Green fruit name. Exotic fruits and vegetables

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

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

This is the most popular fruit in Thailand! There is so much talk about it that no other fruit is talked about. Durian is often debated, as it has many passionate lovers and haters.

The season of this divine fruit of Thailand begins from April-May to September, with the peak in August. When it ripens, its amazing aroma begins to be very noticeable through the peel, which can begin to burst on its own, although it is very thick and tough. The ripe pulp is very creamy, reminiscent of ice cream or cream for a cake, sometimes condensed milk. When people try durian for the first time, many people think that its sweetness has a hint of fried onions, and sometimes it has a dumpling/white flavor. But after the second or third taste of durian, no one feels anything like it. There are many varieties of durian, and they all differ greatly in both taste and appearance.

Durian pulp is slightly fatty, about 5 grams per 100 grams of product. This is a very filling fruit! Typically, 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 sellers do it for you. The thing is that already opened, peeled durian quickly oxidizes in air, which is why it can acquire an unpleasant smell and taste. A fresh, good durian will never cause any discomfort.

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

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

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, as well as because of the problems when cutting it. The fact is that the layers between the segments of jackfruit pulp contain a sticky substance - latex... which can only be washed off with oil (coconut, vegetable or other).

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

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

A very juicy, watery fruit, but the taste is not particularly bright (slightly sour). This fruit is more beautiful than tasty. Maybe someone will like it, but I wasn’t into it.
Season: all year round.

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

Something like carambola, a beautiful fruit and very juicy, but the taste is not bright... pine. It even felt like I was chewing Christmas tree needles. The shape is unusual, like a 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 cabbage.
2) Plump pineapples with green or yellow-green peel and light yellow almost white flesh, very delicate consistency, super juicy.
3) Tiny sugar mini pineapples.

Season all year round.

Read about all the varieties of pineapples in Thailand.

Watermelons
Thai name: taeng mo

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

There are also yellow watermelons in Thailand. Externally, they differ in the color of their peel - it is 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 own signature watermelon flavor that yellow ones don't have. Yellow watermelons are simply sweet.

Bananas
Thai name: kluey / kluai (klui th)

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

Season all year round, they grow like weeds in Thailand.

Pomelo(Pummelo, Shaddock)
In Thai: som-oh.

Very different from those brooms that are brought to Russia. Thai pomelos have a very pleasant taste, not intrusive, but bright. The varieties with pink flesh are especially tasty.

Thai name: som (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 that of classic tangerines. Season all year round.

By the way, tropical citrus fruits always have 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. For Thai plum to be truly 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 (somtra)

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

Their prices vary, 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 compare with Uzbek Torpedoes. Small, 1.5-2 kg. Beige costs 35 baht/kg, yellow 79 baht/kg and green 99 baht/kg. Their consistency is not quite melon-like - more watery.

(Lychee, Lichee)
Thai name: lin-chi (linchi)

Santol(Thai apple, Santol, Kechapi)

A round fruit, the size of an apple, beige in color. Inside are white slices containing small seeds. In appearance and taste, the pulp resembles mangosteen, but is still less tasty. The santol seeds are not separated from the pulp at all, which is why few people like this fruit.

Season: May-August.

Grenades(Pomegranate)
Thai name: phila

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

Season: August-October.

In Thailand, very, very few of them are grown, which is very strange, because... In all countries bordering Thailand, everything is fine 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 spotted 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 Hass, the consistency is coarser, less fatty, and their taste is pine nut.

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 here cease to amaze and become the norm.

But in Southeast Asia, in their homeland, many of these tropical fruits are cheap - for example, a ripe and juicy mango in season can be bought for 40 rubles, and a sweet papaya for 50-60 rubles. As for the usual apples and pears, here, on the contrary, they are among the most expensive fruits. In addition, there are almost no berries here, with the exception of strawberries, which sometimes makes us happy.

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, then it becomes clear how good life is for fruit lovers here :)

The same tropical fruits that we tasted in , often differ not only in flavor, but also in name and shape. At the market or in the store, our eyes are always wide open, it’s difficult to choose a specific 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. In general, most tropical fruits are cheaper than our usual ones in St. Petersburg, even seasonal ones.

So, let's 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 skin reminiscent of snake skin, which is where the name of the fruit comes from.

The peel is thin and easy to remove; just cut it or tear it at the edge, and then remove it like a shell from an egg. The flesh is white or beige in color and consists mainly of three segments. If the fruit is not ripe, then due to the high tannin content it will make your mouth stick, this is how we first tried it in Malaysia in the spring - we didn’t like it, and we happily forgot about it.

Here in Bali, herring, as one of the most common tropical fruits, quickly became familiar, we tried it again, and, one might say, we fell in love :)

There are 2 varieties common in Bali. 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 one without a seed, tastes similar to gooseberries and pineapple. Both varieties are quite interesting, we buy different ones with equal success :)

Salak contains tannin, which removes harmful substances from the body and has astringent, hemostatic and antidiarrheal properties.

In the north of Bali, in the forests, we somehow discovered wild herring. Unlike the garden fruit, its peel is prickly with small needles, no more than 1 mm long, and the fruits themselves are smaller in size. They taste sweet, but peeling them is not very pleasant because of the thorns, so we fed them to monkeys, for whom the thorns were not a hindrance and they coped with peeling as quickly as they do with bananas :)

Mango ( mango)

Of the many tropical fruits, mango still remains one of our favorites - it seems that you can eat as much of it as you like and never get tired of it :) In St. Petersburg, we sometimes bought them in the store and the concept of different varieties did not exist for us - we just eat mango and that’s all, 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'), followed by China in second place in terms of productivity (just over 4 million tons) , in third place is 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 at the beginning of November, we were very surprised to find no 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 harvest appeared on sale - they were small red mangoes, very fragrant and sweet, we couldn’t tear ourselves away from them for several days.

We really liked the variety of mango varieties in Malaysia - from Thai light yellow ones, with beige flesh inside, to green thick-skinned ones, unripe in appearance, but with bright orange, sweet flesh.

But for real, we gorge ourselves on mangoes in Bali. In May and June the choice was not very large, but in August, September and, especially, October, the variety of varieties and prices never cease to delight us. Our favorite variety is Harumanis - green mangoes with orange, sweet, honey-like flesh.

Mangoes are high in vitamins and fructose, and low in acids. Vitamin A has a beneficial effect on the organs of vision, helps with night blindness and other eye diseases. Regular consumption of mango helps improve 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, mangoes are used to stop bleeding, strengthen the heart muscle, and also improve brain function.

Dragon fruit or dragon fruit ( dragon fruit), also known as pitaya or pitahaya

Belongs to the cactus family. Thanks to its interesting and unusual shape, as well as its bright pink color, the fruit cannot go unnoticed. The fruit has white or red (depending on the variety), creamy pulp and a delicate, slightly perceptible aroma. The pulp is eaten raw, the taste is sweet. It is convenient to eat by cutting it into 2 halves and scooping out the pulp with a spoon. Some may find dragon fruit bland and not very tasty, but if you taste it properly, you will certainly like this unusual tropical fruit (like, for example, Mozzarella cheese, which also does not have a strong taste).

The fruit grows on cacti and blooms only at night. The flowers are also edible and can be brewed into tea. The fruit is low in calories, helps with stomach pain and has a beneficial effect on the quality of vision.

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

The fruit is round, 4-8 cm in diameter, covered with a thick (1 cm) burgundy-purple inedible peel, under which there are 5-8 segments of white, very juicy pulp, with large seeds inside each segment. We met mangosteens on - when we saw them for the first time, we thought that there was some kind of strange persimmon 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.

In hot weather, this is an excellent fruit to quench your thirst.

Papaya ( papaya)

The fruits have pink-orange or golden flesh with seeds in the middle - these are removed when slicing. Sweet juicy papaya pieces melt in your mouth. The fruit is extremely nutritious, and the most interesting thing is that papaya does not become boring at all, we happily ate it very often in India, Bali and Thailand - this has been our traditional breakfast dish for the sixth month. In 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 common to eat it slightly unripe and even with salt and chili pepper :).

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; they contain glucose and fructose, organic acids, proteins, fiber, vitamins and minerals, so papaya is sometimes called the “melon tree.”

They say that when baked over 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 wishing to terminate their pregnancies ate large quantities of the unripe fruit.

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 consumption of papaya that Asians are less susceptible to diseases of the musculoskeletal system, even despite the tradition of carrying heavy weights on their heads.

Other fruits

We talk about other fruits in our book " Asian exotica. 30 Fruits You Must Try in Asia". In order to get it (for free), just follow this link, enter your e-mail, and in a few minutes a link to download the book will be sent to your email.

