A lot of people eat fruits every day because they are healthy.
The types of food you usually eat depend on where you live and how easy it is to get to grocery shops.
What people think of as a common plant in Southeast Asia or India might seem strange to people in North or South America, and the same goes for the other way around.
If you want to try new fruits to make your diet more interesting, or if you’re just interested in the kinds of fruits that grow in other parts of the world, this piece is for you.
Here are 9 interesting and tasty exotic nutritious fruits from around the world. Some of them might be available at a specialty store near you.
1. Rambutan
Rambutans originate in Southeast Asia, such as Malaysia and Indonesia. Africa and Hawaii, among other places, also cultivate them.
The rambutan’s meat is sweet and sour, and it tastes like grapes. The fruit is about the size of a small kiwi, and there is a small pit inside it. The skin of the fruit is red, adorned with spines known as spinterns.
This fruit has many health benefits, such as vitamin C and iron. It’s important to remember that some types of rambutan, like the kind sold in syrup, can have a lot of extra sugar.
Rambutans are easy to find in Malaysia and Indonesia, but they can be very hard to find in other places. Because they go bad quickly, you might only be able to find them fresh or in a can in specialty shops in the US.
The meat is fine to eat, but the skin and pit should not be. You can eat it as a snack by itself, or you can add it to ice cream, fruit salads, cheese plates, or your next smoothie or yogurt breakfast bowl for a tropical twist.
2. Dragon fruit
Although dragon fruit originated in Mexico, Central America, and South America, people grow it all over the world, including in India.
It’s a sight to behold, with its bright pink skin covered in green bumps that look like horns. The meat is white or pink, and you can eat tiny black seeds. It tastes mostly sweet and feels like kiwi.
Flavonoids, carotenoids, and other antioxidant substances found in large amounts in dragon fruits are well known for their health benefits. Further research is necessary to confirm the potential benefits of dragon fruits for individuals with diabetes.
Many places around the world, including the United States, sell dragon fruit. There are shops that sell both fresh and frozen ones. Fresh dragon fruit is excellent in a fruit salad, and frozen dragon fruit is great in drinks.
3. Durian
The durian tree grows naturally in Southeast Asia, in places like Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Some of these places refer to it as the “king of fruits”.
Its meat is creamy, tastes sweet, and is slightly bitter. The skin is thick and covered with spines. Despite its potential growth to 30 cm in length and 15 cm in width, it typically yields only about 2 cups (486 grams) of edible meat.
When durian is ripe, it has a strong smell that some people find too much to handle. This is because molecules such as esters, aldehydes, and sulfurs exist.
The body of a durian fruit is very healthy because it has a lot of fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and B vitamins. It also has a lot of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory chemicals, such as quercetin, kaempferol, and luteolin.
Durian might not be easy to find where you live. To get it in the US, you might be able to find it at places like Whole Foods. You can use dunia meat in both sweet and savory recipes, such as soups, ice cream, cakes, and even side salads.
4. Loquat
The fruit of the Eriobotrya japonica tree is the loquat. They are originally from Southeast China. As of now, they are also grown in Japan, Brazil, Turkey, Italy, India, Pakistan, Israel, and Spain, among other places.
These 1–2 inch (2.5–5 cm) fruits taste sweet, bright, and zesty, and their texture changes from crisp to peach-like as they get riper. You can also eat the skin, which is yellow to red and can vary in color.
Loquats have a lot of beta carotene and other provitamin A pigments. Carotenoids are antioxidants, and your body can turn some of them, like beta carotene, into vitamin A. Too little vitamin A can hurt your eyes, nervous system, and other things.
You can try to order loquats online if you want to try them but can’t find them where you live. You can eat lquats raw, grill them, bake them into something like a pie, or make jam out of them.
5. Lychee Or Litchi
Lychees are grown all over the world, including in the United States, Central and South America, Asia, and Africa. They are originally from southern China.
They are small, about 0.75 to 1.3 inches (2 to 3.5 cm) across, and have bumpy, red skin that you should peel off before eating the white, mostly clear meat. Lychee fruit has a sweet, flowery taste and a feel like grapes.
