole peel without dents, cracks or spots that are not characteristic of it. If rambutan is fresh, it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

passion fruit

Fruit with a smooth surface, has a round and slightly elongated shape. Ripe fruits with a pronounced color can be pink, yellow, red or purple. Fruits of yellow varieties are less sweet. The pulp with stones is similar to jelly, also has different colors.

The fruits are sweet to taste, but opinions differ on what they look like. It combines several flavor notes, namely peach, gooseberry, plum and strawberry.

• helps to strengthen the immune system;
• prevention of cancer and eye diseases;
• improves the skin;
• normalizes blood pressure and bowel function.

Although there are few contraindications, they still exist:

• during pregnancy or lactation, fruit is consumed in small quantities and it is imperative to monitor the reaction of the body;
• not recommended for young children, as their digestive system does not cope well with new diets;
• you should not use an exotic fruit with personal intolerance;
• people with diabetes should be treated with caution.

When used, it is necessary to cut the fruit in half and eat the pulp with a spoon along with the seeds, the peel is inedible. And you can also use the fruits as a filling for pies, make juices, mousses, salads and sauces out of them.

When choosing a fruit, pay attention to the peel, ideally it should be a little wrinkled, but at the same time dense. Store in the refrigerator for no more than seven days.

Mame

Another name for this fruit is the marmalade fruit or sapota. Basically, the fruits are spherical, but can be oblong. The diameter can reach twenty centimeters, and weight - up to three kilograms. The peel is dense and rough, red-brown in color. The color of the pulp can be not only pink, but also orange or red. Inside the fruit is a large bone. The consistency of the pulp of the fruit resembles marmalade, and the taste is caramel. It can be consumed fresh or added to ice cream or smoothies.

Useful properties include:

• jujube fruit is rich in vitamins C and A, and also contains calcium, iron and potassium;
• nicotinic acid (PP) lowers cholesterol levels;
• due to the high content of potassium, the fruit is useful for diseases of the kidneys or heart;
• unripe fruit has an astringent taste and helps with diarrhea;
• vegetable fats are used in cosmetic products (perfectly moisturizes the epidermis and restores the health of damaged hair).

Marmalade fruits are quickly perishable fruits, so you will not find them on the shelves of our supermarkets.

Pitahaya (pitahaya) - pink fruit with black seeds

Pitaya is the fruit of a cactus that grows in the subtropics, another name is dragon fruit. The fruit has an attractive appearance with a skin from bright pink to red. An oblong oval shape with outgrowths, the ends of which are bright green. In the context - a pink fruit with white pulp and black seeds, the pulp is creamy. Due to its unusual appearance, the fruit is often used for decoration. One fruit weighs up to ½ kilogram.

Variety. The species differ not only in size or shape, but also in the frequency of scales and the color of the flesh. There are three main types:

• White pitaya is the most common type of pink fruit, white inside with black seeds. The taste, although pronounced, is rather fresh compared to other types.
• Yellow - yellow peel, on which there are scales that look like pimples. The flesh is white with dark seeds. Sweeter in taste than other varieties.
• Red - the skin is almost red, inside the fruit is pink with black dots. Very fragrant, but more whimsical look.

Taste. The pulp is similar in consistency to thick sour cream, the taste of the fruit resembles a mixture of banana and kiwi. Pink fruit with black seeds goes well with other fruits or dishes. The main thing is that other foods should not be more sweet or spicy, as this will clog the taste of the pitahaya.

The composition includes vitamins (C, B), fiber, nicotinic and ascorbic acid, minerals (iron, potassium, phosphorus and calcium).

• great for weight loss;
• removes waste and toxins from the body;
• pink fruit, white inside with black dots, perfectly improves immunity;
• relieves constipation;
• has an anti-inflammatory effect;
• lowers blood sugar levels;
• slows down the aging process;
• has a beneficial effect on the epidermis and is widely used in cosmetic products.

• It should be used with caution by people prone to allergic rashes.
• Overeating can cause diarrhea.
• If you try the fruit for the first time, you need to use it a little.
• Pink fruit, white inside with dots, not recommended for small children.

In what form are they used? The fruit can be eaten not only raw, but also make juices or jams from it, add to salads.

A few tips on how to clean up.

• You can not remove the peel, for this, a pink fruit, white inside with seeds, is cut into two parts with a knife and the pulp is taken out with a spoon.
• You can peel the peel from top to bottom, like peeling a banana.
• You can cut the fruit into slices, like citrus fruits.
• If you cut the peel a little, and then move it down, then one pulp will remain in your hands.

How to choose? Before eating a pink fruit with black dots inside, you should familiarize yourself with the simple rules:

• the fruit should be slightly soft to the touch;
• if you purchased a hard fruit, you can send it to the refrigerator for a couple of days, and it will become soft;
• if there are dark spots on the peel - this fruit is overripe, you should not buy it;
• the surface of the fruit should have a bright color;
• growths should not be dry.

You can store pink fruit, inside with black seeds, in the refrigerator for no more than a week.

Pluot

This fruit is a hybrid that appeared due to the combination of apricot and plum. The fruits are in the form of a small ball. Smooth peel can be not only pink, but also green, burgundy or purple. The flesh is juicy and may be plum or white. In terms of taste, pluot is similar to an apricot.

Useful properties include:

• due to the fiber that the fetus contains, intestinal function is stimulated, and cholesterol levels are also reduced;
• B vitamins help to normalize the activity of the nervous system;
• the presence of potassium helps to restore not only the water balance, but also the work of the cardiovascular system;
• the fruit has an antipyretic effect during a cold;
• improves the immune system;
• beneficial effect on the organs of vision;
• helps with constipation.

It is not recommended to use the fruit on an empty stomach, as some of the substances that make up the composition can irritate the mucous membrane. Due to the large amount of sugar, it should not be used in the diet of people with diabetes. Contraindicated in people with personal intolerance, as well as with gastritis or exacerbation of ulcers.

Juices and wines, jams and jelly are made from the fruit. Add to fruit salads, desserts.

Tsabr

Belongs to the cactus family, another name is prickly pear or Indian fig. The fruit grows on a cactus and looks like a pear, no more than eight centimeters long. On the peel are small spines, the skin can be pink, red, yellow or green. The pulp is red or white with small seeds.

• the presence of calcium improves the condition of the nail plate and hair, and also strengthens the bones;
• there is phosphorus necessary for the body to form new cells;
• ascorbic acid strengthens the immune system;
• regular use normalizes the functioning of the kidneys and liver;
• the fruit is low in calories, so you can use it during the period of dietary nutrition.

How to clean the fruit? The process must be carried out with gloves, using a fork and knife. First, the cap is cut off from the fruit, then an incision is made in the center and the peel is unfolded with a fork, thus the pulp is separated.