From the book you will learn about the following tropical fruits:

Jackfruit	Rambutan
	Cocoa
Coconut	A pineapple
Durian
		Bananas

Our planet loves to surprise with its diversity. Fruits are no exception. In each country they are grown differently and have an individual taste. In this article we will look at exotic fruits from Thailand, Vietnam, China and Malaysia and other countries.

Fruits of Thailand

Antillean gooseberry

The fruits of this plant are rich in vitamin C. This is the reason why it increases acidity in the human body so much.

Guava

This fruit is a cross between an apple and a pear. It has a persistent pleasant aroma.

The skin of guava is green, but may turn yellow over time. The fruit does not have any distinct taste, so it is used for cooking along with spices and salt. Constant consumption of guava quickly leads to weight gain.

Coconut

Thais use coconut everywhere. It is used to prepare syrups, soups and various sweets. But, unfortunately, the taste of coconut milk is quite specific, although it perfectly quenches thirst.

You can buy coconut in any shop in Thailand. Doesn't go out of use throughout the year.

Jackfruit

This is one of the largest fruits (can weigh up to 40 kg), having an oval shape. It is entirely covered with a kind of shell with spikes. Inside the fruit there are yellowish segments that have a pleasant sweet taste and the same aroma.

Jackfruit is very nutritious. Most often, it is sold already in purified form.

Durian

The Thais call durian the king of fruits because its fruits are quite large and can reach several kilograms. It has an oval shape and spines that resemble a shell.

Inside the durian there is yellowish flesh. It only tastes good. The smell is disgusting. Because of this property, the fruit is prohibited from being taken into many public places and taken out of Thailand.

The fruit is consumed fresh or cooked.

Lychee

Lychees are small, circle-shaped fruits with red skin. The pulp found in the berries has a sweet taste.

Lychees prefer to be eaten fresh; the fruits are very easy to peel and quickly relieve thirst. The fruit is also useful for people suffering from anemia.

You can enjoy this berry quite cheaply.

Longan

Longan is called dragon eyes because of its white flesh. The fruits themselves look like nuts, but grow in clusters like grapes.

Longan pulp has a sweet taste with a slight hint of honey. It is eaten fresh, dried or made into desserts.

Longkong

Grown in bunches. The fruits are surrounded by a brown shell. Behind it is the pulp, which is similar in consistency to jelly.

Thais consume this longkong either fresh or cooked. Sometimes it is used to add to meat salads.

Longkong is very beneficial for the human body, it maintains health and helps improve skin elasticity.

Mango

Widely found in Thailand - there are many varieties of it. Mango is an oval-shaped fruit that is slightly tapered. Classic varieties of this fruit have a yellowish color and a soft, smooth skin. Underneath there is pulp that has a honey flavor.

Mango can be consumed fresh or cooked. It is used to make drinks and food.

Mangosteen

Mangosteen is a very famous fruit that is exported all over the world. Its fruits are purple with a burgundy tint.

There is white pulp inside the fruit. It has a sweet and delicate taste. In rare cases, bones are found. Mangosteen is consumed fresh or made into desserts. It perfectly relieves thirst.

passion fruit

This is a perishable fruit. Different varieties of this plant are grown in Thailand, so the colors of different fruits may vary.

Passion fruit contains pulp that is similar to jelly. The fruit itself is used for preparing food and drinks. .

Noina

This is a small oval fruit that is covered with green scales. If it is ripe, its skin begins to lighten. The pulp contains many seeds.

Noina can also be consumed unripe. If the fruit is ripe, then it is cut and eaten with a spoon. It increases the tone of the body.

Papaya

Papaya resembles a zucchini or an oblong pear. If the fruit is not ripe, the skin is green and there are many seeds inside. In this form, papaya is used to create food.

If the fruit ripens, the skin becomes yellow and the flesh becomes soft and sweet. It is consumed fresh, cut into slices. Papaya helps improve digestion.

Pitahaya

This fruit first appeared in Australia, but was successfully transferred to Thailand. Its fruits have large shapes and scales. Skin color is pinkish. Inside the fruit there is pink flesh with small black specks, which resembles kiwi.

Pitahaya is used to prepare alcoholic and regular drinks and desserts. Also consumed fresh: the fruit is peeled and sliced.

Pitahaya is prohibited from being carried into almost all public places, because... its juice does not wash off clothes.

Pomelo

Pomelo is the largest citrus fruit. It is covered with a thick greenish or yellowish skin, depending on the variety.

There are small segments inside the fruit. They are not as juicy as other citrus fruits. Pomelo is a very filling fruit, and Thais prefer to eat it fresh.

The fruit is not very popular among tourists.

Rambutan

Rambutan is a fruit that always attracts tourists. Its fruits are small. They are surrounded by red skin, which is entirely covered with fibers of considerable length.

Rambutan is very easy to clean. Inside it is pulp that has a juicy sweet taste. There is also a small bone there, you can also eat it.

Malay apple

This fruit does not closely resemble the apples we are used to. The fruit may be pinkish or red in color. It is eaten whole, because... there are no seeds in it.

The taste of the Malay apple is very juicy and sweet, and has a refreshing property. The fruit helps get rid of toxins accumulated in the body. Sold on the shelves in Thailand at fairly affordable prices.

Salak

Salak is a fruit that resembles a strawberry in appearance. It has a dense burgundy-colored skin that looks like a snake. Salak is difficult to clean. For this, a knife or other special devices are used.

The pulp of the fruit is white. It has a sugary taste and gives off a slight sourness. Salak is eaten fresh.

Sapodilla

Sapodilla is a brown fruit that is oval in shape and somewhat reminiscent of a kiwi. Inside there is cream-colored pulp. It has a sweet taste.

Sapodilla is stored very little. A few days after purchase, the taste changes sharply; from that moment on, they become unsuitable for consumption. Otherwise, you can get poisoned.

Santol

Externally, the fruit resembles a mangosteen, but has a different skin color - brown or red. Inside contains pulp, the slices of which are divided.

The fruit has a sweet taste. It is used for prevention against viruses and colds, and is also actively used in cosmetology.

Tamarind

Tamarind is like a mixture of beans and peanuts. The fruits are very easy to peel from their soft brown peel.

The pulp is sweet and slightly sour; there are small seeds inside. Tamarind is consumed fresh and is sometimes used to make desserts and refreshing drinks.

Thai plum

Reminds us of the plum we know. The taste remains the same, only the color of the peel differs - here it is orange.

Thai plums are eaten together with the skin. Ripe berries have a large amount of vitamins and nutrients.

Carambola

An unusual and interesting fruit. It has a pentagonal shape.

Carambola is a product containing a small amount of calories. It helps improve body tone and has a positive effect on the human central nervous system.

Kumquat

This fruit is very reminiscent of an elongated tangerine. It is eaten with the skin.

Kumquat has an inhalation effect on humans and also helps cleanse the body of toxins.

Fruits of Vietnam

Tangerine

Let's start looking at the fruits of Vietnam with tangerines. These are tangerines that are completely seedless. It is distinguished from other citrus fruits by its lighter orange skin and strong sweet taste.

The citrus properties of tangerine are less pronounced than those of orange. It’s easier to buy fruit in Vietnam.

Grapefruit

This is a citrus fruit that was created by mixing pomelo and orange. Its weight reaches up to 500 g.

Grapefruit has a sour taste. The Vietnamese consume it cooked or fresh. Cocktails and various dishes are made from it.

star apple

Locals call it that because of the specific color of the pulp. The peel is not used; it tastes unpleasant.

The ripe fruit has a sweet, tart taste. Widely used for making desserts, it is consumed less often fresh.

Rose apple

These fruits do not have a pronounced taste. Locals use them to quickly quench their thirst.

The fruit does not have any seeds. There is yellowish pulp inside.

Guanabana

It actually tastes vaguely like sour cream. The fruits are characterized by heavy weight (about 800 g per piece).

Soursop is quite tart in taste. Inside there is almost white pulp, and there are also many large seeds.

Citron

The locals gave it their name - “Buddha’s hand”; it is also mentioned in the Bible. This citrus fruit is widely used in pharmacology and cooking.

Fruits of China

Vampy

Chinese fruits are practically unknown in European countries. Vampi is no exception. It grows in southern China. Vampi has a sweet taste with a slight sour taste.

Drinks and food are made from this fruit. Its leaves are also dried and then used for diseases.

Kabosu

Another representative of citrus fruits on our list. Kabosu has a pleasant smell and tastes like regular lemon.

This fruit is practically not consumed fresh. In China it is used in drinks and dishes.

Fruits of Malaysia

Habyu

These are oval-shaped fruits. Their size is smaller than that of apples. The color of the habyu depends on the season, usually yellowish or purple. There is sweet pulp inside.

The cheapest fruit can be purchased from May to July. Locals eat it fresh, and in some cases prepare salads and drinks.

