Rare and exotic fruits

Akebia


Such an unusual lilac-purple fruit you can find in the gardens in the northern part of Japan. Many local people grow it in their own areas like our wild grapes, braided support dense carpet of leaves. When the fruit reaches maturity Akebia, one of its walls "opens". It happens only once a year - at the beginning of autumn. Slightly sticky sweet flesh is eaten as a fruit, bitter thick skin more recalls a vegetable. However, the Japanese, not sharing these flavors, eat Akebia completely.

Dzhabotikaba


The researchers argue that dzhabotikaba initially grown in southern Brazil, but later it migrated across the ocean and spread to Portugal and the Philippines. Its main peculiarity is that the dark purple, almost black fruits do not grow on the branches, and specifically on the trunk of the tree, which locals sometimes call "grape." Juicy "balls" with a taste of wild grapes can be eaten immediately or make their juice, jam or liqueur. Alas, please relatives unusual souvenir from afar will not work - dzhabotikaba actually stored and begins to deteriorate after a frisky day oposlya collection.


Cherimoya


Another "emigrant" in Latin America - squamous cherimoya. Perhaps you have seen these green freed from the rigid skin balls on the shelves of Spanish or Asian markets, and in Egypt, and the smallest bit unpeeled fruit is sold under the name "eshta." Slice the fruit, you will find some dark seeds that are best removed (because they are considered a great emetics), while the taste of delicate aromatic pulp (which recalls a melon with cream, the rest - the papaya) is to be commended. For example, Mark Twain called the cherimoya "the most delicious fruit known to man."


Kupuasu


On the ground, a little food, which can boast of being the cause of the interstate scandal. Perhaps only Russian vodka and fruit tree kupuasu - the most expensive fruit in Latin America
And it all began. Back in the Brazilian jungle, where, as you know, a lot of monkeys, growing rare even for those places plant, the fruits of which will gladly ate Aborigines. And so it went, until the local delicacy by some miracle did not get to the enterprising Japanese. They will appreciate not only the taste but also the commercial potential kupuasu, patented the name of fruit than terribly offended Brazilians who requested to return their national heritage.
To understand what the debate representatives of the two powers, imagine coconut, stretched like a melon, with a strong citrus smell. Growing this wonder of nature on a small evergreen tree with large, up to 35 centimeters in length, leaves. Within these "kokosodyn" - white, soft, sour-sweet pulp and between 25 and 50 seeds, in five clusters. The fruits appear on the tree throughout the year, but the biggest crop harvested from February to April.
Most interesting is that the food can be consumed only kupuasu who themselves have fallen from the tree. Fruit, plucked directly from the branch, never ripen fully and get that wonderful flavor and aroma, which is famous for the resident in the tropics. The fruit should not be stored and quickly lose flavor, so the meat is frozen and in this form is sent to be recycled.
In local markets kupuasu - the most expensive piece of fruit. This is not surprising. In order to get a crop of fragrant fruit, must be met a lot of conditions. Thus, growing in the lower tier of rainforest kupuasu not like direct sun - the leaves are burned, dry up and fall off at the edges. Therefore, the plantation trees are planted in the shade of the higher plants, or cover a special net.
However, all the efforts of the planters are paying off, because kupuasu - is almost non-waste production. The fruit pulp eaten both fresh and used to make juice, liqueur and ice cream. Seeds, the fifth part of the volume of fruit, half composed of white oil on properties close to cocoa butter, but having a higher melting point, so it made of chocolate (kupulat) does not melt in your hands. In addition extract kupuasu actively used in cosmetology. He is often part of the means to care for the skin and hair. It's a great emollient and moisturizer. A high percentage of fatty acids and in fitosteroidov kupuasu improves skin elasticity, eliminates irritation, eczema and dermatitis.


Aki


This relative of the lychee was born in the tropical forests of West Africa, where his green fruit traditionally used instead of soap, and later spread throughout the world. Most successful "career" Aki did in Jamaica, there is of it even began to prepare one of the national dishes, despite the fact that the fruit is poisonous and is it can only cook in boiling water for 10 minutes. Risk is, as Aki provides lots of nutrients and fatty acids.


Annatto


In tropical areas of North and South America, and in South-East Asia in the trees quite a lot of red-brown spiky fruit with round crimson seeds inside. What do they taste, hard to say, because, unlike other fruits, of which we now speak, annatto inedible. But his kaloritnye ruby seeds - excellent food coloring, you may have encountered everywhere, from lipstick to cheddar cheese.


Dzhekfrukt


The man who turned out for the first time in South-East Asia, will just confuse the breadfruit to the notorious durians. Pulp from them, really, to look very similar, but if the first one smooth skin covered with large bumps, then they pointed at the extreme, and, of course, jackfruit pulp from contact with the air begins to smell disgusting hydrogen sulfide. Breadfruit can be very large - about the size of a watermelon. Its taste is hard to describe: typically, they say that it is sweet and pleasant, vaguely reminiscent of mango or melon with lychee finish.


