We have just recently got acquainted with exotic fruits that we would like to try.
In the countries of the former USSR, some fruits, familiar to the eye and diet of a modern man in the street, were considered a symbol of exoticism. Only lemons, oranges, tangerines and apples were familiar to the rumor, while bananas, pineapples, or, for example, mangoes, were unusual. Nobody really knew what they looked like and how they tasted. When they first started to appear on store shelves, there was certainly a line behind them.
Today, the once outlandish fruit can be found year round in every supermarket in any form: from fresh to canned and dried. These fruits have long ceased to be considered exotic, and you won't surprise anyone with them. But the exotic presented on the shelves is only a small part of the fruit abundance that nature gives. Many other exotic fruits are cultivated on the planet, the existence of which many of us have never even heard of. Today I will talk about 10 more of them.
AKI
Aki is considered the Jamaican national fruit. This truly exotic fruit requires a special attitude towards itself, because it is not eaten in an immature and raw form, such experiments can adversely affect human health and even life. But at the same time, a properly prepared fruit is a very tasty product with an original nutty taste.
Delicious bligiya (as aki is often called) is the fruit of an evergreen tree that belongs to the Sapindov family. Although the aki tree is the national Jamaican tree, its homeland is West Africa. It was from there that the plant was brought to the Caribbean islands in the 18th century. The tree saplings were brought in on a ship that transported African slaves.
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Bligia Delicious owes its second name to the famous English navigator William Bligh, who had a useful hobby - collecting seedlings of new and unusual plants. To the shores of Jamaica, which at that time was an English colony, he delivered the mysterious fruits of aki in 1793.
When the aki tree took root in Jamaica, it began to slowly spread to nearby islands and other territories. And today the area of its growth is quite wide. Aki can be found in West Africa, Barbados, Antilles and Bahamas, Central America, Colombia, and even Ecuador. Unfortunately, most of these countries do not recognize this plant as an edible fruit due to the high content of life-threatening toxins. But these are only unripe fruits that did not have time to open in a natural way, as well as fruits that have not undergone heat treatment. When cooked for 10-15 minutes, all toxic substances evaporate, and the aki becomes more than suitable for food.
In many countries, tasty bligia is grown for decorative purposes, and this is quite justified. After all, the aki tree is very interesting in its appearance. It grows up to 1-2 m in length, while its trunk is low, but the crown is very lush. The leaves are elliptical and grow up to 30 cm in length. The fruit of the tree is also very unusual. Aki are pear-shaped, their color is yellowish-red, and their size is about 10 cm. When the fruit ripens, it cracks, and juicy flesh of a beige hue begins to peep out from under the skin. Large glossy black seeds are attached to the pulp. It is allowed to eat only the beige pulp of the fruit, which has a mild nutty taste. This exotic fruit is popularly dubbed the "vegetable brain" for the appearance of an edible core, it really resembles the appearance of a human brain,as well as walnut kernels.
In West Africa, not only aki is eaten, there is also a use for its inedible part. Soap is made from the peel and unripe fruits, and the pulp of green fruits is used to prepare the poison, with which the locals catch fish. In Jamaica, amazing side dishes are prepared from delicious bligi by frying ripe fruits in oil. This dish tastes like an omelet, which may be why Jamaicans often cook it for breakfast. Boiled aki is eaten with dried fish or bacon, vegetables, and spices. Bligia is often served with toasted breadfruit or pancakes.
Unripe fruits contain the poison hypoglycine. Its presence in the human body can cause Jamaican vomiting or severe poisoning. The consequences can be simply catastrophic: from the appearance of fine-drop liver degeneration, to coma or even death. That is why, when deciding to taste this unusual fruit, strictly observe two rules: do not eat unripe fruits and be sure to familiarize yourself with the methods of their preparation.
Pepino
Pepino is one of the oldest fruit crops cultivated in South America. Images of the plant can be found on pottery in pre-Columbian Peru. Cieza de Leon, the Spanish chronicler of the Incas, argued that "you need to eat a lot of pepino before it gets boring." But, despite the fact that this fruit is very popular among the inhabitants of South America, the plant is little known outside the region.
The birthplace of pepino (Solanum muricatum Aiton from the Solanaceae family; other names are Aymara, Quechua, Peruvian cucumber, mango cucumber, pear melon, melon pear, melon bush, melon tree, sweet cucumber) - areas of the high Andes, where plants are now known only in culture or in a feral state. There is speculation that a possible wild ancestor of pepino is Solanum caripense (tzimbalo), which easily crosses with pepino and whose fruits are also edible.