Marang

This fruit, indeed, should be included in the list of the most exotic fruits, because it grows only on the island of Borneo and the Philippines. Reminds me of a small brush. If the fruit is ripe, it is very easy to peel. Inside it there is pulp, which in its taste resembles caramel and vanilla.

Due to the fact that the fruit is quite rare, it is difficult to buy. There is no clear price.

Kanistel

The pulp of this fruit has a consistency that resembles pate. It tastes quite sweet. If the fruit has not yet ripened, it is tasteless and quite difficult to eat.

The fruits of the plant ripen from May to November. They are used for fresh consumption, as well as for preparing various foods.

Bam-balan

This is an exotic fruit that combines the taste of sour cream and mayonnaise. Outwardly, it resembles a mango, but there is no internal similarity. Some people compare the taste of the fruit to borscht.

The ripening period of the fruit begins in May and ends in August. It is worth noting that bam-balan is incredibly popular with tourists due to its taste.

Apple baldu

Outwardly, this fruit resembles a peach; it is just as shaggy and soft. Inside there is pulp that stretches very well. It is yellowish in color.

The fruit is very sweet and satisfying. Its ripening period begins in August.

Marquise

The fruit is very similar to passion fruit. Inside there is pulp in the form of a thick liquid and seeds that can be eaten. The taste of marquise is quite sour, slightly cloying.

Tomato - nightshade

They have nothing in common with ordinary tomatoes. Inside them there is red juice, which gives off a sour taste when consumed.

Fruits from other countries

Aki

It is a fruit that is shaped like a pear and has an orange skin. It ripens, after which it explodes and a cream-type pulp with seeds appears.

Ackee is included in the list of the most dangerous fruits in the world. If they do not have time to ripen, then their pulp contains toxins that are dangerous to human health. Use is allowed only after special treatment.

Bail

This fruit has an incredibly thick and durable peel, which turns yellowish during flowering. Because of this, it becomes difficult to get to its pulp without special devices.

What is most often sold on the shelves is the purified version of bail, namely the pulp of the fruit. It is yellow in color and has small fibers. Tea is also made from it.

Kiwano

This fruit is also called horned melon. This happens because when the fruit ripens, it becomes covered with small yellowish thorns. The pulp, during this period, also changes its color to a brighter and more saturated one.

The fruits themselves are not cleaned before consumption. They are cut.

Kiwano has melon, banana and cucumber flavors.

Kudrania, strawberry tree

Grows in East Asia. These are small, sweet berries that are similar in shape to mulberries. Their taste is often compared to persimmons.

Mabolo

Grown in Asia. These are reddish fruits with a slight roughness on the skin.

The fruit is easy to clean. Its pulp consists of a white film. The taste is sweet, somewhat similar to apple and banana. Mabolo fruits are rightfully considered exotic.

Marula

This fruit is rare in Africa. The fruit ripens, but after a few it begins to ferment. Because of this, “drunk” animals may occur.

Noni

The fruits can reach the size of regular potatoes. At the same time, it has the same shape. The skin of the fruit is almost transparent.

Noni has a very pungent odor and nasty taste. Tourists and local residents have found in it its miraculous properties - a cure for most diseases. Some people believe that noni is the healthiest fruit in the world.

It blooms and bears fruit all year round.

Melon pear

There are a couple more names for this plant - pepino or sweet cucumber. Grows in hot climates. The fruit has a light yellowish color.

The pulp contains seeds. The taste of the fruit is very similar to cucumber and pear. These fruits can quickly rid your body of toxins.

Kepundung

These exotic fruits grow in Asia. Locals call them Asian gooseberries. Externally, the fruits resemble small tangerines and have a light yellow color.

The flesh is red. It has a viscous structure and sour taste.

Pandanus

The fruits are red. Almost never consumed fresh. They are pureed or mixed with coconut milk.

Mame

Grown in Asia. It looks like an orange, but has a darker shade.

Has a tart taste.

Bottom line

We looked at the most exotic fruits grown in our world. All of them are worth visiting due to the abundance of flavors and colors. Be sure to pay attention to the photos with names.

Thailand's fruits and vegetables are very diverse. Below we have collected for you what you should definitely try while in the land of smiles.

Fruits in Thailand

1. Durian

Durian (Thai name - durian) is the undoubted leader of our list. The fruit is pale green-yellow in color with a shell-like skin. Weight from 2 to 5 kg. Durian has a very unpleasant smell and an excellent sweet-creamy taste. Durian is eaten raw, and the seeds are roasted and eaten instead of nuts. Storing at home or in a hotel, as well as transporting, is not recommended due to the smell. In many hotels, hospitals, shopping centers and other public places you can find special signs reminding you that it is prohibited to bring durian into your room. The Thais themselves describe durian as “a fruit with the taste of heaven and the smell of hell.”

If you don't try durian, your vacation is in vain))

2. Mango

Mango (Thai name - mamuang) is an outwardly yellow, green or reddish fruit of an oblong shape, slightly similar in appearance to a melon. Inside is juicy yellow-orange or green pulp with a sweet and sour taste.

In my opinion, the most delicious mango is green on the outside and yellow on the inside.

3. Dragon fruit

Pitaya or pitahaya (“dragon fruit”, dragon’s eye) (Thai name - geow mangon). Bright pink or yellow fruits with sparse green scales. Inside there is white or red pulp with small black seeds.

4. Guava

Guava (Thai name - farang) is a light green fruit that looks like an apple. The outside is rough skin. The flesh is white or red, crisp like an apple, with many small seeds.

5. Papaya

Papaya (Papaya) (Thai name - malakor) is a pear-shaped fruit, green or yellow in color. The flesh is orange or bright pink. Papaya is eaten both as a vegetable and as a fruit, depending on the degree of ripeness. Thais love to make their famous “papaya salad” from papaya.

6. Mangosteen

Mangosteen (Thai name - mangkhud) is a small apple-like fruit with a brown or purple peel. Sweet. It tastes like grapefruit.

7. Lychee

Lychees (Thai name - linchi) are fruits the size of a small plum, with scaly pink skin. Inside there is white pulp that is eaten and an inedible pit. It tastes like grapes.

8. Sapodilla

Sapodilla (Thai name - la moot) is a yellow-brown fruit similar to kiwi. Crispy flesh with a creamy caramel flavor and several hard seeds. The taste is reminiscent of persimmon.

9. Passion fruit

Passion fruit is a purple-violet or golden-colored fruit, about the size of a small grapefruit. Under the skin there are seeds in a juicy, sweet shell. The cocktail is very tasty: soda, passion fruit and sugar syrup.))

10. Longan

Longan (Thai name - lamyai) is a small fruit of light brown color, reminiscent of walnuts in appearance. Inside there is transparent white flesh and a hard bone.

11. Jackfruit

Jackfruit (Indian breadfruit, eve) is a large fruit with thick, spiky yellow-green skin. It looks similar to durian, but its “thorns” are smaller. The pulp is yellow, sweet, with an unusual smell and taste of a Duchess pear. The segments are separated from each other and sold in bags. Ripe pulp is eaten fresh, unripe pulp is cooked. Jackfruit is mixed with other fruits, added to ice cream, and coconut milk. The seeds are edible when boiled.

12. Pineapple

Pineapple (Thai name - sapa rot). Thailand's pineapples are considered to be some of the best in the world. There are about 80 varieties of this fruit. Its taste is rich - from sweet and sour to honey. The smell of ripe pineapple is pleasant and slightly sweet. When choosing a pineapple, pay attention to its texture: it should bend slightly under your fingers, but not be too soft or, conversely, too hard. In Thailand, mini pineapple or as it is called “royal pineapple” has also become widespread.

13. Coconut

Coconut (Thai name - ma phrao). Season: all year round. If not for these fruits, Thai cuisine would simply be a combination of Chinese and Indian. They are added to rice and eaten fresh. Most soups are cooked with coconut milk. Coconuts in syrup are offered as a dessert. In markets they sell coconut milk directly from the fruit. Be prepared for the fact that coconuts in Thailand are not the coconuts we are used to seeing in “bounty” advertisements. They are green and big. But, there is another type - small light brown ones.

14. Langsat

Langsat (Thai name - lang sat). Season: July to October. This fruit is almost unknown outside the country, but is very popular in Thailand itself. Its grayish flesh has both a sweet and sour taste. Langsat seeds are bitter, so the fruit should be eaten with caution. Do not confuse with longan.

15. Pomelo

Pomelo (Thai name - som oh). Season: August to November. The taste is reminiscent of grapefruit, but more sweet than sour. In addition, the broom is much larger in size. The pulp is reddish, pale yellow and orange.