The fruit can be eaten fresh and also used in cooking. For example, drinks, sauces, jams or jams are prepared from the pulp. Add to salads, pastries or desserts. Dried fruits are used as a condiment. And the stems are like vegetables and are used as a side dish for fish or meat dishes.

Guava

This fruit is pink inside, small in size, round or pear-like in shape. Depending on the variety, the flesh can be not only pink, but also white. The wrinkled peel looks dense on the outside, but in fact it is thin and healthy. Inside the pulp is a large number of small seeds.

Taste. Guava is a very mysterious fruit, as its taste is hard to describe. Ripe fruits are similar in taste to raspberries, but with hints of needles that appear from behind the peel. The most popular type is considered to be a fruit with pink flesh that tastes like a combination of strawberries and pineapple.

• normalizes pressure;
• strengthens the immune system;
• has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties;
• stimulates the work of the cardiac system and the production of hormones;
• tea from the roots helps with diarrhea;
• improves the functioning of the endocrine system;
• normalizes the digestive process;
• lowers blood sugar levels;
• has a positive effect on the epidermis;
• relieves stress and stimulates brain activity.

• excessive consumption can lead to indigestion;
• people with allergic diseases should eat this fruit with caution;
• unripe fruits adversely affect the functioning of the kidneys.

How to eat? You can use pink fruit with seeds, after cutting it into slices. Only ripe fruits are eaten with the peel (a little bitter). And you can also prepare juices, syrups, jam, mashed potatoes. Add to salads, smoothies or ice cream. Pickled guava goes well with meat dishes.

How to choose? First of all, you need to pay attention to the appearance. Fruit with pink flesh on the skin should not show damage or dark spots. The fruits are slightly soft to the touch. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 30 days, at room temperature for no more than four days.

Medlar Germanic (Caucasian)

Despite the fact that the plant belongs to the rose family, the color of the fruit is brown with a red tint. The fruit tastes slightly astringent, with sourness. There are about five bones inside.

• ascorbic acid helps to strengthen the immune system;
• eating fruit improves blood vessels, thereby preventing the formation of blood clots;
• has an anti-inflammatory effect;
• removes toxins from the body;
• improves blood circulation and blood clotting;
• the presence of potassium has a beneficial effect on the work of the cardiovascular system;
• calcium helps to strengthen not only the hair and the nail plate, but also the bones;
• magnesium normalizes the functioning of the nervous system.

Eating the fruit can only harm people with personal intolerance.

Syrups, juices, jams are made from fruits, they are added to desserts.

Using exotic fruits in cooking

Consider some incredible recipes on how to cook exotic fruits deliciously.

No. 1. Stuffed chompoo.

Ripe fruits are cut lengthwise into two parts, getting rid of the core. Minced meat is made from any kind of meat pulp, spices, salt, and a little tomato sauce are added to it. Lay out the meat filling in each half. Bake in the oven for about twenty minutes at a temperature of 180 degrees. Before serving, sprinkle the dish with chopped herbs and garlic.

No. 2. Lychee dessert.

First of all, you need to prepare the cream. To do this, beat three eggs and grind them with a tablespoon of granulated sugar. Gently pour in freshly squeezed juice of ½ lemon and pour a little citrus zest. The mass is poured into a saucepan and put in a water bath, cooked until the mixture thickens, while stirring occasionally so that the cream does not stick to the bottom. Cool to room temperature in a natural way and add 25 grams of butter. Peeled fruits are laid out at the bottom of the baking dish, evenly poured with lemon cream and baked for no more than fifteen minutes to form a golden crust.

No. 3. Salad with the addition of rambutan.

For 250 grams of canned fruit you will need:

• 150 g crab meat;
• 50 grams of rice (boiled);
• greens and white sauce (mayonnaise).

All components are finely chopped and mixed in a deep bowl. Add salt, ground pepper to your taste and season with white sauce. Arrange in a salad bowl and decorate with herbs.

No. 4. Casserole with passion fruit and cottage cheese.

For three fruits you will need the following products:

• granulated sugar - 60 grams;
• two types of cottage cheese (crumbly - 150 g and soft - 100 g);
• 30 grams of starch;
• one egg and a little butter (butter).

Cottage cheese is pre-mixed, granulated sugar and an egg are sent there. Juice is made from two fruits and starch is added to it. The curd mass and juice are mixed. Lubricate the baking dish with oil and sprinkle with breadcrumbs, spread the dough evenly. Cook for about forty minutes at a temperature of 180 degrees. The finished casserole is decorated with whipped cream and the remaining passion fruit.

No. 5. Salad with chicken meat and pitahaya.

For two fruits you need to prepare:

• ¼ kilogram of chicken fillet;
• one stalk of celery;
• 100 grams of pistachios;
• one red onion;
• lettuce leaves.

Pre-cut the onion in half rings to remove bitterness, pickle it. To do this, mix a small amount of apple cider vinegar with sugar and place the vegetable there for ten minutes. The meat is chopped into cubes and also poured with marinade. To prepare it, mix 60 milligrams of balsamic vinegar and oyster sauce. The chicken should marinate for about thirty minutes. After this time, it is fried in olive oil. Cut the celery into cubes, grind the nuts into crumbs. The fruit is cut lengthwise into two parts and the pulp is removed so that the skin is not damaged. The pulp of one fruit is whipped with a blender, 30 ml of sesame oil and 50 ml of olive oil are sent to it, and the remaining pulp is cut into cubes. They take the peel of the fruit, lay lettuce, onion, celery on the bottom. On top of the meat, fruit pulp and nuts. Gently drizzle with dressing.

No. 6. Rabbit with guava.

For the carcass of one rabbit, you will need the following ingredients:

• two fruits;
• 15 grams of dried marjoram, as well as salt and ground pepper;
• one lemon;
• a couple of cloves of garlic.

The meat is pre-washed, dried, cut into portions. Spread in a deep bowl and add all the spices, including chopped garlic and salt. The fruits are cut into two parts, with the help of a spoon they get rid of the seeds and chop into thin strips. The meat is fried until golden brown in vegetable oil, guava is laid out on top, freshly squeezed lemon juice and clean water are poured. Cover with a lid. Reduce the fire and simmer for about an hour.

No. 7. Sorbet is a light version of ice cream, where the pulp of the fruit is frozen and served as a dessert in special bowls.

To prepare it, we need:

• one pink pitahaya fruit;
• granulated sugar 30 grams;
• 15 ml lemon juice;
• 60 ml cold water.

Pre-take out the pulp and beat it with a blender. Carefully pour in water, citrus juice and pour out granulated sugar. Place in the freezer until the mixture is chilled. Served on the table in a skin of pitahaya.

1. Upon arrival in tropical countries, you should not immediately eat unusual fruits. Most of them are allergens, so you should wait two days for the body to adapt.
2. It is not recommended to eat exotic fruits in kilograms. You can get enough of one fruit or even half, it all depends on the size.
3. During pregnancy, lactation, as well as young children and the elderly, exotic foods should be eaten with extreme caution, and it is necessary to monitor the body's reaction.
4. During improper transportation, most fruits lose their beneficial properties.

