Nature gives people fruits and vegetables of all kinds and colors. The most popular are red fruits. We subconsciously associate this color with the ripeness of the fruit. Among the red fruits you can find both those that are familiar to us from childhood, and quite exotic and unusual ones.

Benefit

Fruits owe their “appetizing” color to a special substance, lycopene. Its presence in the composition makes the fruits red. In addition, this microelement has a number of positive properties:

• reduces the risk of atherosclerosis;
• improves the condition of the skin;
• provides prevention of problems with the heart and blood vessels.

Red fruits are also rich in antioxidants. Their effect on our body is difficult to overestimate. They neutralize the harmful effects of free radicals. Therefore, their use is necessary for various ailments and for the normal functioning of many systems of our body.

Apples

An accessible and well-known fruit. Nutritionists recommend eating at least one apple a day. But it is worth considering that red fruits are higher in calories and are not recommended for people with diabetes. But such fruits still have more beneficial properties. They are able to remove toxins, improve metabolic processes, stimulate appetite, and improve vision.

Cherry

Of course, this is a berry, not a fruit. But its properties are close to the latter. It has a wide range of effects on our body. First of all, it should be used by people with heart and vascular problems. As a result, you can improve blood clotting, strengthen blood vessels and reduce cholesterol levels. This berry is also indicated for problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

Pomegranate

Increases iron levels in the blood. This provides prevention and treatment of anemia. Pomegranate is one of the most beneficial foods for the cardiovascular system and blood vessels. In addition, it cleanses the body and eliminates congestion. Strengthens the body's protective properties, recommended for colds and inflammatory processes in the throat.

Red bananas

Recent research by scientists has revealed the unique properties of these exotic fruits. They are superior to their counterparts in many useful properties. Among the main positive qualities for the body are the following:

• are a natural source of beta-carotene, which is involved in the process of skin renewal, improves vision and strengthens the immune system;
• due to the high potassium content, bones are strengthened, and this element also prevents the formation of kidney stones;
• antioxidants and vitamin B are involved in hematopoiesis and accelerate blood metabolism (in particular, red cells);
• Their use normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and prevents constipation.

Grapefruit

This bright fruit not only pleases us with its cheerful color, but is also able to improve our mood and even fight depression. Regular use will provide a solution to problems with low stomach acidity, eliminate constipation and ensure the elasticity of blood vessels. Among its other beneficial properties is the ability to remove cholesterol and toxins, which is useful for people watching their figure. This citrus fruit is actively used not only in folk medicine, but also in cosmetology. Its aroma can be found in all kinds of creams, masks and shampoos.

Grape

There are a great variety of grape varieties. Each of them is unique. The red subspecies differs from its counterparts in that it has a whole range of positive effects on our heart and circulatory system. It is especially useful for older people, as it improves memory and brain activity. This is an excellent prevention of Alzheimer's disease. Cosmetologists especially value grape seeds. They make excellent scrubs and peels.

Pregnant women should not eat grapes in large quantities, as they promote gas formation, which is extremely undesirable during this period.

Cranberry

The sour berry, which is hand-picked in Russia, has long been known for its beneficial properties. Cranberries stored in the fall will help provide the body with the necessary amount of vitamins and microelements in winter. It is a natural antibiotic, so it is indispensable during respiratory diseases.

It is consumed both fresh and dried. A wonderful cranberry juice can be made from it. If you are preparing to become a mother, then cranberries will help support your immune system.

Many medications are prohibited during this period, so this natural and safe product becomes especially valuable.

Watermelon

Who among us doesn’t love to enjoy the refreshing ripe pulp of a watermelon on a hot summer day? Have you ever thought that in addition to gastronomic pleasure, this berry has great benefits for the body? Here are just a few of its properties:

• thanks to the diuretic effect, kidney function is improved and urolithiasis is prevented;
• improves heart function and fights hypertension due to the content of potassium, citrulline and magnesium;
• maintains eye health and prevents age-related vision loss;
• The antioxidants included in the composition fight free radicals, which is valuable for people with bronchial asthma.

Lychee

This exotic fruit for us has been grown since ancient times in Africa, Thailand, Japan and China. The ripe fruit has a red skin, but the inside is almost transparent. Its use improves the condition of the skin, accelerating metabolic processes. The fruit is recommended for consumption by people with anemia and anemia. No one is immune from these ailments. Therefore, it is better to provide reliable prevention with a natural and tasty product.

In China, it bore the piquant name “fruit of love.” This is due to its unique ability to increase sexual desire. Therefore, when planning a romantic date, you can offer your partner this unusual fruit.