Pepino was brought to Russia only in the 19th century. For some time, it was grown only in greenhouses, however, over time, interest in the plant disappeared, despite the fact that the fruits have a pleasant fresh taste and various uses in cooking. So, the inhabitants of South America, and surprisingly, Japan use fruits exclusively fresh for dessert. But New Zealanders use pepino in soups, sauces, dishes with seafood, meat, fish, fruit salads and, of course, a variety of desserts. In addition, fruits can be stored for future use: frozen, dried, preserved.
Before eating pepino, the peel must be peeled, as some varieties have an unpleasant taste. The skin color can be creamy, yellowish or yellow-orange with purple, brown, gray or green streaks, giving the rounded fruit its characteristic appearance. The pulp with a pleasant smell, juicy, because consists of 92% water, sweet and sour honey-yellow, salmon color, and sometimes almost colorless. The sour taste of the fruits is due to vitamin C, the content of which in the pulp is not less than in citrus fruits - about 35 mg per 100 g. In addition to vitamin C, the pulp also contains a fairly large amount of vitamin A and only about 7% of carbohydrates. There is a small amount of seeds in the center of the fruit, which can be easily removed, and if desired, the seeds can be eaten.
The perennial bush pepino reaches about 1 m in height. Pepino grows quickly and begins to bloom and set fruits 4-6 months after planting. The stems of the bush are woody. Shoots bear both simple and compound leaves, and flowers ranging from white or pale purple to bright blue in clusters. Pepino propagates easily both by cuttings and seeds, but usually the seedlings have inferior fruit quality compared to the parent individuals.
When the fruits reach the size of a goose egg and are pale yellow or creamy, they are carefully removed from the branches. Overripe fruits left on the bush lose their taste. Interestingly, the fruits on the same bush ripen at different times, and therefore they must be removed several times during the season. Usually, from 40 to 60 tons of fruits are harvested from one hectare, and this is not the limit. Well, we sincerely hope that modern gardeners will not ignore this relative of tomatoes and potatoes, and will be able to find a place for him at least on their balcony.
Langsat
Langsat is a very popular plant in Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand. They began to grow him on the lands of Malaysia, because this country is considered his homeland. At the moment, this plant is grown all over the world, including countries such as Australia, Taiwan, Mexico, USA and others. Also, a very large amount of it is exported from Thailand to various countries around the world. By the way, langsat is a symbol of one of the Thai provinces called Narathiwat.
Langsat is a fruitful tree with a height of 10 to 15 meters. With a spreading crown and feathery leaves. Rough bark of red-brown or yellow-brown hue. The flowers are dense white or with a yellowish tint, collected in clusters and placed on the trunk and skeletal (main) branches. The tree begins to bear fruit only after 15 years, but then the harvest can be removed twice a year! I would like to note that the wood of this plant has found application in the furniture industry. But since such furniture products are quite expensive, they are not in great demand.
The fruits are oval and round, slightly resembling young potatoes and have a pale brown or grayish yellow rind. Most often, langsat fruits are boiled or canned, but they can also be eaten raw. It serves as an indispensable ingredient in many Asian dishes, as it has a very specific taste and will be an excellent addition to any dish. You can also make delicious drinks from them.
The fruits are easy to peel (you can even open them with your hands), despite the fact that their skin is quite dense. If you want langsat, you can buy it in Thai markets where it is sold all year round, but its main sales season is from May to November. You can also find out the sale season for langsat without opening the calendar. It is enough just to look at the sidewalks, which are all filled with them. Fruits are often harvested by hand, but when it is difficult to get them, they are cut off.
It is sold in bunches, like grapes. The cost for 1kg is approximately 60 THB, which is equal to 60 rubles. To choose a ripe, good and tasty fruit, you need to taste it to the touch. If the langsat is hard and has a yellowish skin, then this indicates the ripeness of the fruit. Also, taste it too, because langsat can be both sour and sweet. You cannot store it for a long time, because it contains a lot of sugar. The maximum storage time in the room is 3-4 for, and 7-8 days, respectively, in the refrigerator.