In this article, we examined in detail not only what pink fruits are called, but their features and recipes for their preparation.

List of green fruits you can find anywhere. Some fruits are well known, and some are known only in places of rest, in resorts. Others are generally not known to ordinary people. But these fruits have one thing in common - they are all green.

Of course, some fruits may have a different color, for example, yellow, orange, red, etc., but this already depends on the variety and type of fruit and the ripening time.

This is a fruit that looks more like a vegetable than a fruit. Avocado pulp is very rich in vitamins. You can find out more about him.

Annona scaly, sugar apple

The fruits are 5-10 centimeters in diameter. The skin is covered with scales. The pulp has a sweet taste. The seeds are poisonous.

This fruit has very soft flesh. She is edible. Various products are made from the fruit. The seeds are poisonous. Widespread in the tropics.

A pineapple

Watermelon

Everyone knows this fruit. You can find out more about him.

Banana

Everyone knows this fruit. You can find out more about him.

The pulp of the white sap is juicy, with a sour taste. The fruits are like an apple. They are eaten raw. Grows in the subtropics.

Grape

Delicious berries that are well known in post-Soviet countries.

Voavanga berries are small in size 5x4.5 centimeters. Ripe woavanga has a sweet and sour taste. Voavanga is grown in warm countries, mainly in tropical Africa.

Guava fruits are eaten raw. They also make various products. Guava berries range in size from 4 to 12 centimeters. Today, guava is grown in the subtropics and subtropics. There are many different varieties that differ in many ways.

This fruit has huge fruits. It can reach a weight of up to 25 kilograms. The taste of jackfruit is peculiar with a fresh-sweet taste. A sweet smell emanates from it.

Durian is an unforgettable fruit or "King among fruits". You can read a detailed article about durian.

Cainito, star apple

Cainito berries reach sizes up to 10 centimeters. Cainito grows in warm countries. It mainly grows in Central and South America. The pulp is eaten with a spoon. The bark is inedible.

Carambola fruit in cross section resembles a star, and this is what it is mostly remembered for. You need to eat carambola with caution, because there are contraindications to certain types of diseases.

Coconut palm

Everyone knows what a coconut is. Fresh coconut is green. A variety of food products are made from coconut. Juice is drunk from an unripe coconut by making a hole in the coconut. Not only the drupe of the palm is used, but all parts. So, for example, wine, vodka, vinegar, syrup and sugar are made from palm sap. Coconut grows in the tropics around the world.

Corilla, cyclantera

It is a climbing tree up to 5 meters long. Berries are up to 23x7 centimeters in size. The pulp is juicy with a pleasant taste similar to cucumber. It grows in the tropics on the mountains and subtropics.

Lime

Lucuma is a tree up to 15 meters high. Turkish delight berries like tomatoes, 10 centimeters in diameter. The flesh is not very juicy, but it tastes sweet. The collected ripe fruits are kept for several days and then only they are eaten. Grows in South and Central America.

Mango is one of the most delicious fruits. Each variety has its own unique taste. You can read more about it.

passion fruit

Passion fruit is mostly brown in color, but it also has greenish varieties. It grows throughout the world in the tropics and subtropics. You can read more.

Momordica, bitter cucumber

Momordica is a climbing plant. Cucumber-like fruits are harvested in their unripe green form. When the fruit ripens, it becomes bright yellow or orange. It is more of a vegetable than a fruit. The fruits are bitter, they are first processed and only then cooked. The sap of the plant is poisonous in its raw form. This fruit grows in Russia, follow the link and find out where. Grows throughout the world with warm climates.

This is a small tree up to 6 meters. Fruits up to 15 centimeters in size. Unripe fruits are eaten raw, they do not taste very good. Grows in the tropical zone.

Papeda is a tree up to 12 meters high. Papeda fruits are 7 centimeters in diameter. The flesh of the fruit has a sour or bitter taste. It looks like a lime. Grown in South and Southeast Asia.

A pomelo tree up to 15 meters high. The fruits can be up to 50 centimeters in diameter. The fruits do not taste bitter, even pleasant. Grows in the tropics and subtropics.

This tree is up to 20 meters high. The fruits are 15 centimeters in diameter, they are very tasty. This fruit is considered one of the best tropical fruits. Grows in Central and South America.

The plant reaches a height of 3-8 meters. The fruit reaches sizes up to 25x5 centimeters. The pulp has the taste of peas. Grows in Central America.

Closely related to chayote. The fruits are not large. It tastes like cucumber. Cooked like vegetables.

pumpkin tree, tree calabash

The tree reaches a height of 10 meters. The fruits are round, up to 40 centimeters in size. The pulp of young fruits is marinated in vinegar. The seeds are roasted and eaten. Fresh fruits can not be eaten, they are poisoned. Grows in Central America. Earlier, dishes were made from the shell, but now plastic has replaced it.

Philippine rose apple

The tree reaches a height of 40 meters. The fruits are 6 cm in diameter. The fruits are eaten raw and cooked. It grows in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

The fruit of this plant is similar to the durian. The fruits are delicious and are considered a staple food in the tropics. Grows in the tropics.

Chayote, Mexican cucumber

Chayote is a climbing plant up to 20 meters. Berries reach a length of 7 to 20 centimeters. The flesh is like a cucumber. It is used throughout the world as a vegetable, in tropical and subtropical areas.

Cherimoya, Annona cherimola

Distributed throughout the mountainous regions of the tropics, in subtropical and Mediterranean climates. This fruit has a delicious taste. It is eaten cut into two parts and the inner pulp is eaten with a spoon. The seeds are poisonous. Cherimoya is used to make various dishes and products.

Black sapote or black persimmon

Tree up to 25 meters high. The berry is similar to a tomato, 10x13 centimeters in size. It has a mild sweet nutty taste. Grows in tropical countries.

The countries of Southeast Asia are simply a paradise for lovers of tropical fruits. Dragon fruit, mangosteen, tomarillo, durian, snake fruit, and many other exotic names cease to amaze here and become the norm. Surely in Russia, in large supermarkets, there are many of these fruits, only, firstly, their prices can differ by an order of magnitude, and secondly, in order for them to appear on the shelves in a nice way, they are fairly stuffed with chemicals or sent unripe, which cannot but affect the taste and useful qualities. But in Southeast Asia, at home, many of these fruits cost a penny - for example, a ripe and juicy mango in season can be bought for 5 rubles, and a large (3 kg), sweet papaya for 30 rubles. As for the usual apples and pears, here, on the contrary, they are one of the most expensive fruits. In addition, there are almost no berries here, with the exception of strawberries, which sometimes pleases us. For the sixth month we have been living in Bali, and every day we enjoy a variety of fruit flavors. There are several dozen tropical fruits here, and if you consider that each of them, as a rule, has several varieties, and the taste of each variety is unique and inimitable, it becomes clear how good life is for fruit lovers here. The same fruits that we tried in Mexico, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Indonesia often differ not only in taste, but also in name and shape. The eyes in the market or in the store run up, it is difficult to choose a particular fruit, so we buy huge boxes that can hardly fit on a bike. We deliberately do not write about prices, since they are different everywhere, depending on the country, seasonality, variety and ability to bargain. So, we begin our acquaintance with tropical exotics.