16. Rambutan

Rambutan (Thai name - ngaw). Season: all year round, peak from May to September. One of the most noticeable and delicious exclusively Thai fruits. The bright red fruits with pale green bristles taste vaguely like grapes, only sweeter. Rambutan grows in the central and southern provinces (Chanthaburi, Pattaya region, Surat Thani).

17. Rose Apple

Rose apple (Thai name - chom poo). Season: all year round. There are two varieties of this fruit: one is really pink, the other is green. The taste of the fruits is similar to ordinary apples, only slightly sour. The most beautiful pink apples appear in markets during the cool season - from November to March.

18. Salak

Salak, snake fruit (Thai name - la kham). The scaly fruits are burgundy-brown in color, the shape is oval and slightly elongated, reminiscent of a drop of water. The peel is thin and comes off fairly easily, but you need to be careful when peeling the fruit: it is covered in small, soft spines. The flesh of the herring is yellowish-white.

19. Sugar Apple

Sugar apple (Thai name - noi naa). Season: June to September. Under the lumpy green skin lies a sweet and aromatic milky pulp. If the fruit is ripe enough, you can eat it with a spoon. By the way, the basis of the special ice cream served in Thai restaurants is the sugar apple. The fruit loves hot and humid climates, so it is grown mainly in the south of the country.

20. Carambola

Carambola (Thai name - ma feung). Season: October to December. The fruits are yellow or green, oblong. Cut crosswise, they have the shape of a five-pointed star. Because of this, they have a second name - star fruit, or “star fruit”. Ripe fruits are very juicy. The taste is pleasant, with floral notes, not very sweet. Unripe fruits are quite sour. They contain a lot of vitamin C. The fruit is mainly used for making salads, sauces, juices and soft drinks.

21. Tamarind

Tamarind (Thai name - makham thad). Season: December to March. Tamarind is a sour fruit, but a sweet variety grows in Thailand. Thais usually boil the fruits in water to create a refreshing drink.

22. Watermelon

Watermelon (Thai name - Taeng Mo). Season: all year round. Peak season: October-March. Appearance: Watermelons are small in size, with red or yellow flesh. Yellow ones are more expensive because... in Thailand it is the color of wealth. Taste: usual for watermelon, sugar-sweet, refreshing in both types. Significantly sweeter than Astrakhan ones. Consumption: shakes, smoothies and juice from fresh watermelon are popular. Used for figured fruit carving.

23. Banana

Banana - (Thai name - Kluai). Season: all year round. Appearance: yellow or green. Taste: very sweet, the smaller the size and thinner the skin, the tastier, but these are not stored. Long ones store better and cost more. Very nutritious, they are eaten unripe with spices, semi-ripe ones are dried in the sun, ripe ones are deep-fried, boiled in coconut milk or syrup, the flowers are used in preparing various dishes.

24. Mandarin

Mandarin (Thai name - Som). Season: all year round. Peak season is September-February. Appearance. Smaller in size than European varieties, with thinner greenish-yellow skin. Taste: sweet with slight sourness, very juicy. Compared to European varieties, the taste is not as bright. Consumption: In Thailand, they are mainly juiced and sold everywhere on street stalls.

Fruits in Thailand by season.

The round fruit is red, up to 4 cm in diameter. A wonderful, very tasty fruit. It has one bone in the middle. Similar to Longon in shape, texture and bone, but with a richer taste and aroma. Very juicy, sweet, sometimes with sourness. The peel is easily separated from the white-transparent pulp.

Unfortunately, fresh Lychee cannot be consumed all year round: the Lychee harvest season begins in May and lasts until the end of July. The rest of the year it is almost impossible to find.

During the off-season in Asia, you can buy canned Lychee in cans or plastic bags in its own juice or coconut milk.

Ripe fruits can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. You can freeze and store peeled fruits in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Lychee contains a lot of proteins, pectin substances, potassium, magnesium and vitamin C. A very high content of nicotinic acid - vitamin PP, which actively prevents the development of atherosclerosis. The widespread occurrence of Lychee in Southeast Asian countries (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand) is the reason for the low level of atherosclerosis in this region.

Rambutan (Rambutan, Ngo, “hairy fruit from Thailand”).

The round fruits are red, up to 5 cm in diameter, covered with soft spine-like shoots. The pulp covering the seed is a transparent white elastic mass with a pleasant sweet taste, sometimes with a sour tint. The stone is quite tightly connected to the pulp and is edible.

Contains carbohydrates, protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, niacin and vitamin C. The fruits have a short shelf life - up to 7 days in the refrigerator.

Harvest season: May to October.

Peel by cutting the peel with a knife, or without using a knife, as if twisting the fruit in the middle.

Rambutan is eaten fresh, made into jams and jellies, and canned.

Mangosteen (Mangosteen, mangosteen, mangosteen, garcinia, mankut).

The fruits are the size of a small apple and dark purple in color. Under the thick, inedible peel, there is edible pulp in the form of garlic cloves. The pulp is sweet with sourness, very tasty, unlike anything else. Typically seedless, although some fruits contain small, soft seeds that can be eaten.

Sometimes diseased Mangosteen fruits are found, with dark creamy, sticky and unpleasant-tasting pulp. Such fruits cannot be identified until you peel them.

The harvest season is from April to September.

Natural biologically active substances contained in mangosteen reduce inflammatory reactions: swelling, soreness, redness, high temperature.

Dragon's Eye (pitaya, pitaya, long yang, dragon fruit, pitaya).

These are the fruits of a cactus. Dragon's eye is the Russian version of the name of this fruit. International name: Dragon Fruit or Pitahaya.

Quite large, oblong fruits (palm-sized) with a red, pink or yellow color on the outside. Inside the flesh is white or red, dotted with small black seeds. The pulp is very tender, juicy, slightly sweet, with an unexpressed taste. It is convenient to eat with a spoon, scooping out the pulp from the fruit cut in half.

Dragon's eye is useful for stomach pain, diabetes or other endocrine disease.

Harvest seasons are all year round.

Durian

King of fruits. The fruits are very large: up to 8 kilograms.

A fruit famous all over the world for its smell. Almost everyone has heard of it, some have smelled it, and very few have tried it. Its smell is reminiscent of onions, garlic and worn socks. Due to its smell, this fruit is even prohibited from entering hotels, transport and other public places. To remind you of the ban in Thailand, for example, they put up signs with a crossed out image of the fruit.

The sweet pulp of the fruit has a very delicate consistency and does not at all correspond to the unpleasant odor. You should try this fruit, if only for the reason that many have heard about it, but few dare to try it. But in vain. The taste is very pleasant, and the fruit itself is considered the most valuable fruit in Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia). It is very high in calories and healthy. Durian also has a reputation as a powerful aphrodisiac.

Sold cut (into slices) and packed in polyethylene. In supermarkets you can find very interesting sweets with the taste and smell of Durian.

Sala (salak, rakum, snake fruit, snake fruit, sala)

Oblong or round fruits of small size (about 5 cm in length) of red (Rakum) or brown (Salak) color, covered with dense small spines.

A fruit with a very unusual, bright sweet and sour taste. To some it resembles a persimmon, to others a pear. It’s worth trying at least once, and then see how you like it...

You should be careful when peeling the fruit: the spines are very dense and dig into the skin. It's better to use a knife.

Season: April to June.

Carambola (Starfruit, Kamrak, Ma Phuak, Carambola, Star-fruit).

“Star of the tropics” - in cross-section, it looks like an asterisk.

The fruit has an edible peel and is eaten whole (there are small seeds inside). The main advantage is a pleasant smell and juiciness. The taste is not particularly distinctive - slightly sweet or sweet and sour, somewhat reminiscent of the taste of an apple. The fruit is quite juicy and perfectly quenches thirst.

Sold all year round.

People with severe kidney problems are not recommended to consume Carambola.

Longan (Lam-yai, Dragon's Eye).

Small fruits, similar to small potatoes, covered with a thin inedible skin and one inedible seed inside.

The pulp of Longan is very juicy, has a sweet, very aromatic taste with a peculiar shade.

Season – from July to September.

Longkong (Longan, Lonkon, Langsat, Lonngkong, Langsat).

Longkong fruits, like Longan, are similar to small potatoes, but are slightly larger in size and have a yellowish tint. You can distinguish it from Longana if you peel the fruit: when peeled, it looks like garlic.

They have a sweet and sour interesting taste. The fruits are rich in calcium, phosphorus, carbohydrates and vitamin C. The burnt skin of Longkong produces an aromatic smell, which is not only pleasant, but also useful, as it serves as an excellent repellent.

Fresh fruit can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 4-5 days. The skin of a ripe fruit must be dense, without cracks, otherwise the fruit will quickly deteriorate.

Season: April to June.

Sometimes a variety is also sold - Langsat, which is no different in appearance, but has a slightly bitter taste.

Jackfruit (Eve, Khanoon, Jackfruit, Nangka, Indian breadfruit).