Langsats also have medicinal properties. They contain a lot of vitamins C, B1, B2, as well as a large amount of bioacids, which will be beneficial for your skin. In addition, they also contain carbohydrates, phosphorus, calcium and iron. Fruit plants contain a lot of sugar, which will give you strength in case of illness.
In Thai and Chinese traditional medicine, the product is used to raise tone and increase strength during an illness. Langsat bark decoction is used in the treatment of dysentery and malaria. And the dried langsat peel, when burning, emits fragrant smoke, which repels all kinds of insects.
In addition, the pulp of the fruit helps to improve sleep, reduce fever and temperature, improve memory and brain activity. It is contraindicated to use it for people who suffer from diabetes. And, as with any other medicinal substance, the main thing is not to overdo it, because the use of this product in large quantities leads to an increase in temperature, and maybe to more serious consequences. So be careful!
Cherimoya
Cherimoya is a tree 5-9 m high with two-row leaves up to 7-15 cm long and 4-9 wide. The flowers are located along the branches on short pedicels and consist of three fleshy outer petals and three much smaller inner ones.
Cherimoya begins to bear fruit at the age of 4-5 years. And at the age of 6 years, the tree will delight you with 2 dozen or even more fragrant and tasty fruits.
The complex, segmented fruit has a heart-shaped or conical shape, 10-20 cm long and up to 10 cm wide, and contains a fragrant white fibrous-creamy pulp and about twenty black shiny seeds inside. Fruit weight varies from 0.5 to 3 kilograms.
Cherimoya is also known by the name "ice cream tree", which it got due to its consistency, which resembles the consistency of ice cream in frozen form, as well as its delicate sweet taste, which serves as an addition to this type of dessert. In general, if we describe the taste of cherimoya, then we can say that it resembles pineapple, papaya, strawberry, mango, banana and cream at the same time.
Cherimoya is a plant of subtropical or mild temperate climates. The tree prefers a fairly dry environment, so spraying is not recommended even in the summer heat. In the winter months, tubs are brought into a room with a temperature of 10 ° to 14 ° C, where they rest until spring. The crown of a tree can be formed by pruning.
The birthplace of this fruit is considered to be Ecuador, Colombia and Bolivia, as well as Peru. At present, the exporters of cherimoya are Thailand, Malaysia, China, Australia, Spain, Chile, Venezuela, Colombia.
Cherimoya has been introduced into culture since ancient times. Its seeds were found in excavations in Peru, thousands of kilometers from its place of origin, and its fruits were depicted on pre-Incan pottery. Wild trees are common in the Loja region of southwestern Ecuador, where extensive groves are found in sparsely populated areas.
Cutting this large, green, heart-shaped fruit into pieces reveals a white flesh with black seeds. The flesh has a soft, creamy texture; when refrigerated, it resembles a tropical sherbet. In Chile, it is a favorite filling in waffle cups for ice cream and cakes, and it is also added to yogurt.
Cherimoya pulp is eaten with a spoon, after cutting the fruit in half lengthwise. Cherimoya is added to salads, drinks, desserts. To prevent browning, the cherimoya slices are sprinkled with lemon or orange juice. Be careful - cherimoya seeds are inedible and spit out.
Aguadj
To get to the pulp, the fruit must be peeled from the rind, which consists of red scales. The fruit is a storehouse of vitamins A and C, and some argue that it contains a large amount of hormones that allow the beautiful half of humanity to acquire lush volumes in the right places. It is consumed fresh and wine is made on its basis. Aguadj grows in the Amazonian jungle.
Peruvian ladies have discovered the secret of a good figure without exhausting exercise, special diets or the intervention of plastic surgeons. Actively absorbing an exotic fruit growing in the jungle called agouaj, aboriginal women are prettier right before our eyes. The yellow-brown fruit contains a large number of hormones, thanks to which it has an amazing property to give seductive curves and lush volumes to female figures. In addition, the aguadja, the size of an egg, has another equally remarkable quality - it excites sexual desire, that is, it is an aphrodisiac. According to fans of the fruit, in order to achieve the desired results, you need to consume it for several months. According to local model Paola Ritz,she with appetite swallows up to 25 pieces a day and thanks to this she forgot the way to the gym.
Cupuasu
Cupuasu is an evergreen tree from the forests of the Amazon, the height of which in natural conditions can reach 15 m.