Rambutan

Most often, our fellow citizens become acquainted with this unusual hairy fruit on vacation in hot countries. His unusual appearance attracts and is etched in the memory for a long time. Do not be afraid that after eating such a “prickly” exotic you will experience indigestion. On the contrary, the fruit prevents its occurrence due to its delicate anthelmintic effect. If you are on vacation, do not deny yourself the pleasure of trying this unusual fruit with soft spines.

Eye of the Dragon

Our compatriots also call this unusual fruit “dragon fruit” or “dragon heart”. Its real name is pitahaya. A very beautiful and tasty fruit. The peel is bright red leafy growths. Inside lies a delicate white pulp with small black dots (seeds). When cut, the fruit looks especially aesthetically pleasing, so it often serves as a real decoration for a formal table decoration.

Among the beneficial properties are anti-inflammatory effects. Recommended for use for diabetes. Rich in fiber and vitamins, the fruit contains a small amount of calories. If you are sunburned, then in an exotic country it will be easier to find this fruit than the sour cream we are used to. Apply the pulp to the damaged areas and leave for a while.

Guava

This is an interesting fruit native to South and Central America. When you see it for the first time, you will probably find an external resemblance to a lemon, but only green. A surprise awaits you inside - tender pulp. It can be either almost white or red. Experts recommend eating not only the tender pulp, but also the peel.

It contains 10 times more substances than inside the fruit. And although it has a bitter taste, among its beneficial properties are anti-inflammatory, analgesic, laxative, antiepileptic, antipyretic and antiallergic effects. This is a real first aid kit in its natural form. It’s just a pity that you rarely see this unique product on our shelves.

passion fruit

Even those who have not been to exotic countries can roughly imagine the taste of this fruit. After all, you can find juices, yogurts, and other products with its taste and aroma. But, of course, this does not compare with the pleasure of eating a sweet, ripe fruit. In the countries where it grows, it is also valued for a whole list of beneficial properties. The fruit can eliminate cramps and pain in the stomach area. Consumption during the period after illness accelerates the rehabilitation process, restores immunity and promotes the removal of harmful substances from the body naturally.

Peach

Eating these soft, delicate fruits with velvety skin will benefit both children and adults. Phosphorus and potassium are responsible for good brain function, which is valuable at any age. These same elements are necessary for dental health. They also improve the condition of bone and cartilage tissue. Girls who dream of a slim figure are recommended to replace all harmful sweets with this fruit. With a minimum amount of calories, you can enjoy sweet fruits without worrying about your figure. In addition, peach stimulates digestion and metabolism.

Magic fruit

Never heard of this? But it exists. It received this name for a reason. There is nothing mysterious or intriguing in his appearance. These are small oval berries of a bright red hue. But the properties of ripened fruits are truly magical. After eating a small amount of berries, the taste sensations from eating even familiar dishes change. The sour suddenly becomes sweet. The fruit owes this amazing property to the presence of a special substance, synsepalum. But this miracle berry is not only famous for this. Its use stimulates weight loss, prolongs youth and health of tissues and organs (due to the antioxidants it contains).

As you can see, red fruits are very diverse and interesting. But before consuming, you should make sure that you are not allergic to them. Otherwise, the more varied your daily diet is, the more benefits it will bring to the body.

To learn how to make a delicious cherry pie called “clafoutis,” watch the following video.

Exotic fruits are foreign fruits, fruits from hot countries. Currently, in any supermarket, not to mention the market, almost regardless of the season, we see exotic fruits on sale.

After fresh local fruits disappear from our shelves. exotic fruits are becoming one of the healthiest pleasures.

They are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. I noticed that we are stimulated instantly. Exotic fruits are something that can quench both thirst and hunger at the same time. They are very convenient to use. If we don't have time to have breakfast, they can be eaten on the go.

Peaches, nectarines, bananas and many other exotics have long been familiar to us. But have you ever tried some of the more exotic varieties of fruit?

Sometimes their peculiar shape and “exterior” look simply otherworldly or cosmic. Rarely imported into Russia, exotic fruits have strange shapes and no less strange names. But how unexpectedly they can breathe new life into the dishes we prepare.

Almost all exotic fruits have an individual taste and texture. Sometimes the skin of an exotic fruit is hard and rough, so it has to be cut off before eating the fruit. Exotic fruits are wonderful as desserts, and sometimes as an additional side dish for cold meat appetizers.

