Top 20 Fruits You Probably Don’t Know

Fruits You Probably Don’t Know

10.Noni

Morinda citrifolia

Noni Fruits, otherwise known by many different names around the world, including the great moringa, Indian mulberry, dog dumpling and pace, is related to the coffee bean plant and is native throughout South East Asia and Australasia, but is cultivated throughout the tropics. The tree carries fruit throughout the year and the fruit tend to have a very pungent odour when ripening (also known as the cheese fruit or vomit fruit). Despite the smell, the fruit is high in fibre, vitamin A, protein, Iron and calcium, and is the staple diet on many Pacific Islands. The fruit can either be cooked into a stew or eaten raw with salt.

9.Marula

Sclerocarya birrea

The Marula Fruits is a deciduous tree native to Southern and Eastern Africa. The distribution of the tree throughout Africa, follow the migratory patterns of the Bantu people, as it was an important source of food, and they planted more trees along their way. The green fruit ripens and turns yellow, the white flesh inside is succulent and has a very distinct flavor. After falling off the tree, the fruit will start to ferment and these draw in animals, like elephants and baboons, for a slightly alcoholic treat. The fruit is also used to make a popular liqueur called Amarula, which can be found at any duty-free liquor store at airports.

8.Salmonberry

Rubus spectabilis

 



Salmonberrys Fruits are native to the west coast of North America, stretching from midway through Alaska, all the way down to California. They are found in moist forests and create dense thickets. The fruit looks similar to raspberries, but are more orange in color. They are sweet when eaten raw, but are often processed into juice, wine, candies and jams.

7.Salak

Salacca zalacca

Salak fruits, also known as the snake fruit, comes from a species of palm native to Indonesia. These fruit grow at the base of the palm, and gained the name snake fruit from their red brown, scaly skin. The skin is easily removed, and inside are 3 white, sweet segments that each contain a large black inedible seed. When eaten, the fruit have a slightly acidic but sweet flavor, and the consistency of apples.

6.Bael

Aegle marmelos

Bael Fruits, wood apple or stone apple is a species native to India, but found throughout Southeast Asia. Bael is a smooth fruit with a woody peel that is colored yellow, green or grey. The hard, woody, outer peel is so hard that it has to be cracked with a hammer. Inside is an aromatic yellow pulp with several hairy seeds. The flesh can be eaten either dried or fresh. From the fresh fruit, a juice called sharbat can be made, adding water, sugar and lime juice to the pulp. It takes just one large fruit to make 6 liters of sharbat.

5.Star Apple

Chrysophyllum cainito

The Star apple is a fruits native to the low-lying areas of Central America and the West Indies. The underside of the evergreen leaves shine with a golden color from a distance, and the tree carries small white to purple flowers with a sweet fragrance. The fruit is round, purple and has a thick, latex filled skin. If the fruit is cut horizontally, a clear star pattern can be seen in the white purple pulp. The fruit is delicious fresh, with a intense sweet taste.

4.Star fruit

Averrhoa carambola

Star fruits or carambola is a fruit tree native to the Philippines, but can be found throughout Southeast Asia, East Asia, South America, Florida and Hawaii. This fruit has five ridges running down its length, which when cut sideways, makes the star pattern after which it is named. The fruit is rich in Vitamin C, and Antioxidants. The fruit turns a bright yellow when ripe, has a waxy skin and the entire fruit is edible, juicy and crunchy.

3.Horned melon

Cucumis metuliferus

The horned melon Fruits, also known as African cucumber or jelly melon, is an annual vine native to Africa, but can now be found grown in California, Australia, New Zealand and Chile as well. When ripe, the melon has a thick spiky yellow outer skin, with bright green, jelly like flesh. The flesh is often compared to the taste of a banana, with the texture of the seedy part of a cucumber or tomato. The thick skin can be eaten and is a good source of vitamin C and fibre.

2.Pitaya

Hylocereus

Pitaya, or dragon fruits, is a cactus fruit that can be found throughout Asia, Australasia, North America and South America, even though they are believed to be native to Mexico originally. There are two main types of pitaya, the sour types, typically eaten in the Americas, and sweet types found across Asia. The fruit comes in 3 different color varieties, Labelled as red, yellow and Costa Rican pitayas. The “red” fruits are generally a bright magenta color on the outside, with yellow flesh. The Yellow Pitaya is yellow inside and out, and the Costa Rican pitayas are magenta on the outside and the inside. They smell deliciously fragrant and most have a sweet flavor similar to a kiwi fruit.

1.Miracle Fruit

Synsepalum dulcificum

The miracle fruits, or sweet berries, is a very strange berry native to West Africa. What makes the fruit strange and miraculous, is miraculin (a sugar substitute), which is found in large quantities in the fruit, combined with a glycoprotein. The fruit itself does not contain a lot of sugar, and tastes only mildly sweet but when eaten, the glycoprotein binds to the tongues taste buds, which, for about an hour after eating the fruit, distorts any other taste into sweetness. With that effect you could technically eat a lemon, and it would taste like a ball of syrup. Although the definite reason for this occurrence is not fully understood, it would seem as if the miraculin distorts the shape of the sweetness receptors in the tongue so that they pick up on acid instead of sweetness. The sweetness receptors on your tongue then transmit to the brain to taste sweetness when they come in contact with any acidity. In the 70s attempts were made to commercialize and sell the fruit as a diet aid, as it has the potential to turn any meal sweet, without affecting your calorie intake. These attempts were shattered when the FDA declared it a food additive, due to pressure from sugar companies who could foresee big losses in profits. In the last two years the berries have been making a comeback, by being the guest star of m