The leaves of the plant are large, leathery, rich green, up to 35 cm in length and up to 10 cm in width. Throughout the year, the tree is abundantly covered with inflorescences of 3-5 flowers. The tree is characterized by caulifloria - the arrangement of inflorescences on the trunk, as well as on the main branches. Cupuasu has very large inflorescences, for which the species was named “grandiflorum” (“large flowers”).
The size of the plant's fruits can be compared with a melon, they reach up to 25 cm in length, and their thickness can be 15 cm. The weight of the fruit can be 2 kg. The rind is very dense, slightly woody, reddish brown; the pulp is juicy, with several dozen seeds. In nature, cupuacu seeds are distributed by monkeys and birds who love to feast on this delicious fruit, plant flowers are pollinated by bees and other insects. In order for the tree to bear fruit, artificial pollination is carried out, since most flowers fall off. A four or five year old tree can produce 25-30 fruits each year.
Fruits can be eaten fresh or made into juices, ice cream and liqueurs.
One fifth of the total fruit volume is occupied by seeds rich in white butter (similar in properties to cocoa butter, but having a higher melting point). Due to its special composition, the chocolate made from cupuasu (cupulat) does not melt in the hands or mouth. In addition, the fruit extract is used in cosmetology: due to its softening and moisturizing effect, it is included in skin and hair care products. The increase in skin elasticity, elimination of irritation, eczema and dermatitis is facilitated by the high content of phytosteroids and fatty acids in the cupuas.
The main value of the fruit (unlike cocoa) is its wonderful pulp, which takes up one third of the fruit. The exotic fruit has an incomparable taste and a very strong aroma.
These fruits, as well as mombina fruits, are used in fresh food, as well as in yoghurts, jams, ice cream, juices and other drinks.
Kupuasu was known in pre-Columbian times, it was grown by local tribes. Nowadays, the fruit is cultivated in Brazil, and it is gaining in popularity: this is proved by the fact that it is the most expensive fruit in local markets. In addition, trees are actively cultivated in many countries with tropical climates.
Cupuacu bears fruit throughout the year, however, the largest crop can be harvested from February to April. The fruit is not harvested unripe as it does not ripen afterwards and does not have that excellent taste and delicious aroma. A distinctive feature of fruits is that they cannot be stored, as they quickly lose their taste, so the pulp is frozen and sent for further processing.
Sapodilla
Lamut, Sapodilla (lam ut) is a small fruit of an evergreen tree, a very popular and beloved fruit in Thailand. This exotic representative is interesting in that it is born sticky, as if without a peel. The earth settles on its sticky sides, becoming a thin crust on it, giving it its own shade.
By the stickiness of sapodilla, one can judge the degree of its ripeness, if the fruit is sticky - the sapodilla is not yet ripe enough and its pulp will be white with sticky white juice. In ripe fruit, this sticky juice disappears, the pulp becomes brown, grainy, like a pear. The delicious, exotic taste of lamute is reminiscent of caramel, honey and cotton candy.
The fruits of the fruit in Thailand reach 10 cm in diameter, but on average they are 4 to 8 cm in size. In the pulp of the sapodilla there are several large, smooth, bean-like seeds with a hook at the end.
The pleasant, sweet fruit of Thailand is rich in vitamins, minerals and tannins, and is a good antioxidant. The pulp contains sucrose and fructose - a simple sugar that energizes our body and vigor.
Lamut pulp is rich in anti-oxidant compounds - tannin complex, which has anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial and antihelmintic effects. Anti-inflammatory tannins strengthen the stomach and intestines. According to these properties, lamut can be compared with pomegranate and persimmon.
100g of fresh sapodilla pulp contains 24.5% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C. The high content of vitamin A makes lamut beneficial for vision, for our skin and mucous membranes. Vitamin C strengthens the immune system and blood vessels.
Fresh lamute fruits are an excellent source of minerals necessary for our body - potassium, copper, iron and B vitamins, namely folic acid, pantothenic acid and niacin, their compounds play an important role in metabolic processes.
Sapodilla stays well for a week and longer at room temperature, in the refrigerator for up to several weeks and is able to ripen after harvest. Fresh, ripe lamut fruit is soft and, by cutting it in half and taking out the seeds, you can eat it with a spoon.
These wonderful fruits of Thailand have a unique taste and, in order to experience it, it is better to eat sapodilla without any additives. The lamute milkshake is a favorite in Asia.
Here's a set. Who will add what is not here and the link at the beginning of the post also does not describe the wild fruit!