Jackfruits are the largest fruits that grow on trees, weighing up to 34 kg. Inside the fruit are several large sweet yellow slices of edible pulp. These slices are sold already peeled, since you yourself cannot cope with this giant.

The pulp has a sickly sweet taste, reminiscent of melon and marshmallow. It is very nutritious: it contains about 40% carbohydrates (starch) - more than in bread.

Season: January to August.

You can risk bringing this monster home whole; it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. But it is better to buy cut and packaged slices of pulp.

Important! Some people, after eating Jackfruit, experience an unhealthy reaction in the throat - spasms, and it becomes difficult to swallow. Everything usually goes away within an hour or two. Perhaps this is an allergic reaction. Be careful.

Pineapple.

Pineapple fruits do not need any special comments.

It should only be noted that Pineapples bought in Asia and Pineapples bought in Russia are completely different things. Pineapples in Russia are a pitiful imitation of the real Pineapples that you can try in their homeland.

It is worth mentioning separately about Thai Pineapple - it is considered the most delicious in the world. You should definitely try it and be sure to bring it home with you to pamper your family. For local consumption, it is better to buy already peeled.

Pineapple season - all year round

Mango.

According to some estimates, Mango is considered the most delicious fruit in the world.

Mango is quite widely known and sold in Russia. However, the taste and aroma of Mango in its homeland is very different from what is sold in our stores. In Asia, its fruits are much more aromatic, juicier, and the taste is richer. And indeed, when you eat a fresh, ripe mango grown, for example, in Thailand, it seems that nothing tastes better.

The fruit is covered with an inedible peel that cannot be separated from the pulp: it must be cut off in a thin layer using a knife. Inside the fruit there is a rather large, flat stone, from which the pulp also does not come out, and it must be separated from the stone with a knife, or simply eaten.

The color of Mango, depending on the degree of ripeness, varies from green to yellow (sometimes to yellow-orange or red). For local consumption, it is better to buy the ripest yellow or orange fruits. Without a refrigerator, such fruits can be stored for up to 5 days, in the refrigerator for up to 30 days, unless, of course, they were previously stored somewhere else.

If you want to bring several fruits home, you can buy fruits of medium maturity, greenish in color. They keep well and ripen on the road or at home.

Noina (Sugar apple, Annona scaly, sugar-apple, sweetsop, noi-na).

Another unusual fruit, which has no analogues and is not similar to any of the fruits we are familiar with. Noina's fruits are the size of a large apple, green in color, and lumpy.

Inside the fruit there is a very pleasant taste, sweet aromatic pulp and many hard seeds the size of beans. The unripe fruit is hard in texture and not at all tasty, it looks like a pumpkin. Therefore, having bought an unripe fruit at the market and tried it, many tourists refuse to eat it further, immediately disliking it. But if you let it sit for a day or two, it ripens and becomes very tasty.

The peel is inedible and very inconvenient to peel due to the lumpy skin. If the fruit is ripe, then the pulp can be eaten with a spoon, after cutting the fruit in half. The most ripe or slightly overripe fruits literally fall apart in your hands.

To choose a ripe, tasty noina, you need, first of all, to focus on its softness (soft fruits are more ripe), but you need to be careful, because if you press a little harder on a ripe fruit, it will simply fall apart in your hands while still on the counter.

The fruit is rich in vitamin C, amino acids and calcium.

Season: June to September.

Sweet Tamarind (Indian date).

Tamarind is considered a spice of the legume family, but is also consumed as an ordinary fruit. The fruits are up to 15 centimeters long and have an irregular curved shape. There is also a variety of Tamarind - green Tamarind.

Under the hard brown peel, resembling a shell, there is brown pulp that is sweet and sour with a tart taste. Be careful - there are large hard seeds inside the Tamarind.

By soaking tamarind in water and grinding it through a sieve, the juice is obtained. Ripe dried tamarind is used to make sweets. You can buy in the store and bring home wonderful tamarind sauce for meat and sweet tamarind syrup (for making cocktails.

This fruit is rich in vitamin A, organic acids and complex sugars. Tamarind is also used as a laxative.

Season – from October to February.

Mammea americana.

Also known as American apricot and Antillean apricot, this fruit is native to South America, although it can now be found in almost all tropical countries.

This fruit, which is actually a berry, is quite large, growing up to 20 centimeters in diameter. Inside there is one large or several (up to four) smaller seeds. The pulp is very tasty and aromatic, and, in accordance with its second name, tastes and smells like apricot and mango.

The ripening season varies depending on the region, but mainly from May to August.

Cherimoya (Annona cherimola).

Cherimoya is also known as Cream Apple and Ice Cream Tree. In some countries, the fruit is known under completely different names: in Brazil - Graviola, in Mexico - Poox, in Guatemala - Pac or Tzumux, in El Salvador - Anona poshte, in Belize - Tukib, in Haiti - Cachiman la Chine, in the Philippines - Atis , on Cook Island – Sasalapa. The fruit is native to South America, but it can be found in warm year-round countries in Asia and South Africa, as well as in Australia, Spain, Israel, Portugal, Italy, Egypt, Libya and Algeria. However, the fruit is rare in these countries. It is still most common on the American continent.

It is quite difficult to clearly recognize the Cherimoya fruit at the first inexperienced glance, since it exists in several types with different surfaces (lumpy, smooth or mixed). One of the tuberculate varieties, among others, is Noina (see above), which is widespread in the countries of Southeast Asia. The size of the fruit is 10-20 centimeters in diameter and the shape of the cut fruit resembles a heart. The consistency of the pulp resembles an orange and is usually eaten with a spoon, it is very tasty and tastes immediately like banana and passion fruit, papaya and pineapple, and strawberries with cream. The pulp contains very hard pea-sized seeds, so be careful, otherwise you may lose a tooth. It is usually sold slightly unripe and hard and must sit for 2-3 days before acquiring its true amazing taste and texture.

The ripening season is usually from February to April.

Noni (Noni, Morinda citrifolia).

This fruit is also known as Big Moringa, Indian Mulberry, Healthy Tree, Cheese Fruit, Nonu, Nono. The fruit is native to Southeast Asia, but now it grows in all tropical countries.

The Noni fruit resembles a large potato in shape and size. Noni cannot be called very tasty and aromatic, and, apparently, that’s why tourists very rarely encounter it. Ripe fruits have an unpleasant odor (reminiscent of moldy cheese) and a bitter taste, but are considered very healthy. In some regions, Noni is a staple food for poor people. It is usually consumed with salt. Noni juice is also popular.

Noni bears fruit all year round. But you can’t find it in every fruit market, but, as a rule, in markets for local residents.

Marula (Marula, Sclerocarya birrea).

This fruit grows exclusively on the African continent. And it’s not easy to find it for sale fresh in other regions. The thing is that after ripening, the fruits almost immediately begin to ferment inside, turning into a low-alcohol drink. This property of marula is happily used not only by the inhabitants of Africa, but also by animals. After eating marula fruits that have fallen to the ground, they often become “tipsy.”

Ripe Marula fruits are yellow in color. The size of the fruit is about 4 cm in diameter, and inside there is white pulp and a hard stone. Marula does not have an outstanding taste, but its pulp is very juicy and has a pleasant aroma until it begins to ferment. The pulp also contains a huge amount of vitamin C.

The Marula harvest season takes place in March-April.

Platonia wonderful (Platonia insignis)

Platonia grows only in South America. It is impossible to find it in the countries of Southeast Asia.

Platonia fruits are up to 12 centimeters in size, with a large thick skin. Under the skin there is white tender pulp with a sweet and sour taste and several large seeds.

Kumquat

Kumquat is also known as Fortunella, Kinkan, Japanese oranges. This is a citrus plant. It grows in southern China, but is also widespread in other tropical countries. Kumquat fruits can also be found on the shelves of our stores, but the taste is not at all what you can taste at home in its freshest form.

Kumquat fruits are small (from 2 to 4 centimeters), similar to small oblong oranges or tangerines. The outside is covered with a very thin edible peel, the inside and structure and taste are almost the same as an orange, except that it is a little sour and bitter. Eaten whole (except for the seeds).

The ripening season is from May to June, you can buy all year round.

Guava

Guava (Guajava), Guiava or Guava is found in almost all tropical and subtropical countries. Despite the fact that the fruit is considered exotic, you should not expect an exotic taste from it: a rather mediocre, slightly sweet taste, reminiscent of a pear. It may be worth trying once, but you are unlikely to become a fan. Another thing is the aroma: it is quite pleasant and very strong. In addition, the fruit is very healthy, rich in vitamin C and perfectly improves the overall tone of the body and improves health.

The fruits come in various sizes (from 4 to 15 centimeters), round, oblong and pear-shaped. The skin, seeds and pulp are all edible.