I propose to briefly go through the names of exotic fruits in alphabetical order and enjoy their virtual beauty and natural diversity. Expanding our gastronomic horizons.

Names of exotic fruits with photos

Exotic fruit apricots

Apricots have a sweet and aromatic taste. They are very useful for the female figure.
They are most often sold dried and canned. Apricot fruits cannot be eaten on an empty stomach, but otherwise there are no special contraindications.

Exotic fruits pineapples

Pineapple is a juicy fruit with sweet and sour flesh. More often it is eaten in its natural form, or added to various salads. Pineapple is generally considered the most popular tropical fruit in the world. Since ancient times, people have loved pineapple; it was something new at that time, and its taste was considered incomparable.

Exotic fruit Orange

I think many of us don’t even realize that orange is an exotic fruit. But, nevertheless, it is so. Orange has an excellent aroma and is very pleasant to taste, and it is also a real source of vitamins that humans need (provitamin A, vitamins C, P, B1, B2, B6). Orange also contains a large amount of carbohydrates, fiber, nitrogenous and pectin substances, minerals, phytoncides, and essential oils.

Exotic fruits - Watermelon

Watermelon is known throughout the world, so it is difficult to classify it as an exotic fruit, but it is still so. Watermelon contains a bunch of vitamins, although it is considered a dietary product. Watermelon can be eaten in its natural form, or canned. There is also an interesting gourmet fad - frying watermelon seeds.

Exotic fruits - Bananas

Bananas are a very nutritious fruit, so you could theoretically live your entire life eating only them. Bananas can be consumed raw, dried, or canned. Bananas can also be baked, added to salads and other delicious dishes.

Exotic fruit - Pomegranate

Everyone mostly knows pomegranate by its juice, as it is used to color wines. Pomegranate juice itself is astringent and has a sour-sweet taste. Pomegranate seeds are used only for decorating decorative dishes or making a delicious salad. Pomegranate syrup is used for cooking.

Exotic fruits - Grapefruit

Grapefruit is one of the world's most famous tropical fruits. The birthplace of this fruit is Barbados. And now grapefruit is truly one of the “seven wonders of Barbados”. Grapefruit is good for weight loss and also contains a sea of ​​vitamins.

Exotic fruits - Guava

Guava is a small, pear-shaped fruit. The homeland of guava is South America, to be more precise, Peru. Guava has conquered the whole world with its taste! Guava fruits are medicinal and should be eaten fresh.

Exotic fruit - Durian

Durian is the king of exotic fruits. The durian fruit is studded with prickly thorns, and the weight sometimes reaches ten kilograms. Durian is the most expensive fruit compared to others.

I suggest you watch an interesting video sketch

And we continue our journey through the virtual market of exotic fruits.

Exotic fruits - Melon

Melon is an oval-shaped fruit with a yellowish tint. The homeland of melon is considered to be Asia Minor and Central Asia. In the European part of the world, melon began to exist in the 15th-16th centuries.

Exotic fruits - Carambola

Carambola is a yellow fruit with a sweet and sour taste. This fruit is good to decorate various dishes, or use in salads, or as an addition to fish and meat.

Exotic fruits - Figs

Figs are otherwise called wine berries. Figs can be fresh or dried. The berries have white-pink flesh and a sweet-sour taste. Figs are consumed in their natural form or in salad.

Exotic fruits - Kiwano

Kiwano is an exotic fruit with a hard peel and juicy green pulp. If you look at the accumulation of grains inside the fruit, it looks like a cucumber. The fruit tastes like lime and banana. It is correct to eat Kiwano with a spoon, and no other way.

Exotic fruits - Kiwi

Kiwi is a famous exotic fruit. It used to be called “Chinese gooseberry”. The name “kiwi” was given to the fruit in honor of the wingless bird kiwi. Kiwi is rich in the famous vitamin C. Kiwi is good to eat in salads and with ice cream.

Exotic fruit - Lychee

Lychee - "Chinese plum". Lychee grows like grapes - in clusters. The most popular lychee variety is kirn cheng. These are red berries with a spherical shape. Lychees can be added to many dishes, thereby imparting a delicious taste.

Exotic fruits - Mango

Mango is a special tropical fruit. Its structure is filamentous, and its taste is sweet and very pleasant. The color of the peel is light green or red-brown. However, the ripeness of a mango is determined by touch. If, when you press on the sides of the stalk, small dents appear, the fruit is ripe. And vice versa, if the surface is hard, the fruit needs to ripen.
Mango is rich in vitamins, especially group A. Mango is used when eating with salads and ice cream.