Snake fruit (snake fruit), the Balinese call it salak

The fruits are round or pear-shaped, tapering to a wedge at the top, covered with a scaly brown peel resembling snake skin, from which the name of the fruit comes. The peel is thin and easily removed, it is enough to cut it or tear it at the edge, and then remove it like an egg shell. The flesh is white or beige in color and consists mainly of three segments. If the fruit is unripe, then due to the high content of tannin it knits the mouth, this is how we first tried it in Malaysia in the spring - we did not like it, and we safely forgot about it. Here in Bali, salak, as one of the most common fruits, quickly became familiar, we tried it again, and, one might say, fell in love. In Bali, 2 varieties are common. One, more elongated, consists of 3 identical segments, has a pleasant refreshing sweet taste, reminiscent of pineapple and banana with a slight nutty flavor. The second, more rounded, with two large segments and a third small pitted, tastes similar to gooseberries and pineapples. Both varieties are quite interesting, we buy different ones with the same success. Salak contains tannin, which removes harmful substances from the body, has astringent, hemostatic and antidiarrheal properties. In the north of Bali, in the forests, we somehow found a wild herring. Unlike the garden one, its peel is prickly in small needles, no more than 1 mm long, and the fruits themselves are smaller in size. They taste sweet, but peeling because of the thorns is not very pleasant, so we fed them to the monkeys, who were not a hindrance to the thorns and they coped with cleaning as quickly as they do with bananas.

Tamarillo (tamarillo)

Tamarillo fruits are egg-shaped, about 5 cm long. The shiny peel is hard and bitter, inedible, and the flesh has a sweet and sour, tomato-currant taste, almost without aroma. The skin color can be orange-red, yellow, or purple-red. The color of the pulp is usually golden-pink, the seeds are thin and round, black, edible. The fruits resemble long-fruited tomatoes, which is why they called it a tomato tree. Tomarillo can be cut into 2 halves and simply squeeze the pulp into your mouth, or peel it with a knife, holding the tail - you get such a flower
Tamarillo contains a large amount of vitamins A, B6, C and E, as well as trace elements - iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and calcium. The fruit will be useful for those who suffer from migraines. We fell in love with this fruit because of the berry-currant taste - there are very few berries in Bali, mostly all imported (with the exception of strawberries). Tamarillo makes an excellent sauce when lemon juice, ginger and honey are added to it. The sauce is suitable for both spicy dishes and desserts.

mango

Of the many tropical fruits, mango is still one of our favorites - it seems you can eat it as much as you like and never get bored. In Russia, we sometimes bought them in a store and the concept of different varieties did not exist for us - there are just mangoes and that's it, what was our surprise that, it turns out, there are several dozen species of them. India harvests about 13.5 million tons of mangoes per year (just think about the number!) and is thus the main producer (the most famous variety is mangifera indica 'Alphonso'), China is in second place in terms of productivity (just over 4 million tons) , on the third - Thailand (2.5 million tons), Indonesia 2.1 million tons. Ripe fruits of different varieties taste very different, most often they are sweet and have pleasant aromas of different shades from honey even to ginger.
Arriving in India in early November, we were very surprised not to find mangoes on sale - it turned out that the season begins in April. We flew away at the end of March, and literally in the last week the first crop appeared on sale - these were small red mangoes, very fragrant and sweet, for several days we could not tear ourselves away from them. We really liked the variety of mangoes in Malaysia - from Thai light yellow, with beige flesh inside, to green thick-skinned, unripe in appearance, but with bright orange, sweet flesh. But for real, we overeat mangoes in Bali. In May and June, the choice was not very large, but in August, September and, especially, in October, the variety of varieties and prices never cease to please us. Our favorite Harumanis are green mangoes with orange, sweet, honey-colored flesh. Mango has a lot of vitamins and fructose, and few acids. Vitamin A has a beneficial effect on the organs of vision, helps with "night blindness" and other eye diseases. Regular consumption of mango improves immunity and protects against colds. Green mango is also rich in vitamin C. Mango fruits are often used in home medicine, for example, in India, mango is used to stop bleeding, to strengthen the heart muscle, and also to improve brain function.

Jackfruit (jackfruit)

Everyone who sees a jackfruit for the first time is very surprised, and there is something - this is the largest fruit in the world that grows on a tree. The length of the fruit is 20-90 cm, the diameter is up to 20 cm, and the fruits weigh up to 35 kg (in the photo, for comparison, there is a tangerine next to it). The thick peel is covered with numerous cone-shaped protrusions-thorns. Young fruits are green, when ripe they become green-yellow or brown-yellow. If the fruit has fallen and is not ripe, it is eaten as a vegetable, in India we have repeatedly tried jackfruit curry. But the fresh one was first tasted in Sri Lanka at the end of April, the season had just begun there. You can find a ripe fruit from May to September; when tapped, it makes a hollow sound (immature fruit is deaf). Inside, the fruit is divided into large lobes, which contain a sweet yellow pulp, consisting of juicy, slippery fibers. Each lobe contains an oblong seed 2-4 cm long, in one fruit there can be up to 500 seeds
The peel and seeds of a ripe fruit have an unpleasant putrefactive odor, while the pulp smells pleasant, there is something in common with a banana and pineapple, but the taste is still specific, for an amateur, we liked it very much. All parts of the plant, including the peel, contain sticky latex, so it is recommended to cut the fruit by lubricating your hands with sunflower oil or wearing rubber gloves :) The fruit can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 months. In supermarkets and markets, jackfruit is sold mainly in a chopped form, since whole fruits, firstly, scare away with their thorns, and secondly, not everyone is ready to master such a giant. Due to its weight, it is not uncommon for a jackfruit to fall from a tree and break. Due to the strong smell, it is easily found by animals, which carry seeds throughout the forest, which contributes to its active spread. Jackfruit fruits are very nutritious, they contain about 40% carbohydrates. In particular, for this reason, and also because of the cheapness and universal availability, jackfruit in India is called "bread for the poor" or breadfruit. The seeds are also nutritious - they contain 38% carbohydrates, they are roasted and eaten like chestnuts. They taste a bit dry, but they go well with salads.