In Asia, they like to ripen green, slightly unripe Guava by dipping pieces of the fruit in a mixture of salt and pepper. From the outside it may seem unusual, but if you try it, the taste turns out to be quite interesting and tonic.

Passion Fruit/Passion Fruit

This exotic fruit is also called Passion Fruit, Passiflora, Edible Passion Flower, Granadilla. It is native to South America, but can be found in most tropical countries, including Southeast Asia. “Passion Fruit” received its second name because it is credited with the properties of a strong aphrodisiac.

Passion fruits have a smooth, slightly elongated, rounded shape and reach 8 centimeters in diameter. Ripe fruits have a very bright juicy color and are yellow, purple, pink or red. The yellow fruits are less sweet than others. The pulp also comes in a variety of colors. Under the inedible peel there is a jelly-like sweet and sour pulp with seeds. You can’t call it particularly tasty; juices, jellies, etc. made from it are much tastier.

When eating, it is most convenient to cut the fruit in half and eat the pulp with a spoon. The seeds in the pulp are also edible, but they cause drowsiness, so it is better not to overuse them. Passion fruit juice, by the way, also has a calming effect and causes drowsiness. The most ripe and delicious fruits are those whose peel is not perfectly smooth, but is covered with “wrinkles” or small “dents” (these are the ripest fruits).

The ripening season is from May to August. Passion fruit can be stored in the refrigerator for one week.

Avocado

Avocado is also called American Perseus and Alligator pear. It is generally accepted that Avocado is a fruit. This may be true from a scientific point of view, but in taste it is more of a vegetable.

Avocado fruits are pear-shaped, up to 20 centimeters long. Covered with tasteless and inedible peel. Inside there is dense pear-like flesh and one large seed. The pulp tastes like an unripe pear or pumpkin and is nothing special. But if an avocado is well-ripened, its flesh becomes softer, oilier, and more pleasant to taste.

Avocados are more often used for cooking than for eating raw. So you shouldn’t rush to try this fruit. But dishes prepared with Avocado can greatly diversify the holiday table. On the Internet you can find many recipes for avocado dishes, including salads, soups, main courses, but on vacation you are unlikely to need all this, so you don’t have to look too much at Avocado.

Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis, breadfruit, pana)

Breadfruit should not be confused with Jackfruit. Jackfruit, although known as Indian breadfruit, is actually a completely different fruit.

Breadfruit can be found in all tropical regions, but mainly in the countries of Southeast Asia and Oceania. Due to the very high yield of Breadfruit, its fruits in some countries are the main product of kicking, like potatoes in our country, for example.

Breadfruit fruits are round in shape, very large, can reach 30 centimeters in diameter and four kilograms in weight. Ripe fruits are consumed raw, like fruits, and unripe ones are used as vegetables in cooking. It is better to buy ripe fruits on vacation, or even better, already cut into portions, because... You are unlikely to be able to cut up and eat the whole fruit. When the fruit is ripe, the pulp becomes soft and slightly sweet, reminiscent of banana and potato in taste. This is not to say that the taste is outstanding, and therefore breadfruit is not often found in tourist fruit markets. The taste of bread can only be felt when the unripe fruit is cooked.

Breadfruit ripening season, 9 months of the year. You can buy fresh fruits all year round.

Jabuticaba

Jaboticaba (Jaboticaba) is also known as the Brazilian grape tree. It can be found mainly in the countries of South America, but sometimes it is also found in the countries of Southeast Asia.

This is a very interesting, tasty and rarely found exotic fruit. If you can find it and try it, consider yourself lucky. The fact is that the Jaboticaba tree grows very slowly, which is why it is practically not cultivated.

The way the fruits grow is also interesting: they grow directly on the trunk, and not on the branches of the tree. The fruits are small (up to 4 cm in diameter), dark purple in color. Under the thin, dense peel (inedible) there is a soft, jelly-like and very tasty pulp with several seeds.

The tree bears fruit almost all year round.

Kiwano/Horned Melon

Kiwano Melon is also known as Horned Melon, African Cucumber, Antillean Cucumber, Horned Cucumber, Anguria. Kiwano really looks like a large cucumber when cut. Although whether it is a fruit is still a question. The fact is that Kiwano fruits grow on a vine. It is cultivated mainly in Africa, New Zealand, and the American continent.

Kiwano fruits are oblong, up to 12 centimeters in length. The color varies from yellow, orange and red depending on the degree of ripening. Under the thick skin, the flesh is green and tastes somewhat reminiscent of cucumber, banana and melon. The fruit is not peeled, but cut into slices or in half (like a regular melon), and then the pulp is eaten. Both unripe and unripe fruits are consumed raw. Unripe fruits can be eaten with seeds as they are soft. Also used with salt.

Miracle fruit

The magic fruit grows in West Africa. It does not have an outstanding exotic taste, but it is famous and interesting because after you eat it, all foods will seem sweet to you for about an hour. The fact is that the Magic Fruit contains a certain protein that temporarily blocks the taste buds on the tongue that are responsible for sour taste. Therefore, you can eat lemon and it will taste sweet to you. True, only freshly picked fruits have this property, and during storage they quickly lose it. So don’t be surprised if the “trick” doesn’t work on the fruit you bought.

The fruit grows on small trees or shrubs, has a rounded oblong shape, 2-3 centimeters long, red in color, with a hard seed inside.

The magical fruit bears fruit almost all year round.

Bael (Wood apple)

Also known by other names: Aegle marmelos, stone apple, limonia acidissima, feronia elephantum, feronia limonia, hesperethusa crenulata, elephant apple, monkey fruit, curd fruit. Very widespread in the countries of Southeast Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, Thailand).

This fruit grows on a tree and reaches 5-20 cm in diameter. The fruit is gray-green (unripe) to yellow or brown (ripe) with a very dense, rough skin that resembles a nut shell. The pulp of the unripe fruit is orange, divided into segments with white seeds. The ripe fruit has a mushy brown pulp, sticky, and can taste sour or sweet.

Bail fruits are not so easy to find in fruit markets in their entirety. And even if you meet him, you yourself will not be able to cope with him. The fact is that its peel is hard as a stone, and it is impossible to get to the pulp without a hammer or hatchet.

If you can’t try it fresh (which, in general, you shouldn’t worry about), you can buy tea from the fruits of Bail, called Matoom tea. It consists of dried orange-brown circles, divided into several segments. It is believed to be very effective in the treatment of gastrointestinal, colds, bronchial and asthmatic diseases. It is also used in cooking (tea, drinks, jams, salads) and cosmetology (soap, aromatic oil).

The ripening season is from November to December.

Buddha's hand

Buddha Hand is a variety of Citron. It is also called Buddha Fingers and Finger Citron.

We decided to mention this very exotic fruit so that you don’t try it during your vacation in a tropical paradise. This is not a fruit that you will enjoy the taste of. Undoubtedly, the fruit is very interesting and healthy, and when you see it, you will most likely have a desire to try it. But don't rush. It is widely used in cooking, but you are unlikely to eat it. The Buddha's Hand fruit consists almost entirely of peel (the pulp is inedible), which is similar to lemon peel in taste (sour-bitter taste) and violet in smell.

The shape of the fruit is very interesting and looks like a palm with a large number of fingers, reaching a length of 40 centimeters. You can buy it only to bring it home with you as a souvenir, and at home to prepare various dishes with citrus flavor (compote, jelly, candied fruits) from it.

Banana (Banana, Musa)

Well, in general, everyone already knows about bananas. We randomly mentioned banana so you can vote for them if they are your favorite. By the way, it is worth mentioning that bananas in exotic countries taste much better than those sold at home, so be sure to try bananas on vacation, maybe you will like them even more than before.

Papaya (Papaya, Melon, Breadfruit)

Papaya is native to South America, but now it is found in almost all tropical countries. Papaya fruits grow on trees and have a cylindrical oblong shape up to 20 centimeters in length.

Many who have tried Papaya say that it is more of a vegetable than a fruit. But this is because they ate unripe Papaya. Unripe Papaya is indeed very widely used in cooking; salads are made from it (be sure to try the spicy Thai Papaya salad called Som Tam), meat is stewed with it and simply fried.

But ripe Papaya in its raw form is really very tasty and sweet. Its texture resembles a dense melon, and its taste is something between pumpkin and melon. On sale you can find both whole green fruits (not yet ripe, for cooking) and yellow-orange ones (ripe, ready to eat raw). It is not worth buying the whole fruit; it is better to buy ready-to-eat, peeled and cut into slices Papaya.

You can meet Papaya in tropical countries all year round.

Coconut (coconut, cocos, coco)

Coconut and coconut are often used as identical words. However, the name “coconut” in this case is not correct, because Coconut, by its structure, is classified as a stone fruit crop, such as apricot or plum.