Exotic fruits - Mangosteen

Mangosteen is one of the most popular tropical fruits. Mangosteen is a spherical fruit of dark shades. Inside it is white pulp, which tastes great, as it resembles a delicate, pleasant cream. The main supplier of this fruit is Thailand.

Exotic fruits - Passion fruit

Passion fruit is another special tropical fruit. Homeland - Brazil. The shape of the fruit is oval or spherical, the color depends on the variety. Nowadays, passion fruit is very popular and widespread in all tropical countries.

Exotic fruits - Nectarine

Nectarine is a hybrid of plum and peach. This fruit is eaten in its natural form. Nectarine is used to make salads, jams, compotes, and pies.

Exotic fruits - Passionflower

Passionflower is a rather unusual fruit with jelly-like pulp with a fresh, sour taste. Passionflower is used as a flavoring additive for desserts.

Exotic fruits - Papaya

Papaya is a tropical fruit grown in the subtropics. Homeland - South America. Papaya is rich in vitamins C and A. Papaya is best eaten in its natural form.

Exotic fruits - Peach

Peach is our favorite fruit. Peach can be canned or fresh, and has white or yellow flesh. Peach is great for eating in salads or making jam.

Exotic fruits - Pomelo

Pomelo is the largest citrus fruit. Weight can be up to one kilogram. Homeland - China. Pomelo has a sweet taste and a large fibrous structure. Pomelo is mainly grown in South Asia and Thailand.

Exotic fruits - Rambutan

Rambutan is a very amazing exotic fruit that has a strange appearance. Rambutan is a red, hairy fruit. Despite its unusual appearance, rambutan is very tasty. The main rule when eating this fruit is not to bite the kernel of the seeds, then you will not spoil the true taste. Also, rambutan should be eaten only in its natural form.

Exotic fruits - Tamarind

Tamarind is a famous tropical fruit. Its homeland is East Africa. Tamarind belongs to the legume family. The tamarind fruit is brown, pod-shaped, elongated.

Exotic fruits - Dates

Dates are a fruit very rich in vitamins. It is best used in salads.

Exotic fruits - Persimmon

Persimmon is the most famous exotic fruit in our time. It is used in salads, added to baked goods, and also served with cold meat appetizers.

I want to end my post with a video story.

Be sure to watch the suggested video. It seemed so beautiful and tasty and aromatic and magical and magical to me. Just a Garden of Eden and a holiday, a holiday, a holiday!

I found an interesting test about exotic fruits on the Internet and passed it. I suggest you have fun and take this test.

With this, I say goodbye to you and hope that the living natural colors and virtual fruity taste and aroma gave you several pleasant and joyful minutes.

Thailand and exoticism are complementary concepts. One of the exotic discoveries for our compatriots in this country was the fruits of Thailand. The tropical climate allowed nature to create unique combinations of shapes, colors, flavors and aromas. The harvest in Thailand is harvested up to three times a year. Fruits in Thailand reach the peak of ripeness without the addition of nitrates and other chemical fertilizers, so they are safe from an environmental point of view, for which they are loved and appreciated by tourists all over the world.

However, this fact does not in any way affect the cost of fruits in Thailand itself. Fruits in Pattaya are cheap and you can buy them in markets, street vendors, mobile motorcycle kiosks, etc. Don’t be surprised if Thais offer purchased fruits with a bag of salt, pepper or local spices. Asians believe that combining sour, bitter or spicy with sweet is in the order of things.

No one doubts that Thai fruits are a storehouse of useful vitamins and microelements. Fruit pulp is traditionally used in national Thai dishes. Freshly squeezed juice, popsicles, sliced ​​fruits, salads and fruit-based soups are sold everywhere.

Thai fruits amaze the imagination with their diversity. But there is one fruit in Thailand - endowed with royal status. A fruit with amazing taste, but an absolutely disgusting smell. It was the smell of durian that became a stumbling block, because of which the fruit is prohibited from being transported in transport or consumed in hotels and other public places in Thailand.

The fruits grow on gigantic tropical trees reaching 50 meters in height. About 30 species of this plant are known, of which only 9 are suitable for human consumption. The Thais nicknamed Durian the king of fruits in Thailand for its large weight - up to 4 kg, majestic and formidable appearance, reminiscent of the weapons of orcs from the famous fantasy epic. Essentially, it is a ball or oval with a diameter of up to 15 cm, covered with prickly spines, attached to a rod up to 30 cm long. Under a strong peel with spines lies saffron-colored pulp with a delicate creamy consistency.