Dragon fruit or dragon fruit (dragon fruit), aka pitahaya or pitahaya

Belongs to the cactus family. Due to its interesting and unusual shape, as well as bright pink color, the fruit cannot go unnoticed. The fruit has a white or red (depending on the variety), creamy flesh and a delicate, slightly perceptible aroma. The pulp is eaten raw, the taste is sweet. It is convenient to eat, cut into 2 halves, scooping out the pulp with a spoon. To some, dragon fruit may seem bland and not very tasty, but if you taste it properly, you will definitely like the fruit (like Mozzarella cheese, for example, which also does not have a very pronounced taste). The fruit grows on cacti and blooms only at night. The flowers are also edible and can also be made into tea. The fruit is low in calories, helps with stomach pain and has a beneficial effect on the quality of vision.

Rambutan (rambutan)

The fruits are round or oval, 3-6 cm in size, grow in clusters up to 30 pieces, sometimes they are sold right on the branch. As they ripen, the fruits change color from green to yellow-orange, and then to red. If you want to get the most pleasure, choose fruits that are bright red in color. Juicy white fruits are covered with a dense skin, strewn with curved, hard yellow-brown hairs, 1-2 cm long. The pulp is gelatinous, white, very fragrant and has a pleasant sweet and sour taste. Inside is an inedible oval seed, up to 1.5 cm long. Raw seeds are poisonous, but if they are fried, they can be eaten. The seed oil is used in the manufacture of soaps and candles. Rambutans contain carbohydrates, proteins, calcium, phosphorus, iron, nicotinic acid and vitamin C. The fruits are eaten mostly fresh, sometimes canned with sugar. Moreover, in Malaysia, these canned fruits are sold on every corner, as a snack, and they also make refreshing drinks. For the first time we got acquainted with rambutans in their homeland - in Malaysia. From Malay rambutan is translated as "hairy". Fruits are very light in weight, so 1 kilogram can contain several dozen of them. By the way, after bananas, which we pretty much hooked on in India (not only because of the taste, but also for reasons of sanitary safety), this is the number 2 fruit that you can easily and safely eat while traveling. A bunch of rambutans can be bought at the market or on the side of the road and eaten right away, which you can’t do with the same papaya or mango, not to mention the fruit, which is eaten with a peel. You just need to tear the peel in the middle and remove the upper half (the hairs are not prickly at all), then send the pulp into your mouth and stay in your hand with the second half of the peel - you don’t even need to wash your hands. In Malaysia, we got just in the season of rambutans (May) and the cost for 1 kg was the same as for 1 kg of mango (about $ 1), but in Bali, they turned out to be 3 times more expensive, although in October they had already fallen in price to $ 1.5 .

Mangosteen (mangostin), aka mangosteen, mangosteen, garcinia, mangkut

The fruit is round, 4-8 cm in diameter, covered with a thick (1 cm) maroon-violet inedible peel, under which there are 5-8 segments of white, very juicy pulp, with large seeds inside each segment. We met mangosteens in Sri Lanka - when we saw them for the first time, we thought that some kind of strange persimmon was here. We were not going to buy them, but the seller stopped us at the last moment, showing a clever trick, opening this fruit in a second. Seeing the juicy pulp, we could not resist the desire and tried it, and then of course we bought it. The taste of the fruit is very pleasant, creamy-sweet and slightly tart. Mangosteen is recommended to be used to fight obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney stones, colds, depression and a huge list of different diseases. In hot weather, this is a great fruit to quench your thirst.

Melodi (melodi), aka pepino, melon pear or sweet cucumber

Fruits are diverse, differ in size, shape, color and taste. Some have an exotic color - bright yellow, others purple, which is reminiscent of eggplant. The flesh of a ripe fruit is light yellow or completely colorless. Melody tastes like a mixture of pear and cucumber with a melon flavor. It can be added to sweet desserts and salads (depending on the variety). Here in Bali, we love to add it to salads - the fruit costs about the same as cucumbers, and the taste is more tender and interesting. Shades of taste, by the way, are different - from sweet and sour to sweet. The melody itself is very juicy, it is 92% water, so it is great for quenching thirst. Vitamin C gives the sourness to the fruit, the fruit is also rich in iron, keratin and a large amount of vitamins A, B1, B2 and PP.

Longan (longan) or dragon's eye

The first name comes from the name of the Vietnamese province of Longan. And the second from the structure of the fruit - if you break the "berry" in half, then a black bone appears, which, against the background of transparent beige pulp, resembles the eye of Longan, grows in clusters on evergreen trees, whose height can reach twenty meters. More than 200 kg of fruits are harvested from each tree during the summer. Outwardly, the fruits are similar to nuts, easy to clean. The color of the inedible outer shell of the fruit is spotty yellowish. Lognan tends to ripen after being removed from the tree. Under the peel hides a transparent juicy pulp - sweet and very fragrant with a musky flavor. Under the pulp is one large bone. Longan is quite rich in vitamins, it contains a lot of vitamin C, B1, B2 and B3, as well as micro and macro elements such as phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, calcium, copper, iron, zinc, manganese and, in addition, many bioacids that are useful for the skin. With such richness, the fruit is low in calories. Longan can be eaten fresh, or as a snack with hot and spicy dishes, a drink from it perfectly quenches thirst and improves appetite
For the first time we tried the fruit in Bali - somehow walking around the market with our Balinese friend Budi, we asked him about his favorite fruits and he, without delay, pointed out this rather inconspicuous fruit. Budi comes from Java, and longan is very popular there. The first time we did not really like it, the aroma was not as pronounced as expected. We decided that we simply didn’t taste it, and after a couple of days we bought it again - this time the longan turned out to be very tasty and juicy. Against the background of other exotic, more appetizing-looking fruits, it certainly loses outwardly, but the palette of useful components included in it and the refreshing taste push you to buy again and again. Longan is used in Chinese traditional medicine as a tonic for weakness, fatigue, tachycardia, dizziness, and impaired vision. Also, the pulp of the fruit is used to treat gastrointestinal disorders, reduce body temperature during fever, calm with unreasonable excitement, normalize sleep and improve memory, and focus.

Kepundung (kepundung) or Asian gooseberry

In appearance, it is very similar to Longan, but the taste is completely different. The skin is thick but easy to peel. The fruits inside are white-pink, have a viscous jelly structure, there is a stone that is difficult to separate from the pulp - this is one of the reasons why kepundung is easier to use for making syrups and sauces, and not to be consumed fresh. The fruit tastes very pleasant, sweet and sour, refreshing with a light delicate aroma. Kepundung is a well-known source of vitamin C in Asia, making it useful for treating throat and respiratory problems. The fruit is considered sacred among Indian and Tibetan healers, who use the dried fruit to treat a wide range of problems such as indigestion, fever, liver problems, and anemia. Kepundung is good for the prevention and treatment of stress, fever, arthritis.

