- On your next trip, think about what fruits you need to add on your bucket list.
- There are many tropical fruits to try like sugar apple or cacao.
- Some fruits are even used for cooking, like jackfruit.
Following is a transcript of the video:
ADVERTISEMENT
What 13 unexpected fruits around the world look like
Narrator: Across the globe, fruits are found in many different textures, colors, flavors, and shapes. They can be eaten raw or cooked into traditional dishes. Let's take a look at a variety of vibrant fruits from around the world that you wouldn't want to miss out on.
The sugar apple, also known as custard apple or sweetsop, is grown on the Annona squamosa tree. It's native to the West Indies and tropical Americas. Because of its widespread cultivation, it has about 50 other names. The flesh of the fruit is creamy, white, and tastes like sweet custard.
If you love chocolate, you'll love this fruit. Theobroma cacao is a tree that grows cacao, or cocoa pods. The outside of the pod ripens yellow to orange. Crack it open, and you'll find seeds covered in edible white pulp. The seeds are actually cocoa beans and used as a main ingredient for chocolate. Cacao is native to the tropical regions of the Americas.
ADVERTISEMENT
This hairy-looking fruit is called rambutan. It's part of the soapberry family and is native to Indonesia and other tropical regions of southeast Asia. The name of the fruit is derived from the Malay word rambut, which means "hair." To spice it up a bit, you can make pickled rambutan. Ingredients include the flesh of the fruit, cayenne pepper, lime, sugar, and salt.
The fingered citron is commonly called Buddha's hand, so named because it is divided into finger-like sections. Unlike most citrus fruits, this one has no juice or pulp. However, it's still used in many ways. Try using it as zest over food dishes. Because it's so fragrant, the fruit is used as perfume and is also used as a religious offering in Buddhist temples.
Carambola, also known as star fruit or five finger, is native to southeast Asia. When it's cut, it resembles a star. The entire fruit can be consumed. Carambola is best eaten shortly after it ripens. It's very juicy.
The jackfruit can weigh up to 120 pounds. It's grown on a jack tree, which is native to India. It is also the national fruit of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The flesh of the fruit can be used as a meat supplement for vegetarian dishes.
Did you know the cashew nut comes from a fruit? They're grown together on a cashew tree, which is native to Brazil. Exports of the fruit began as early as the 1500s to India, and eventually spread throughout southeast Asia and Africa. The nut is grown at the end of the apple in a kidney shape. Both the nut and fruit can be used for snacking and cooking.
ADVERTISEMENT
Jabuticaba, or the Brazilian grape tree, is known for its round, dark-purplish fruits that grow on the trunk of a tree. The inside of the berry-like fruit has white pulp and one to four seeds. Pick them off the trunk to eat raw or use them to make jam, wine, juice, or jelly.
This is the horned melon, which has many other names like kiwano and African horned cucumber. It's native to Africa and one of the few sources of water during the dry season in the Kalahari Desert. Inside the fruit is a lime-green jelly-like flesh that is very refreshing, similar to passionfruit.
Longan is one of the better-known soapberries. It's similar to lychee, genip, rambutan, and ackee. It's native to southern Asia and resembles an eyeball. When the shell is broken, a black seed shows through the flesh like a pupil.
This yellow fruit has thorns. Commonly known as yellow dragon fruit, it's part of the cactus species and native to South America. When ripe, the outer skin should be bright and evenly colored. The inside is filled with white flesh and black seeds. Like most fruits, it makes a nice add-in to healthy drinks.
Mangosteens are reddish-purple fruits that are native to southeast Asia. The inside of the fruit is sweet and tangy. The extract of the peels can be used as natural dye.
ADVERTISEMENT
In some regions, durian is named as the king of fruits. It's known for its strong odor and large size. The fruit can grow up to a foot long and weigh up to 7 pounds. It's native to the island of Borneo, but Thailand is ranked as the top exporter for the fruit. It's used in a variety of culinary ways, like on top of pizza at one cafe in Singapore.
So the next time you're traveling or even at the grocery store, think about what fruits you may need to add to your bucket list.
JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!
ADVERTISEMENT
Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: eyewitness@pulse.ng
Next story
ADVERTISEMENT