Despite the repulsive smell, durian has fans, and not only among the residents of Thailand, who happily eat the fruit, claiming that it has an incomparably delicious taste. The rest take their word for it, without even trying Durian because of the repulsive smell.

If you decide to taste the royal fruit of Thailand, we recommend trying the “golden pillow” variety (literal translation from Thai). The smell is less intense, and the taste is as “magical” as that of other varieties of durians.

Harvest season: May-June.

Price: about 250 baht per 1 kg (500 rubles per 1 kg)

Dragon fruit

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.

Not just a fruit with the first letter of the alphabet, but a fruit in general that served as the impetus for the creation of this page (later it turned out that it was a vegetable). It can fully be classified as exotic, since it is not found on ordinary street stalls, only in supermarkets, and I have not heard that it is known to many (in terms of taste). In Vladimir it costs about 140+ rubles/kg (according to data as of early May 2006), in particular, the specimen shown on the left cost me 32 rubles. This specimen, as you can see, looks similar to an ordinary domestic pear, dark green and pimply. As a matter of fact, in connection with this I had the idea that they eat it in the same way as a pear. A knowledgeable person stopped me in this impulse in time, informing me that its skin is not eaten as food, and recommending that I cut it first. Which is what I did, finding inside light green, seemingly unripe pulp and just a huge bone (or rather, a bone), which immediately slipped out (being wet). Well, then the process of cutting out pieces of pulp and absorbing them began... To be honest, it wasn’t enough for me... The taste was no good. Neither sour, nor sweet, nothing. Just like you're eating something neutral and plant-based. It reminded me of something, but I couldn’t remember what exactly. Overall, since I was expecting something incredibly delicious, I was very disappointed. People, don't buy avocados! (Or I don’t understand why it is needed?) And read this page sometimes - so as not to waste money.

Overall rating: 2/5.

Quince (quince)

I remember that I first tried this fruit as a child, when we lived in Central Asian Kyrgyzstan, but since then I have forgotten its taste. Now I’m publishing “on fresh trail”, having just updated my taste memories.

This particular fruit (pictured in the photo) was personally picked by my relatives in one of the gardens in Moldova, so I have no idea how much quince generally costs on the market.

The appearance of the quince most closely resembles an apple, only the skin is a little hairy in places (and the leaves are generally velvety on one side). After washing, the “hairiness” of the fetus is either washed off or less noticeable.

The taste of quince reminded me most of the same apple, only very dry, dehydrated, and a little astringent. Although there is one taste paradox here: the initially astringent dryness during chewing is replaced by noticeable juiciness. And this juiciness, together with a pleasant sourness, is refreshing.

Overall rating: 4/5.

Pineapple

Pomegranate

Pomegranate can be called an exotic fruit very conditionally - it also grows in our country, in the south. They sell mainly Azerbaijani ones and only in winter (apparently, only in winter do pomegranates ripen there). It is known that caring for a pomegranate tree is not easy, in particular, at the time of ripening, the tip of each (!) fruit must be covered with clay in order to prevent the penetration of some type of harmful insects into it, which is what workers specially hired for this do. By the way, there, in the south, it is more often used as a seasoning for dishes - added to pilaf, sauces, etc. Many people are familiar with the taste of pomegranate from their “Soviet” childhood - you could buy it both in its natural form and in in the form of juice, which was always available in Soviet cafeterias. Today (January 2007) this rather large, very juicy, dark red fruit costs about 90 rubles/kg in Vladimir. After peeling the thin peel (the easiest way to do this is to cut it in several places and break the fruit), eat small berries with seeds. The taste of pomegranate varies from very sour (the unripe fruit is practically no different in appearance from the ripe one) to very sweet. Pomegranate does not have a special aroma, but it has a special taste - perhaps incomparable. You can eat it for quite a long time, picking out one grain at a time, which is also interesting and unique. In general, in winter this is a good alternative to citrus fruits and. Moreover, due to its composition, pomegranate is considered very useful for anemia (it seems to increase the hemoglobin content in the blood) and as a general tonic for colds (thanks to vitamin C).

Overall rating: 4/5.