Magical Fruit


This fruit from West Africa, in reality, has magical qualities: substance contained in it mirakulin can affect the taste buds of people. Eat red berry (do not forget to spit out the bone!) - And for about an hour, you will not be able to distinguish between a sour taste, but at least what the product directly to the lemons, you will find sweet.
Kiva Kiva, from time to time for the African horned cucumber and melon, long grows not only in his native Africa, and in California, Chile, Australia and New Zealand. He looks strange from the outside is covered with orange peel fruit with thorns, and cut it, you will see the green flesh inside with whitish seeds. The taste reminds many cucumber, which was crossed with zucchini and banana. There are nods can raw, added to milkshakes and other drinks. Particularly, he will appeal to the ladies, always sitting on a diet, because, as in cucumbers, there is practically no calories.
Mangosteen Being in South-East Asia, neotklonimo try these small purple fruit. Just before eating them, do not forget to remove the thick tough inedible purple rind, under which you will find a watery gel-like pearly flesh with black seeds. The taste mangosteen little reminiscent of lychee, but a little more sweet and tart.

Kumquat

The name of this cute little fruit comes from China. Kumquats - a word of Cantonese, which means "golden orange." Kumquat tougher than most citrus and successfully cultivated in Louisiana, Florida and California.
Kumquat is interesting not only for its looks, but also for its contents. There are a lot of nutrients. This plant contains a lot of different essential oils, which are very often used in the treatment of inhalation, and therefore, the treatment of these essential oils can easily get rid of colds, coughs, and even just the common cold. Its bactericidal effect of this fruit have to keep in its essential oil substance. Thanks to-eat kumquat you can adjust the digestive system, to prevent the formation of gastric ulcers, get rid of stress, apathy and nervous tension.
Because kumquat tolerates transportation, many of us met jams, jellies and marmalades from it. Unlike other citrus fruits, kumquats can be eaten whole, together in the peel. The combination of the sweet taste of the skin and the flesh gives slightly sour kumquat unique taste.


(I personally do not like the creepy kumquat - MilaYa__Lyudmila )
Durian


The most expensive (and most smelly) fruit in the world - the incomparable durian, a fruit and can fly at $ 100. About to eat, in any case, do not touch it with his hands - the fragrance indelible. Of all the famous durian fruit is so deserved polar characteristics. And if not impossible to imagine how it is true. The smell of durian is so disgusting, that it is not allowed in hotels, shops, elevators, taxis and other public places. There is even a special character - durian, crossed a red line. This means that the entrance to it is denied. After all, even after the fruit eaten in the room remains the "flavor" that his long time can not erode any cosmetics. For the same reason, the durian is not subject to long-term storage and transportation.
What epithets not award its flavor! The smell of rotting flesh, rotting onions, dirty socks, toilet, rotten eggs ... The Englishman, who visited Siam in the 19th century, describes his impressions of durian flavor, "it is akin to eating herring with blue cheese over an open sewer manhole."
And after all this, it is called the "king of fruits"? Is this possible? Perhaps - meet Thais, Malaysians, - if, holding his nose and breaking disgust, you do try durian flesh. Only then will understand how it "divine" taste. Thais say durian, actually tastes sweet and looks like a custard of eggs and milk. According to the famous naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace "Try durian - get this entirely new experience, and a trip to the East is worth it. The more you eat durian, the less you want to be distracted by anything else. " In general, for gourmets, this fruit proudly holds one of the honored place among the well-known "fragrant" delicacies like Chinese "rotten" eggs, Swedish syurstremming and the famous cheese "Roquefort", covered with green mold ...
Name of fruit comes from the Malay word «duri» (thorn) and Malay suffix «an», which means "spiny fruit." Homeland durian - Indonesia, Thailand, India, Ceylon, Indo-China, the Philippines. By the way, it is considered that the most delicious durians are grown on plantations near Bangkok in Thailand. It is also grown in plantations in central Africa and in Brazil. Usually, ripe fruit weighs 3.2 kg, has a diameter of 15-25 cm and 20-30 cm in length. It grows large trees. At the height of 15-20 meters, the first fruits are already allows for 8-10 year. And then bears fruit all year round. Blooms less than eight hours: the bright white flowers open at dusk and fall off at dawn. They say that pollinate their bats. Fetus in any case not tear. Ripe, it should fall by himself. If durians fall down (God forbid!), It had never happened. Individual fruit size with a good soccer ball weighs about 10 kg. Yes, they have sharp spines.
The unripe fruit as locals prepare vegetables cooked in the different dishes and ripe fruits are truly exquisite dessert exceptional taste with a wide range of nutrients. This fruit is rich in carbohydrates, proteins, fats and vitamins. Durian pulp contains a lot of vitamin B complex and vitamin C is much greater than is found in sweet orange. His odor attributed to the presence of organic sulfur, health-restoring properties are just being studied.