Coconut is the fruit of the coconut palm tree, growing throughout tropical countries. Belongs to the category of fruits.

It is a large round (up to 30 cm in diameter) fruit, weighing up to 3 kg. Koros has conditionally two degrees of maturation. A young coconut has a smooth, light green or green-yellow outer layer, underneath which is a hard kernel. Beneath this is a clear (coconut water) or white emulsion (coconut milk), with a small jelly-like layer of coconut meat on the walls of the shell. The liquid inside with a slightly sweet taste quenches thirst well; the pulp can also be eaten by scraping it from the walls with a spoon.

Another degree of ripening (or over-ripening) that we see in our stores is the following: on the outside there is a fibrous and rough layer, under which there is a hard brown shell, and under it a thick layer of white pulp and a slightly cloudy liquid. This liquid, as a rule, is not tasty, and the pulp is dry and tasteless.

When opening a coconut, you need to be careful; you won’t be able to do this with just a universal kitchen knife; you’ll need more “heavy artillery.” But fortunately, if you buy a coconut in tourist areas, you don’t have to worry about opening it: they will open it in front of you, and, most likely, they will also give you a straw for drinking and a spoon for “scraping out” the pulp. Cooled coconut tastes best.

Tourists really like a special coconut cocktail: you need to drink a little coconut juice and add 30-100 grams of cognac, rum or whiskey.

Coconut contains vitamins A, B, C, proteins, sugar, carbohydrates, organic acids; minerals - sodium, calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorus.

The ripening season is all year round.

Sapodilla or sapota tree or tree potato (Manilkara achras, M. zapota, or Achras zapota), sapodilla, prang khaa, la-mut, naseberry, chiku)

Sapodilla is an oval or round fruit up to 10 cm and weighing 100-150 g. It looks very much like a plum. The skin is matte and thin, ranging in color from light to dark brown.

The ripe fruit has a sweet taste with a slightly caramel flavor. The structure of the pulp resembles a persimmon - soft and juicy, and just like a persimmon, it can “knit” a little, only much less. Inside are several large black seeds with a hook at the end (you need to be careful when eating). As a rule, it is not recommended to store fruit for more than 3 days, because... it quickly deteriorates and turns sour. Therefore, Sapodilla is practically never found on the shelves of our stores. It is also not recommended to consume unripe fruit, because... it tastes very bad. You should choose ripe fruits based on their color (those that are yellower or brown are more ripe; green ones should not be chosen at all) and softness. Hard fruits are completely unripe, a ripe fruit gives in to pressure a little, and an overripe fruit is squeezed very easily.

Sapodilla grows in countries with a tropical climate, in particular in America, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines.

Sapodilla is most often used in desserts, salads and drinks. Unripe fruits are used for diarrhea, burns, and also in cosmetology.

Contains vitamins A and C, iron, calcium, carbohydrates.

The ripening season is from September to December.

Pomelo

Pomelo or pomelo or pamela (Pomelo pummelo, pumelo, som-o, pompelmus, sheddock, Citrus maxima or Citrus grandis, Chinese grapefruit, jabong, jeruk, limo, lusho, djembura, sai-seh, banten, zebon, robeb ​​tenga)

Pomelo is a citrus fruit and is considered the largest among this family. Very often it is compared to grapefruit. As a rule, the fruit has a round shape, can reach up to 20 cm in diameter and weigh up to 10 kg!!! The color, depending on the variety, can range from green to yellow-green. The peel is very thick, inside there is light flesh: from white to pale yellow or pink. The pulp is divided into segments separated by film partitions. Each lobe has large fibers and may contain small white seeds. Pomelo tastes sweet with sourness, but may be slightly bitter. Compared, for example, with the same grapefruit, the pulp of Pomelo is drier.

Pomelo grows in the countries of Southeast Asia (Malaysia, China, Japan, Vietnam, India, Indonesia), on the island. Tahiti, Israel, USA. In Russia it can be purchased in any supermarket, so it is not so exotic for Russian residents.

You should choose Pomelo based, first of all, on the pronounced aromatic citrus smell and soft peel. Before use, you need to peel it from the thick peel, making several cuts (to make it more convenient and easier to clean), then divide it into separate slices, which are also freed from the partitions (they are very hard). Store at room temperature for up to a month, peeled - in the refrigerator, no more than 3 days.

This fruit is used in cooking and cosmetology. In some countries, it is consumed with salt, chili pepper and sugar, dipping peeled slices into this mixture.

Pomelo contains vitamins A, B, C, microelements, fiber, and essential oils.

Ripening season: all year round.

Figs (fig, fig, fig, wineberry, Smyrna berry, Ficus carica)

Fig fruits can be round, pear-shaped or flattened with one “eye”. On average, a ripe fruit weighs about 80 g, with a diameter of up to 8 cm. The top is covered with a thin, smooth peel from yellow-green to dark blue or purple. Under the skin there is a layer of white crust. Inside, the pulp is very sweet and juicy with small seeds, jelly-like consistency, reminiscent of strawberries in taste. By color - the pulp ranges from pink to bright red. Unripe fruits are inedible and contain milky juice.

Grows in Central Asia, the Caucasus, Crimea, and Mediterranean countries.

You need to choose ripe figs with thick skin, without spots, and slightly soft. It is recommended to store it for no more than 3 days in the refrigerator, because... it quickly deteriorates and is not transportable. You can eat it with the peel, cut into slices or in half, scraping out the pulp with a spoon. Most often, figs can be found on store shelves only in dried form. Dried fruits are pre-soaked in water before use; the water after this “soaking” can be drunk (the beneficial substances pass there).

Figs are dried, pickled, and jam is made. In dried form, it is more nutritious and high in calories than fresh.

Figs contain a lot of potassium, iron, vitamins B, PP, C, carotene, minerals and organic acids.

Ripening season: August to November.

Kiwi (Actinidia deliciosa, Actinidia chinensis, Kiwi, Chinese gooseberry, Chinese grape)

The Kiwi fruit is a berry. It has small round or oval fruits, covered on the outside with a fleecy thin brown skin. The weight of the fruit can reach up to 80 g, diameter - up to 7 cm. Under the skin there is juicy pulp, depending on the variety, it can be from green to yellow. In the very middle of the fruit the pulp is white, surrounded by many small black seeds. The seeds are edible, but taste sour. Kiwi pulp is generally sweet with a slight sourness, reminiscent of a mixture of gooseberries, apples, and pineapples.

Kiwi is grown in countries with a subtropical climate (Italy, New Zealand, Chile, Greece). There are also small plantations in Russia (Krasnodar Territory). You can buy it everywhere at any time of the year.

You need to choose smooth fruits, without dents or other damage to the skin; their ripeness is determined by the softness of the fruit. If the fruits are hard and hard, then they will ripen at home without any problems, for which they need to be placed in a bag with apples for one or two days. You can store Kiwi at room temperature for up to 5 days, in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, first putting it in a bag or plastic container.

You can eat Kiwi in two ways: peel and cut into slices or cut in half and eat the pulp with a spoon.

Kiwi contains large quantities of vitamins B and C, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium.

Various desserts, fruit salads are made from it, served with meat, fish, seafood, and drinks are prepared (syrups, liqueurs, wine, cocktails). Used in cosmetology.

Chrysophyllum or Star Apple (Chrysophyllum cainito), star apple, cainito, caimito, (caimito, star apple), milky fruit

The fruits of the Star Apple are round or oval up to 10 cm in diameter. The peel is thin, smooth, green to purple or brown, depending on the variety. Under the peel is a layer of rind the same color as the rind itself. The pulp is white to purple, juicy, sweet, sticky, jelly-like, with an apple flavor. Inside there are up to 10 hard brown seeds, up to 2 cm long. In cross section, the flesh resembles a star. Unripe fruits are sticky and inedible. The milky juice, which remains even in ripe fruits, is very sticky, as a result, when eating the fruit your lips may stick together a little.

It grows in countries with a tropical climate: South America, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and West Africa.

You should choose ripe fruits based on their slightly wrinkled skin, softness when pressed, and absence of damage. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 weeks. The fruits tolerate transportation well. Before use, the fruit must be cooled and peeled (they are bitter). You can eat it either by cutting it in half and scooping out the pulp with a spoon, or by cutting it into slices, like a watermelon; the seeds are inedible.

Used in the preparation of desserts.

Star apple is rich in vitamin C and microelements. Very nutritious.

Ripening season: February to March.

Guanabana (guanabana, annana muricata, soursop, annona prickly, graviola, sousap, sauasep)

Guanabana is a close relative of Noina and Cherimoya, and to the untrained eye they can indeed be confused in appearance and even in taste. Their main difference is in the peel: in Guanabana, the surface of the peel clearly looks like rare low spines or villi, although in fact these processes are soft and not prickly at all. The fruit is round, irregularly elongated, quite large, can reach a weight of 12 kilograms, although fruits weighing no more than 3 kilograms are usually found on sale.