Grapefruit

Another “citrus friend”, which primarily stands out for its strange name: “grape” in English means “grape”, and “fruit” means “fruit”, but how grapefruit resembles grapes is completely unclear. Only one thing is clear: that this rather large citrus (about 10-15 cm in diameter) of various external colors (can be green, yellow, orange, red) and internal colors (white, yellow, red) is not common (on our tables) , as, for example, , or , but follows in terms of prevalence right behind them, while clearly standing out from the general series by the presence of “bitterness” in its taste. Actually, it was precisely thanks to this bitterish (but moderately pleasant) taste that it formed the basis of a drink called tonic (note - it does not necessarily have to be associated and mixed with alcoholic gin;-) - you can drink it just like lemonade). In the “whole fruit” form, the absorption of even one fruit by one person can be a difficult task: firstly, the fruit itself is large (the last time we ate one for two), and secondly, it is not so easy to peel - it has a thick peel and the inedible interlobular partitions clearly distinguish it from the previously listed citrus fruit counterparts, and thirdly, the “bitterness” in large quantities may seem bitter to some. The approximate price in Vladimir during the slushy winter of 2007 was about 60 rubles/kg (the weight of one fruit can easily reach 1 kg).

Overall rating: 5/5.

Guava

The appearance of the fruit initially led my wife to assume that it was some kind of representative of the citrus family - the pimply green peel most closely resembled. But for some reason it seemed to me that it should not be citrus, but some other fruit... I turned out to be right, but it would have been better if I had been wrong - then the overall rating of this fruit could have been higher. Inside it turned out that the green skin was thin, followed by fleshy white pulp, and in the core there was a jelly-like mass with a bunch of small seeds. At first, we tried to eat this particular core with the photographed teaspoon, but, firstly, it turned out to be almost tasteless, and secondly, due to the large number of difficult-to-separate and very hard seeds, the eating process was not very pleasant. Having half-heartedly dealt with the core, we proceeded to the rest. Timidly, little by little, we came to the conclusion that the fleshy pulp can be eaten along with the skin, and all this together tastes almost the same as an ordinary domestic pear (which is green and hard). Is it worth 700 rubles/kg (in one of the supermarkets in Vladimir in December 2007)?..

Overall rating: 3/5.

Durian

The only fruit that I tried not directly, but indirectly, namely: the fruit itself, presented in the first two photographs, was captured, bought and tasted in Thailand by my relatives, and they brought me to Vladimir only impressions of it, sweets from it (two at the top in the third photo) and his puree (the big “candy” at the bottom of the third photo). Due to its specific unpleasant smell, it was impossible to transport the fruit itself; moreover, even in Thailand it is forbidden to take it into the hotel after purchasing it (but my relatives did it anyway). :-) Now we will debunk the myth that durian is the “king of fruits”, or, as the locals say, “the smell of durian evokes visions of hell, and the taste - heavenly pleasures”...

First, my relatives’ impressions of fresh fruit bought at the place where it grows (I’ll clarify this for commentators who reproached me for the substandard quality of the fruit I tasted), I quote literally:

We took a photo of a durian, bought a peeled one, brought it... It stinks!!! Rotten onions, rancid garbage, a wide-ranging smell, that is, the whole room immediately stank. Taste, like smell, [to put it mildly] Not good. Soft, almost creamy flesh, like a kernel in the middle. Sweet, almost without sourness - in short, I took it into my mouth and couldn’t swallow it. I wrapped it in 3 bags and took it out into the trash. The “King of Fruits” turned out to be inedible for me. About 30 minutes passed, and everything smelled like the “king”... I tried durian candy - the result was the same.

Well, now my own impressions of the same candies and durian pulp puree brought: rare disgusting! :-O Having been warned about the smell, I went outside to taste it, but even the fresh wind could not take away the unpleasant smell... which did not remind me of either rotten onions or a garbage dump, rather some kind of technical smell, but very unpleasant. For some reason I couldn’t try the odorless taste, that is, by plugging my nose, and therefore it felt like I had to eat some kind of oily rag... brrrrr!.. :-O The first candy was still tolerable (maybe because that it was, judging by the inscription on it, “milk candy”), although he could not finish it; the second, close to puree - disgusting, which he spat out immediately; the third, puree, was the worst - even a small dose almost caused me to gag. :-O

In short, we have seen such a “king of fruits”... :-O Let the locals “enjoy him heavenly”, and in my collection of exotic fruits he became the first to receive 1 point out of 5 possible and the title of the most disgusting fruit among the exotic fruits and vegetables tasted (currently out of 46)! Even the one I cursed is just a darling compared to this... dukhan!.. :-O

Overall rating: 1/5.

Jujube (ziziphus)

This, for once, new fruit to my collection (there hasn’t been an addition to it for a long time) was brought from India by relatives. Accordingly, there it is more called “”, although in the world it is also known as “jujube”, “(Chinese)”, “” and “”. Of the incomprehensible words in this list (“jujube”, “jujube” and “unabi”), I like the funny “jujube” the most :-), and of the understandable ones, nothing fits - “plum” and “date” are only because the only large bone inside.

