Fruits are one of the oldest forms of food known to man. In fact, Adam, the first man on earth ate an apple, the fruit that was forbidden in heaven. There are many references in ancient literature regarding fruits. Vedas said that the fruit are the basic food of gods. According to the Qur’an, grapes, dates, figs, olives and pomegranate are gifts from heaven. In ancient times, people believed that the fruit was endowed with divine and magical properties. They offered them to their gods during rituals. They would also use them to decorate temples, clothing and sacred vessels.
Fruits are excellent sources for minerals, vitamins and enzymes. They are easily digested and have a cleansing effect on the blood and digestive tract. People who regularly eat fruit will always have good health. But when you’ll see these weird looking fruits we are about to show you, you will most probably stick with an apple a day to keep the doctor away and forget about trying exotic ones.
1. Kiwano
Kiwano is a yellow-orange fruit, native from Africa Kalahari, now being grown in California. It looks like a pumpkin with thorns. Its taste has been compared to a combination of cucumbers and zucchini or bananas, cucumbers and lemons. It is also known as the African cucumber or horned melon.
2. Granadilla
Originally from the Andes Mountains, granadilla is a fruit colored in yellow and orange. The skin is hard and slippery, the black seeds are firm and protected by a transparent gelatinous pulp. This pulp is the edible part of the fruit and tastes sweet. Some say it tastes like chewing gum.
3. Cherimoya
It is a pear-shaped fruit with a sweet white fleshy pulp. It is said to taste like a mixture of banana, pineapple and strawberries. The seeds are poisonous and can be used as insecticide if crushed. The cherimoya bush is native from o the Andes Mountains. Here’s a tutorial on how to choose the right cherimoya fruit and then enjoy it.
4. Buddha’s fingers/hand
It is a strange looking fruit, but surprisingly, it is part of the citrus family. This fruit is divided into sections that look like fingers. It has a thick skin and very little core. It doesn’t have any seeds and it’s not juicy. But, it does have a strong smell and locals use it perfuming housing or clothing. It is native from India.
5. Rambutan
A native Southeast Asia and Indonesia fruit, rambutan is covered with hairs or spikes. Its taste resembles the fleshy pulp of grapes. It is often used in salads, Asian recipes and goes great with grilled fish. It has many amazing health benefits , so if you can ignore its strange appearance, you will discover a tasty and health fruit.
6. Pitahaya or dragon fruit
Originally from Mexico and South America, pitahaya is also known as the dragon fruit. Its fleshy core can be used in salads, appetizers or cakes. Here is some useful nutritional information on dragon fruit: it has 60 calories per 100 gram serving, 1 gram of fiber per serving, 9 grams of carbohydrates per serving. The fruit’s edible seeds contain heart healthy monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids. The dragon fruit is a significant source of antioxidants, which can prevent free radical damage that can lead to premature aging and disease. The fruit is high in many important micronutrients such as vitamin C, calcium, and vitamin A. Find out more by accessing this link.
7. Salak or snake fruit
Salak is also known as the snake fruit because of its scaly reddish brown peal. It grows on palm trees and fruits are the size of mature figs. The taste is sweet and slightly acid (a combination between an apple and a pineapple) and is used in recipes that contain fish, chicken or pork. It is rich in potassium and pectin, beta-carotene, calcium, tannin, saponin, flavonoids, Vitamin-C and phenolic compounds which make it an incredible health fruit, despite its strange appearance.
8. Mangosteen
It is said that this fruit is the king of fruits because of its alleged qualities: incredible taste and smell, rich in nutrients, powerful antioxidant strength, prevents disease. It resembles a mango and native to Southeast Asia.
9. Romanesco broccoli or Romanesque cauliflower
This fruit is close cauliflower and broccoli. It is very healthy, being full of antioxidants.
10. Durian
This is a really big fruit that can reach up to 3 kilos. It has a unique look and a shell covered in spikes. It releases a strong odor, compared by some with rotten flesh or dirty socks. But they say that the taste is so good that an explorer in 1700 said that the whole trip was worth it just to taste the durian.
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