Tamarind (tamarind) or Indian date, he is asam, asem, sampalok

It is actually a plant in the legume family, but it is sold in the fruit section, and because of its sweet taste, many actually consider it a fruit. A fruit is hidden under the shell - a brown pod-shaped bean, similar, sorry, to a "turd", consisting of a soft pulp and many dense seeds. The pulp can be eaten fresh as a fruit or a sweet for tea. It is also widely used as a spice in both Asian and Latin American cuisines. The pulp of green fruits is sour and is used in the preparation of spicy dishes, but the ripe fruits are sweeter, with a fruity taste, they are used to make desserts, drinks, and snacks. In Latin America, especially in Mexico, this fruit is very popular and is used in all sorts of ways. It was in Mexico that we first got acquainted with its taste - we tried "Tamarindo" sweets - hard candies with seeds, with a characteristic aroma and taste. We did not like sweets, but here, in Bali, we bought fresh tamarind, not even suspecting that we had already tried it before - this time we liked it. Due to its healing properties, the pulp, leaves and bark are used in medicine. In the Philippines, the leaves are traditionally used to make an herbal tea to relieve fever from malaria. And in India, in Ayurveda - for the treatment of diseases of the digestive tract. Tamarind contains a large amount of vitamin C, as well as vitamins A and E. Protects against colds and heart disease. The tamarind is the official tree of Santa Clara in Cuba and is featured on the city's coat of arms.

Papaya (papaya)

Sweet juicy papaya pieces melt in your mouth. The fruit is exceptionally nutritious, and the most interesting thing is that papaya is not boring at all, we enjoyed eating it very often in India and Sri Lanka, and in Bali it has been our traditional breakfast dish for the sixth month. In India and Bali, papaya is very sweet, we especially like the "California" variety, but in Thailand, as our friends say, it is more watery. In Mexico, we liked it only in combination with yogurt or honey - there it is more customary to eat it a little underripe and even with salt and chili peppers. Papaya is a valuable source of beta-carotene, a third of a medium-sized fruit satisfies the daily requirement of an adult for vitamin C, and also provides the necessary amount of calcium and iron. Papaya fruits not only in appearance, but also in chemical composition are close to melon, contain glucose and fructose, organic acids, proteins, fiber, vitamins and minerals, so papaya is sometimes called the "melon tree". They say that when roasted on a fire, papaya fruits smell like fresh bread, which gave this plant another interesting name - "breadfruit". Green papaya has contraceptive and abortifacient properties - Asian women who wish to terminate their pregnancy ate the unripe fruit in large quantities. In tropical countries, papaya juice is used for diseases of the spine, as it contains an enzyme that regenerates the connective tissue of the intervertebral discs. Perhaps it is precisely because of the frequent use of papaya that Asians are less prone to diseases of the locomotor system, even despite the tradition of wearing heavy things on their heads.

Coconut (cocos, coconut)

Although they are often referred to as "coconuts", they are not actually nuts, but drupes - stone fruits (like peaches). The weight of a coconut is 1.5-2.5 kg, its outer shell is green, brown or yellow, depending on the variety, pierced with fibers, and the inner, hard shell is the very “shell” that many are used to seeing on store shelves. In a young coconut, the liquid (coconut water) is clear and tasty, it is these coconuts that are bought as a drink. Gradually, with the appearance of oil droplets inside, secreted by the bark, the liquid turns into a milky emulsion, then thickens and hardens, solidifying on the walls of the shell. In Mexico, we mostly bought already hard, sliced ​​coconuts. When eaten with chocolate, they are very reminiscent of Bounty bars. But coconut water was first tasted in India. There, young coconuts are sold on every corner, and they are very cheap ($0.3 versus $1-1.5 in Bali). They are not sold in fruit stalls, but often just from a cart. Sometimes, right under the tree on the ground, lies a mountain of fresh coconuts and split bones. Sellers deftly, in 2-3 steps, cut off the top and insert the tube - the drink is ready
A young coconut contains about 2 cups of "coconut milk". After the natural container is empty, you can ask to split it into 2 parts and with a spoon made right there by the seller from one cut along the outer layer, scrape out the pulp - a translucent jelly slurry. In Bali, various varieties of both young coconuts and hard ones are in abundance, and the latter are sold already peeled, which is very convenient. The 1st place in the world in the production of coconuts, and this is about 20,000 thousand tons of fruits per year, is occupied by the Philippines. Indonesia and India are in 2nd and 3rd places, respectively. Coconut is a strong aphrodisiac, it normalizes the reproductive system. Milk and pulp of coconut well restore strength and improve eyesight. Coconut oil is generally a versatile product, it is used in cooking, for medical and cosmetic purposes. Strengthens and nourishes hair, as well as moisturizes and softens the skin, smoothing wrinkles; improves the functioning of the digestive system and liver; normalize thyroid function; relaxes muscles and helps with joint problems; increases immunity and resistance to various infections, reduces the adaptability of bacteria to antibiotics. The pulp normalizes the level of cholesterol in the blood; helps with colds, diarrhea, and gallbladder diseases; has antimicrobial, antiviral wound-healing effect; reduces the risk of atherosclerosis and other diseases of the cardiovascular system, as well as cancer and degeneration processes. Hard coconuts contain B vitamins and vitamins C and E, as well as various mineral salts. In general, not a fruit, but a whole natural pharmacy.

Pineapple (ananas, pineapple)

The largest pineapple plantations are concentrated in the Hawaiian Islands, which is about 30% of world production. Did you know that pineapples grow on bushes, not on trees? For the first time as they grow, we are in Sri Lanka, and we were very surprised. Pineapple, along with bananas, is one of the most popular fruits in Asia, they are found in every country - of different varieties and sizes. We ate the most delicious pineapples in Sri Lanka - bright, sweet and juicy, with a rich aroma, just a heavenly delight. Our friends from Sri Lanka even brought such pineapples home to Russia as souvenirs. And in India, we liked the way of peeling pineapples on the beaches. In the states of Kerala and Goa, vendors carry fruits for sale in large bowls on their heads, including pineapples. They are turned upside down, deftly peeled with a knife, and literally a minute later they are handed over like an ice cream cone. Pineapple is low in calories, and the high content of potassium salts helps to get rid of excess fluid and even several kilograms of weight. Pineapple dessert improves the digestion of fatty foods and improves metabolism. Due to the complex of biologically active substances, pineapple stimulates digestion and reduces blood viscosity. Pineapple contains vitamins A, B and C, as well as numerous trace elements, including bromelain, which improves the absorption of protein substances by the body.

Passion fruit (marakujya), aka edible passion flower, or edible passionflower, or purple granadilla

For the first time we tried this passion fruit in Bali, and I must say that from the first time it did not make much impression on us, but the second time we tried it - passion fruit is really very tasty and unusual. The color of the fruit, depending on the variety, varies from light yellow to maroon, the jelly-like pulp can be transparent, beige, greenish. Taste shades are also quite different - from sweet and sour to very sweet. We are not yet addicted to a particular variety, we are trying different ones. It is enough to cut the fruit in half, after which the fragrant sweet pulp can be eaten with a spoon. Passion fruit seeds are also edible - they are used to decorate cakes and other confectionery. Sweet and sour passion fruit juice is valued in cooking, and since it also has good tonic properties, it is used in pharmaceuticals and cosmetology. The fruit is very effective in relieving headaches, muscle tension and insomnia.

