rare exotic fruits

There are many rare exotic fruits

When we talk about fruit, the most typical ones come to mind: apples, pears, bananas, strawberries, etc. But the truth is there are many rare exotic fruits. Perhaps you have ever seen them in the supermarket or in the fruit shop, but others surely do not even sound familiar to you. Do you want to discover some other?

In this post we will talk about various rare exotic fruits and we will discuss in more detail what is considered to be the strangest in the world

What is the rarest fruit in the world?

One of the rarest exotic fruits is the fruit of the hala tree

Despite the fact that fruits are not equally rare or exotic for everyone, we can find a consensus at a European level on which one could be considered the strangest in the world. Obviously, for the people who regularly grow and cook with it, it is just any fruit, but for us Europeans it can be very curious. We speak of the fruit of the hala tree.

This plant belongs to the genus called «Pandanus» and provides us with very large edible fruits. We can find these fruit trees in the Pacific islands, in Hawaii, in eastern Australia and in Southeast Asia. In these places they usually consume the fruit of the hala tree both raw and cooked since it has a sweet taste.

Especially in Micronesia it turns out to be an important source of food. It is also a highly prized fruit in Maldivian cuisine. If you are not traveling a lot, you probably think that you will never get to try it, but it is not like that. More and more oriental restaurants located in the West use some very similar varieties to the fruit of the hala tree, we just have to be brave enough to try an exotic food.

Let’s give an example: There is a variety of this fruit tree called «Pandanus amaryllifolius«. Leaves of this type give a very distinctive aroma to various dishes and complement very well with some flavors, such as chocolate. Since the use given to it is very similar to that of vanilla, the leaves are also known as “Asian vanilla.” It is very easy to recognize the desserts that carry them, since they acquire a very powerful green color.

Aspect

We already know a lot about the use of the fruit of the hala tree, but what does it look like? Why is it so rare? Let’s see, it is made up of several phalanges that are crowded together and that are protected by a fibrous outer shell. In fact, the edible part of the fruit is extracted from there. One of its main characteristics are the warm colors it has. Regarding the size, we have already mentioned before that it is large. It usually has a diameter of about 20 centimeters and a length that tends to measure around 30 centimeters. It should be noted that this fruit It is rich in vitamin C. Also, it can be used to treat some problems like asthmatic episodes, colds, headaches, and constipation.

It should be said that there are many different varieties of this species. Still, to this day its great diversity is gradually diminishing. This decrease is due to several factors, including the increase in the population in places where it is a typical food, fire, deforestation and the abandonment of their crops and plantations.

Other rare exotic fruits

Rare exotic fruits draw a lot of attention

Apart from the fruit that we have just discussed, there are many more rare exotic fruits. Some will surely sound familiar to you, but others may not. Let’s see what they are below:

  • Star fruit or carambola: The reason why this fruit is called a star is because of the shape it has when cut in half, since its five points make it look like a peculiar star.
  • Pitaya or dragon: This fruit is generated by some species of cactus. The raw meat inside is eaten. You can also make a wine juice to give a little more flavor to other drinks.
  • square watermelon: Yes, there are square watermelons. The idea originated to make this fruit easier to store and cut, since its naturally round shape sometimes complicates these tasks. They are grown in glass boxes to keep them in shape and their price tends to be double triple that of a normal watermelon.
  • Hairy fruit or rambutan: As its name indicates, this fruit has hair on its exterior. Inside it looks like a lychee fruit.
  • Ackee: The ackee is nothing more and nothing less than the national fruit of Jamaica. It is widely used in Caribbean cooking. But be careful, you can only eat the inner arils of this fruit. The red center is very toxic!
  • Horned melon: Surely you are familiar with the melon, but the melon with horns? It receives this name because it looks like a melon, but with spines that resemble horns. It is a yellow and orange fruit native to Africa.

What are exotic fruits?

We already know some of the rarest exotic fruits out there. But at what point is a fruit considered exotic? Well, the term “exotic” is generally used to refer to fruits that do not originate from a certain region or country and that, therefore, are not common in that geographic area. For example, pineapple, mango, and papaya are considered exotic fruits in many parts of the world, but in countries where they are commonly grown and consumed, they are considered common fruits.

The classification of a fruit as “exotic” may depend on factors such as its geographical origin, its availability in the local market, its rarity or its popularity. Additionally, some fruits may be considered exotic due to their unusual taste, texture, color, or appearance. For example, dragon fruit, which has scaly skin and sweet, juicy flesh, is often considered exotic due to its unique appearance.

Have you tried some of the exotic fruits that we have mentioned? You can leave us your experience in the comments!

rare exotic fruits

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