Guanabana is native to tropical America, but today it can be found in almost all tropical regions, including the countries of Southeast Asia. You can’t find this fruit at every fruit market, but if you find it, be sure to try it.

The pulp of the fruit is white, soft, creamy in texture and slightly fibrous. The taste is sweet and slightly sour, unlike any other fruit. Inside there are a large number of hard seeds the size and shape of a large bean.

When unripe, the flesh is hard and tasteless, like pumpkin. Moreover, the fruits are often sold unripe (ripen within a few days), which is why tourists, having bought it and tried it, do not immediately fall in love with it. But just let it sit for a couple of days and it will acquire its unique taste. To select a ripe fruit, you need to press a little on it, the peel should bend slightly. Hard, dense fruits are unripe.

You can eat Guanabana by cutting the fruit in half and scraping out the pulp with a spoon, or by cutting it into slices and eating it like watermelon. It is impossible to peel a ripe fruit.

Guanabana is a perishable product and should be stored in the refrigerator. If you want to bring it home, choose hard, unripe fruits; they ripen quite well within 2-3 days, but then they spoil.

The ripening season for Guanabana is all year round.

Tamarillo (Tomato tree, Cyphomandra betacea)

Tamarillo is an oval-shaped berry, reaching a length of 5 to 10 cm, with a diameter of up to 5 cm. The color of the fruit varies from yellow to dark red and even purple. It looks and tastes very much like tomatoes, which is why its second name is Tomato Tree, but it is still a fruit. Its peel is hard, smooth and bitter. Very reminiscent of a tomato with a currant flavor, but has a slightly pronounced fruity smell. The pulp may be yellow or orange. As a rule, it has two sections inside with light or dark small seeds (depending on the color of the peel of the fruit itself, the lighter the color, the lighter the seeds).

It grows in the countries of South America (Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia, Colombia, Brazil, etc.), some countries of Central America, Jamaica, Haiti, and New Zealand.

You need to choose even and smooth fruits, without external damage, slightly soft. You should know that yellow and orange fruits are sweeter, while darker colored fruits become sour as they ripen. Ripe fruits are stored for a short time (in the cold for no longer than 7 days), unripe ones can ripen at room temperature. They do not tolerate transportation well.

Tamarillo is eaten by first peeling it (it is inedible), and grabbing a little layer of pulp, or cutting it in half and scooping out the pulp with a spoon.

It is widely used in cooking, using it in dishes both as a vegetable and as a fruit.

Tamarillo is rich in a large amount of vitamins (A, group B, C, E) and microelements.

The ripening season is all year round.

Feijoa (Feijoa, Pineapple Guava, Acca sellowiana)

Feijoa is a small oval berry, 3 to 5 cm long, up to 4 cm in diameter. The weight of the average fruit ranges from 15 to 50 g. The feijoa fruit is light to dark green in color, sometimes with a whitish coating, dried on one top "tail". The skin is thin, dense, and can be smooth or slightly bumpy and wrinkled. The pulp under the skin, depending on the degree of ripeness, ranges from white or cream to brownish (in the latter case, the berry is said to be spoiled). Inside, the pulp is divided into sections, in the center of which there are several light-colored edible seeds. The consistency of ripe feijoa is light and jelly-like. The berry tastes juicy, sweet and sour, reminiscent of a mixture of strawberries and pineapple or strawberries and kiwi (people have different tastes).

It grows in countries with a subtropical climate: in South America (Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay) in the Caucasus and southern Russia (Krasnodar Territory), Abkhazia, Georgia, Crimea and Central Asia.

You can eat the whole fruit together with the peel, however, this is not for everybody, because... Feijoa skin tastes sour and astringent. In most cases, feijoas are cut in half and the pulp is scraped out with a spoon, or you can peel the skin with a knife and eat the peeled fruit.

For immediate consumption, you need to choose soft (ripe) fruits. If you have to transport it, then hard (unripe) feijoa fruits are perfect for this and will ripen on the road. Ripe berries should be stored for no more than 3-4 days.

Feijoa contains a large amount of iodine, acids, and vitamin C.

It is used in cooking: jam and jellies, salads and drinks are prepared.

The ripening season is October-November.

Pepino (Melon Pear, Sweet Cucumber (Solanum muricatum)

This rather large berry grows weighing up to 700 g. The shape of the fruit can be different: oblong, pear-shaped, or round. The color is generally pale to bright yellow, sometimes with purple patches or stripes. Ripe fruit is very juicy and sweet, reminiscent of melon in taste, but unripe fruit can be slightly sour. The peel is thin, dense, smooth. The pulp is yellow, inside there are axils with small light-colored seeds (edible). Before eating, it is customary to peel the fruit (it is edible, but tastes unpleasant)

Cultivated in large quantities in South America (Peru, Chile), New Zealand.

You need to choose ripe fruits for their rich yellow color with a slightly pronounced fruity aroma and a little soft. A special feature of Pepino is that ripe fruits can be stored for several months in the refrigerator, while unripe ones can ripen and be stored for a long time.

Contains vitamins (A, B, C, PP), keratin, iron, potassium, pectin.

Used in cooking, along with vegetables, especially unripe Pepino fruits.

The ripening season is all year round.

Santol or Katon (Sandoricum koetjape, santol, kraton, krathon, graton, tong, donka, wild mangosteen, false mangosteen)

Santol grows in the countries of Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Philippines).

The Santol fruit has a round shape from 8 to 15 cm in diameter with a long stalk. Depending on the variety, it can be yellowish to brown in color, with a slightly velvety rind on top. The color of the fruit is usually uneven with pigmentation over the entire surface. Under a rather thick peel lies a whitish, opaque pulp similar to “garlic” cloves, up to 5 pieces. Inside each lobe there is a large brownish bone (it is not recommended to eat it unless necessary, as it has a laxative effect). The pulp is juicy in taste, ranging from sour to sweet and sour, somewhat reminiscent of mangosteen. As a rule, the fruits of yellowish varieties are sweeter.

Before eating, you need to peel the fruit (it is inedible), after cutting it crosswise into two halves, using a knife or peeling it with your hands, and then remove the slices of pulp and free them from the seeds. The pulp is difficult to separate from the stone, so it is customary to suck it. Sometimes Santol is eaten with salt and pepper.

Santol fruits contain large amounts of iron, magnesium, and fluorine.

Used in cooking (desserts, alcohol) and cosmetology (masks, scrubs).

The ripening season is from May to June.

Jujube or jujube (Zizyphus jujuba) (unabi, Chinese date, breast berry, jujube, jujube)

The fruit of the shrub is ovoid or round in shape, ranging from 2 to 6 cm in length, depending on the variety. Outside, the fruit is smooth, shiny, from green or yellowish to dark red, even brown. Sometimes the color of jujube may be uneven over the entire surface, as if spotted. The skin is thin and almost inseparable from the fruit. Inside, the flesh is white, dense, very juicy and sweet, reminiscent of an apple. In the middle there is, as a rule, one oblong bone. Jujube has a faintly fruity aroma.

It grows in countries with temperate to subtropical climates, in particular Thailand, China, India, Japan, Central Asia, the Mediterranean, southern Russia, and the Caucasus.

You need to choose fruits that are firm, but not very hard (they can be unsweetened), dark red or brown in color. Eat with the peel. Fresh fruits do not store well, so it is recommended to dry them.

Jujube is a useful and even medicinal product. It is consumed both fresh and dried. Rich in vitamins A, B, especially vitamin C, sugars, acids, microelements.

Widely used in cooking (drinks, wine, jams, canning, etc.), medicine (has a calming, anesthetic, tonic effect), and cosmetology.

The ripening season is from August to October.

Burmese grape or Mafai (Mafai, Baccaurea ramiflora, Baccaurea sapida)

Mafai fruits are very similar in taste and appearance to Longan fruits. They range from yellow to red in color with a diameter of up to 5 cm. The peel is thin, soft, smooth. Inside there are from 2 to 4 cloves, externally resembling garlic cloves. The pulp is juicy, white, sweet and sour with a refreshing effect. Inside each slice there is a bone that is not separated from the pulp; the stone tastes bitter. Because of this, it is not very convenient to eat the fruit, since almost all the pulp remains “stuck” to the seed, and it is impossible to separate it in any way. This fruit does not have a characteristic aroma. In general, it cannot be said that this fruit is worth “hunting” for and definitely trying.

The peel of Mafai is easy to peel (the pulp is mentioned above), and it is best stored in the refrigerator.

You can find this fruit in Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, India, China, and Cambodia. Very rare.

The ripening season is from May to August.