Guava (guava) or guava

The fruit is usually round, oval or pear-shaped, with a pleasant musky odor. The color of the fruit is very different - yellowish-white, bright yellow, reddish, greenish-white or completely green, the skin is always very thin. Fruits are different in size - from very small to large, depending on the variety. The flesh is white, yellow, pink or bright red, filled with hard seeds. The number of seeds ranges from 112 to 535 (and some fruits contain no seeds at all). Guava gives one main crop, up to 100 kg per tree - and 2-4 additional much smaller ones. The best mature trees give 200-250 kg each. per year. The first time we tried guava in India, they prefer to eat it unripe, green there. It is cut in half and sprinkled with pepper (we abstained from this additive). The taste is unusual, we liked it, but the stomachs of unripe fruits did not really like it. In Bali, we tried another variety of guava, and this time we ate ripe fruit. These fruits are similar in size and color to Asian lemons, and the pale pink tender flesh tastes like strawberries.
Guava is a storehouse of health, it is the only fruit that contains 16 vitamins, minerals, salts and trace elements. An interesting fact: guava contains 5-10 times more vitamin C than orange. Guava fruits are widely used not only in food (jelly, jams, sauces, marmalade, juices), but also in the manufacture of alcoholic beverages. Guava juice has a psychostimulating effect, in ancient times it was added to the drinks of warriors and hunters to give them vigor and strength, and Cuban women fed their lovers with these fruits, they contain aphrodisiacs - substances that strengthen "male strength" and enhance sexual desire. Guava is also used as an air freshener - if the cut fruits are brought into a smoky room, then after 10 minutes the smell of tobacco will disappear.

Yellow watermelon (yellow watermelon)

It looks like an ordinary striped watermelon, only inside it is an unusual, bright yellow color. Such a watermelon was born as a result of crossing a wild watermelon (which is just yellow) with an ordinary one. In addition to the unusual coloring, this watermelon contains very little, compared to red, seeds - sometimes we come across no seeds at all. The first time we tried yellow watermelon in Malaysia and it turned out to be not very sweet, but in Bali we buy them often and always come across sweet ones. Once we bought both red and yellow to compare tastes, and so red turned out to be less sweet, even seemed watery, although if you eat it separately from yellow, it is quite fragrant and sweet
Despite the fact that it is a hybrid, yellow watermelon, like regular watermelon, contains many vitamins and is excellent for regulating the excretory system.

Sapodilla (sapodilla) aka savo, aka chiku, aka akhra

Brown-green egg-shaped fruit, up to 5 cm in size. Smaller fruits look like small potatoes, and those that are larger look like kiwi. The peel is soft and easily peeled with a knife. The flesh is yellow-brown, juicy, very sweet with a caramel-date taste, sometimes even cloyingly sweet if the fruit is ripe. It is better to choose soft fruits, even if they are a little "shrunken", they will definitely be sweeter. We first tried this fruit in India and it immediately became our second favorite (after bananas). In India it is called "chiku", so we are more accustomed to this name. In Bali, it is known as "savo", or "Balinese kiwi". They eat the fruit both raw and cooked - in the form of jams and salads, also stew with lime juice and ginger, put in pies and even make wine based on it. Chicu is rich in vegetable proteins, carbohydrates, iron, potassium and calcium, as well as vitamins A and C. The beneficial properties of chicu are used by cosmetics manufacturers - the fruit has antiseptic and regenerating properties.

Durian (durian)

In Southeast Asia, durian is considered the king of fruits. It is ovoid or round in shape, about 15-30 cm in diameter, weighing from 1 to 8 kg. Durian is covered with pyramidal hard thorns and is somewhat similar to Jackfruit, many tourists, due to inexperience, even confuse them. The fruit is a five-winged capsule, each of the 5 chambers of the fruit contains one pale yellow seed with pulp, having the consistency of a pudding and an incomparably "delicious" aroma. The smell of a ripe fruit is really peculiar, very corrosive, sweetish-putrefactive. The raw pulp of ripe durian fruits is considered a delicacy, fruits are eaten with the hands, breaking them at the seams and removing the pulp with the seed from the chamber
Its taste is reminiscent of sweet almond cream with the addition of cream cheese, onion sauce, cherry syrup and other products that are difficult to combine. Durian, if it is not overripe, smells only when cut, and the smell does not appear until half an hour after the fruit has been cut. The smell of durian is sometimes described as a mixture of rotten onions, cheese, and turpentine. Because of this, in many countries of Southeast Asia it is forbidden to bring durian into public places and transport, in many hotels of those countries where durian grows, there is even a poster with a crossed-out image of the fruit, especially we saw a lot of such posters in Singapore, there is even a fine for it is supposed to. The composition of durian includes a rich set of minerals - potassium, calcium, magnesium and zinc, these are vital elements for the functioning of the cardiovascular, nervous, immune and other body systems. A decoction of the leaves and roots of durian is used as an antipyretic, and the pulp as an anthelmintic. It is eaten fresh, added to confectionery, as a filling in chocolates, ice cream, drinks, fried as a side dish, or mixed with rice. For the first time we decided to get acquainted with the taste of durian in Malaysia by trying ice cream with this flavor. We didn’t like it at all, although it hardly had anything in common with the taste of a real fruit - it contained soy milk and a dozen flavors, stabilizers, etc. We have not met anyone indifferent to this fruit - it is either dearly loved or disgusted. Previously, we avoided even talking about trying durian, but recently we nevertheless decided on this feat. Our verdict is that durian has a very rich taste with many shades, we really liked it, so we will definitely buy it in the future.

Carambola (carambola) or star fruit

There are mainly 2 types: sour, usually green and sweet - yellow. The fruits of both varieties are very juicy, and slightly herbaceous. Sour varieties have a pronounced tonic effect, we first tried them in Bali, these varieties are ideal for salads. We met sweet varieties a long time ago, while still traveling around Europe, we especially fell in love with them in the Canary Islands. Juicy pulp most of all resembles a harmonious combination of gooseberries, apples and cucumbers. The sweet varieties are delicious raw, they can also be added to fruit smoothies, or used as an edible decoration for ice cream and cakes - when sliced, the fruit makes pretty stars. Thanks to its juiciness, carambola is ideal for quenching thirst. The mineral and vitamin complex of fruits is represented by calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium, potassium, beta-carotene and vitamins B1, B2, B5, and C. The aroma of carambola is greatly enhanced if it is slightly boiled in syrup until soft.