In fact, jujube externally most similar to a small apple. Like apples, jujubes come in different colors, which do not necessarily indicate their ripeness: green, yellow, red - we were brought green ones. I was warned in advance about the presence of a large seed inside (although this is not entirely according to the rules of this collection), therefore, in order not to break my teeth from this “unexpected surprise” in the middle of the “apple,” I immediately cut the fruit in half (more precisely, I cut it in a circle and I tore it with my hands so that a whole bone remained in one half), removed the stone (assuming it was inedible) and ate the halves from pure pulp. The taste is not very similar to an apple (except for its crispy freshness and sourness), but it is even less similar to a plum and a date. Most of all, the taste of jujube seemed to me similar to (which is also not an apple in fact), (which is also called “ ” - coincidence? :-) and - that is, nothing like that, refreshing, but what special delight and desire to eat you still don’t feel . Although for some reason my youngest son liked it - he ate several fruits, although he is very conservative in food, and most often treats exotic fruits and vegetables with hostility. :-)

Overall rating: 4/5.

Figs (fig)

Also known as fig (fig) - the fruit of the fig (not fig :-) tree - the same one whose leaves covered the private parts of Adam and Eve, who knew shame after they ate from the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil... Since then, the fig has been nothing special and has not become famous, except perhaps as a homonym in the Russian language, another meaning of which is a synonym for “dula”. :-) As a fruit, for some reason it is more common in dried form, but in this fresh form I first tried it during a vacation in Adler-Sochi in July 2007 (therefore, contrary to custom, it was photographed without a teaspoon). There it seems to ripen naturally, and costs nothing, 10 rubles/piece. A pear-shaped fruit about 5-6 cm long, a lilac skin with a glossy tint, and inside there is such a fleshy pulp with a bunch of small seeds (a la caraway seeds), the taste did not really impress me... Sweetish and that’s it, nothing special. For some reason this brings to mind, but here the pulp is not astringent.

Overall rating: 3/5.

Cantaloupe

This unusual melon was bought for me by my wife, who knew about my “exotic fruit” hobby. But it’s only unusual at first glance - that’s when you don’t immediately guess that this “stripe” is actually a melon (although the price tag honestly said: “melon, canteloupe”). And so its closest “relative” is the small round yellow melon of the “collective farmer” variety, which is very common among us. Only this one is bright orange inside, and a little sweeter, but everything is the same. Well, except that I forgot about the much more expensive price - 135 rubles/kg in July 2007 in Vladimir.

Overall rating: 4/5.

Carambola

Tasting No. 1

Time: March 2007.

Where to buy the fruit: Russia, city of Vladimir.

For some reason, when buying this fruit of the sorrel family (I already learned this after the fact), also known as “” (starfruit), I was afraid that it would not be a fruit at all, but some kind of vegetable (as I was once mistaken with) – he looked painfully unusual. And in the same way, it was completely unclear how to eat it (in particular, whether it was possible to eat the peel). In the end, it was carefully cut along the boundaries of the slices, and the tasting began first with the pulp (although it later turned out that the peel could also be eaten - like an apple). The pulp turned out to be quite strong, crispy, but at the same time Very juicy - for some reason I immediately remembered the leaves of sorrel, which we collected and ate when we lived in Kyrgyzstan. The taste is also very similar to sorrel - a sort of refreshing mixture of sour and sweet, quite pleasant. However, it is unlikely to be suitable as a thirst quencher, since it is not cheap - 49 rubles/piece. (in March 2007 in Vladimir). Be that as it may, I can safely call it one of the most delicious truly exotic (new to me) fruits.

Overall rating: 4 / 5.

Tasting No. 2

Time: September 2015.

Where to buy the fruit: Thailand, Phuket island.

So far, the only case where repeated tasting of the “correct” fruit, that is, quickly brought straight from the place where it grows (in this case, Thailand), did not improve its overall perception in any way - I gave it the same rating. The taste sensations are also the same: very juicy, very fresh, but almost tasteless (“grass,” as my wife noted); At the same time, I noticed that if you still eat it without the upper dense skin, the taste becomes a little more rich and pleasant. But what the repeated tasting definitely improved were the photographs of the fruit - I replaced them with new ones, in which the fruit looks more “presentable” and fresh.

Overall rating: unchanged, 4/5.