Lychees are tasty and a good source of vitamin C. Studies also show that they may have qualities that help with heart health, lowering blood sugar, protecting the liver, and fighting free radicals.
Some people can have anaphylactic and inflammatory responses to them, though, so be careful when you try them for the first time.
You might be able to easily find lychees where you live. You can find them in boutique grocery stores and Asian markets in the US. You can eat lychees right out of the garden, and they taste great on their own or in fruit salads.
6. Mangosteen
The mangosteen fruit comes from Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia, among other places in Southeast Asia. Many warm places around the world now grow it.
The round fruit is about the size of an orange. Their skin turns a deep purple color when they are ready. The part of the mangosteen that you can eat is white and broken up into pieces. It tastes sweet and sour and feels soft and dainty.
This tasty fruit contains a variety of beneficial compounds, including procyanidins and xanthones such as alpha- and gamma-mangostin. These chemicals may help protect your body’s cells from oxidative damage because they are antioxidants and reduce inflammation.
Mangosteens might be hard to find in your area if you don’t live in a place where they are grown. Smoothies and Thai tapioca pudding are two treats that you can make with mangosteen. You can also eat it fresh.
7. Goji Berries
The goji berry comes from China. Additionally, China grows the majority of the world’s goji berries.
Typically, one can find them either dried or ground up. The texture of dried goji berries is chewy, and they taste sweet and sour. It looks like orange berries, and they’re about the size of big raisins.
You can eat goji berries fresh or dried. They have a lot of fiber, vitamin C, and provitamin A pigments. They also contain minerals like selenium and magnesium.
Also, they have a lot of antioxidants, such as polysaccharides, carotenoids, and phenolic substances. If someone eats them, they may have better antioxidant protection and lower blood fat levels, which is a good sign.
Goji berries, as a dried fruit, are widely available in specialty food shops such as Whole Foods and other natural markets. They are easy to carry around as a snack and are becoming popular in trail mixes and other snack foods.
8. Starfruit
The Averrhoa carambola tree, native to Southeast Asia, produces the fruit known as a carambola or starfruit. It now grows in other parts of the world, such as Florida and other warm parts of the United States.
The fruit’s name is derived from the star shape it creates when cut. When it’s ready to eat, its skin turns yellow. The meat tastes sweet and sour at the same time and feels crunchy, like grapes. They vary in length from 2 to 6 inches (5 to 15 cm).
Star fruits contain a lot of good things for you, such as copper and vitamin C. They also have a lot of vitamins, like gallic acid and proanthocyanidins. Also, they have a lot of insoluble fiber, which is good for your digestive system and makes you feel full longer.
Depending on where you live, specialty shops may occasionally carry star fruits. If you want it but can’t find it near you, you can order it online. To make sweet meals like fruit salad or savory ones like curries and stir-fries taste even better, you can add starfruit.
9. Jackfruit
It is believed that the jackfruit originated in India and Malaysia. It now grows in many other places around the world, including South America, Southeast Asia, and Africa.
Many believe this to be the largest edible fruit in the world. These fruits can get as big as 110 pounds (50 kg). They are green to yellow-brown and have tiny spikes all over them.
They taste sweet and feel soft when they are ripe. Unripe jackfruit is suitable for consumption, and it also serves as a base for savory dishes such as veggie jerky and other meat alternatives. For instance, the texture of some goods is like pulled pork.
This fruit contains a lot of good things for you, such as calcium and potassium. It also contains a wealth of potent antioxidants, such as vitamin C and carotenoids.
It can be hard to find whole, fresh jackfruit, but you might be able to find jackfruit jerky or pulled jackfruit in a can at specialty shops or even supermarkets with a plant-based foods section. You can also buy whole bananas on the web.
The bottom line
It’s possible that when you go grocery shopping, you buy the same fruits over and over again. Whenever different fruits are in season, though, it can be fun to try them in the kitchen.
By trying new fruits like the ones in this piece, you can broaden your taste buds and discover new tastes and textures. Furthermore, they are usually high in nutrients and may be beneficial for your health in a variety of ways.
If you can’t find any of the above-mentioned unusual fruits where you live, you can still add variety to your diet by picking out fruits you haven’t tried before the next time you go to the market.