Asian lemons (lemon)

Of course, lemons are everywhere, and they can be attributed to tropical fruits with a stretch, but we decided, nevertheless, to write about them, because in appearance they are very different from the usual ones. Asian lemons are small, round, yellow-green or green, which gives them a resemblance to a lime, with which tourists often confuse them. By the way, lemon changes or transforms the taste of familiar fruits very cool. Try, for example, sprinkle papaya with lemon juice and get an unusual taste, papaya will seem even sweeter. We also often use lemons to make lemon-ginger-honey tea. Lemon contains so much vitamin C that even with short-term heating of lemon juice to 100 ° C, the content of vitamin C almost does not decrease, which allows you to add it to tea without losing its beneficial properties (the main thing is not to boil it). Lemon juice is a prophylactic against heart attacks, strokes, and is also capable of killing several dozen viruses.

Chompu (chomfu), jambolan, yamboza or Malay apple, also called wax, rose, mountain or water apple

The fruits are oblong, bell-shaped. Although the fruit is called an apple, it looks more like a small pear 4-8 cm long. The fruit has a pink-red or dark red, sometimes red-green waxy skin, white juicy crispy flesh inside and 1 or 2 inedible brown seeds, although there are fruits and no seed. The ripened fruit has a pleasant, sweet aroma, and the fruit itself is good for quenching thirst. We first tried it in Bali - we bought it several times, and each time the tastes are different, from very sweet to tasteless watery, apparently we have not yet learned how to determine the maturity of the fruit. The ripe fruits of the wax apple are edible not only fresh, but also stewed with cloves and other spices, in cream. Unripe fruits are suitable for making jams, jams and marinades. Also, white and red wine are made from these fruits. The Malay apple contains bioactive substances that lower blood sugar levels, so it is very useful for diabetics. It is also actively used in folk medicine in many tropical countries. For example, a decoction of the bark of the tree is used for bowel disorders, a decoction of the root is used as a diuretic, and the juice from the leaves is used as a facial lotion or bathed with it. The fruit has an antimicrobial effect, is used to regulate blood pressure and in the treatment of colds.

Sirsak, guanabana, prickly annona or soursop

The fruits are heart-shaped or oval, irregular in shape, 15-20 cm long and weighing up to 3 kg. The peel is thin and tough, has small fleshy spines arranged in a mesh pattern, the color is dark green, sometimes with black patches, the ripe fruit turns slightly yellow. The pulp is juicy, fibrous, light cream, similar to custard, divided into segments, has a fragrant unique smell reminiscent of pineapple, the taste is sweet with a slight sourness, nutmeg. The fruit is eaten both fresh and used to make drinks, desserts, fruit salads and ice cream. The fruits are harvested unripe, hard, because if they are allowed to ripen on the tree, they fall and are damaged. At room temperature, they ripen and become soft. In Indonesia, unripe fruits are used as vegetables. We eat it fresh, we tried it for the first time in the Canary Islands, but then they did not appreciate the taste and did not buy it for a long time. And quite recently, when they wanted exotics and bought sirsak, they liked the taste. We simply cut it in half, by analogy with pitaya, and eat the pulp with spoons, but you can cut it into cubes and eat it with a fork, whichever is more convenient for you. Sirsak contains important minerals - calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, as well as vitamin C and B vitamins. The fruit is good for intestinal microflora, improves liver function, normalizes stomach acidity, removes uric acid from the body, so it is recommended for people suffering from such diseases such as rheumatism, arthritis and gout. In folk medicine, the bark and leaves are used as an antispasmodic and sedative, they are used for insomnia, coughs, flu, asthenia, asthma and hypertension.

Bananas

This is definitely one of the most popular fruits on the planet. It's hard to believe when looking at a pile of identical bananas in Lenta or Auchan, but there are more than 40 different types all over the world. Most varieties, simultaneously on sale, we saw in India (about a dozen). Bananas of different colors, shapes and sizes are sold there, from very small ones with a little finger to giant ones under 30 cm and of course, each of them has its own unique taste. In India, bananas were the number one fruit for us. Firstly, they are incredibly tasty, most of all we fell in love with yellow, finger and red ones, they are very sweet. Secondly, because of the convenience of their cleaning and safety in unsanitary conditions. Thirdly, they are very cheap - $ 0.3-0.5 for a large bundle, weighing 1.5 kg. By the way, red bananas are practically not exported, because they are very soft and tender, they are quite easy to damage during transportation. Ecuadorian bananas, which everyone is used to in Russia, cannot be compared with Asian varieties in terms of sweetness and aroma. Bananas are conditionally divided into two main groups: dessert bananas, which are consumed raw or dried, and plane trees, which require heat treatment. The pulp of dessert varieties is very sweet in taste, contains a large amount of sugars, carbohydrates and a small amount of proteins and fats, so they are often used in sports nutrition. Platanos are green or red-skinned fruits with starchy, tough, often unsweetened flesh that are fried, boiled, or steamed before consumption. Most often in the markets and in cafes they are sold as a snack - banana chips or a dessert "bananas in batter". Bananas contain more vitamin B6 than other fruits, it is this vitamin that is responsible for a good mood, and because of the high phosphorus content, a banana is called a fruit for intelligence. In terms of weight, the banana crop ranks second in the world, ahead of grapes (third place) and behind oranges (first place). India grows the largest number of bananas in the world. Dried bananas - "banana figs", can be stored for a long time. In addition to fruits, young shoots of plants can be eaten, for example, in India, curry is prepared from them. In Bali, we tried to cook curry from young shoots on our own, but apparently we didn’t take into account something - it turned out to be very bitter in taste. By the way, you can buy bananas unripe and they will ripen at home, but you should not store them in the refrigerator, where they quickly turn black. Banana leaves serve as decorative elements in the ceremonies of Buddhist and Hindu cultures. They are also used as plates for traditional South Asian food in India and Sri Lanka. In Kerala we often ate from such a leaf, the Indians believe that the leaf on which dinner is served gives the food a peculiar taste. Fun fact: The world record for eating bananas is 81 bananas per hour! The world's largest collection of bananas, which includes more than 470 varieties and about 100 species, is located in Honduras.

Cocoa (cacao)

This is not about dried cocoa beans, but about the plant itself and its fruits. We first encountered him in Bali, sometimes you can find him in a fruit shop or on coffee plantations. The ripe fruit is bright yellow, large, 15-20 cm, shaped like a lemon, equipped with longitudinal grooves, inside there are many large seeds arranged in several rows and surrounded by white juicy pulp, which you can eat. We wrote more about the cultivation, drying and production of cocoa butter and cocoa powder, which are later used to make chocolate, in the article "Chocolate trees or how cocoa is grown in Bali".

Conclusion

In this article, we told you only about those fruits that we ourselves managed to get to know quite well and taste properly. There are still so many interesting fruits in Asia that we are only looking at or have tried once, but have not yet understood the taste that the fruit topic is not yet closed on this
What fruits do you like? Or maybe you have tried some interesting exotic fruit that we have not written about? Share it in the comments, we'd love to read it!