Chestnut

Recently, chestnuts were suddenly discovered at Magnit near the house at 160 rubles per kilogram. I had previously only seen them in Moscow, fried (and every time something prevented me from buying them), and the ones that grow here, alas, are inedible.

I put it in a frying pan and fried until each side darkened (about 15 minutes), some of the chestnuts burst in the process. When opening, the top thin hard shell was first removed, then another layer pressed against the kernel itself (it was quite easy to break with your hands - again, unlike the hard shell of those that grow here). As a result, a small wrinkled core remains, very soft; on the crack inside, a small void is found, apparently, the core consists of two halves (but is not easily separated).

Tastes like sweet potatoes! But not like frozen, but a more pleasant, whole taste. Nothing like that, but again it only makes sense if these chestnuts grow right under the window, you went out, picked them and fried them.

Overall rating: 3/5.

Kiwano

This miracle-not-fruit-not-vegetable was given to me by my wife, who knew that I had not added to this collection for a long time. :-) It was sold in one of the Vladimir hypermarkets under the name “kivano”, and now Wikipedia told me that it is also called “horned melon” (I agree, with its oval shape it looks a little like a “torpedo” melon, but small; the taste, however, has nothing in common with melon - more on that below) or “African cucumber” (but this is closer in shape, size, and even taste), and that it is still a vegetable.

The peel is hard and, apparently, inedible (my wife honestly tried to bite it - it tasted bitter). Inside is a sweetish jelly with large seeds that you can either swallow or spit out by sucking the jelly from them. Overall, the taste is most reminiscent of an ordinary domestic cucumber, only it is large, overripe and watery, with large seeds. Well, it also reminded me of Turkish in some other way.

Overall rating: 2/5.

Kiwi

These are not the hairy eggs laid by the Australian bird of the same name, or even the hairy radioactive gooseberry, as you might think. :-D Although this fruit is somewhat similar in taste to gooseberries, but in its internal structure and in the appearance of the pulp it is more similar to. For some reason, kiwi is found on domestic holiday tables less often, although it is freely available for sale (in Vladimir at a price of approximately 70 rubles/kg or, if individually, 7 rubles/piece) and I personally consider it quite tasty (although sometimes it can be too sour - apparently contains a lot of vitamin C). Perhaps its not very popular is explained by the fact that it is not so easy to peel it without a knife (no one seems to eat the hairy skin), and after peeling the slippery pulp is not always easy to pick up with your hands - it turns out that kiwi is best served on the table for guests already peeled, cut into slices (artificial, because kiwis don’t have “natural” slices) and with forks. :-) Yes, and I also recently began to notice cakes, the components of which (mainly for the top decoration) include kiwi, the green pieces of which delight the green-loving eye of a person. :-)

P.S. Much later, in 2017, my sister taught me to eat kiwi in the most convenient way: the fruit is cut into halves, the half is taken in one hand, green cut side up, and a teaspoon is taken in the other hand, with which you need to scoop out the pulp from the peel in the same way as eat a boiled egg. :-) True, this is really convenient for ripe fruits with soft pulp.

Overall rating: 5/5.

Coconut

I’ve been dreaming of trying coconut ever since I first saw an advertisement for the “Bounty” chocolate bar (that’s the power of TV zombies!). I managed to try dry coconut flakes quickly - in the same chocolate bars with the mentioned name, on some pastries, pies and other confectionery products - they ceased to be a rarity and in general I liked them. But I always wanted to try “live” coconut. By that time, I already knew that they don’t grow on palm trees, but coconuts, both in advertising and in real life, really do grow on palm trees. Only one advertising stereotype really deceived me :-) - when it falls to the ground, the coconut does not split exactly into halves, and it does not have a “thread” to carefully “roll” it with your hands and turn it into two halves in the same way. :-) In general, we had to tinker with a “usual” metal hacksaw for the kitchen :-O, and the process was extremely “low-tech”: three adults were holding a coconut, fidgeting along the bottom of a deep bowl (we were afraid that the precious coconut would spill milk :-), and one of them drank with zeal; at the same time, the hairy husk of this giant nut (about 10 cm in diameter) climbed into the resulting gap and mixed with milk; then the edges of the bowl began to really interfere with our sawing further... well, etc. In general, it was terrible - our inexperience was clearly showing (surely someone knows how to open a coconut “in the mind”). Be that as it may, as a result we received two halves and several puddles of precious moisture... brown in color (due to dust and husks mixed in during the sawing process) and also not very pleasant to the taste. For some reason, the white pulp hiding under the 5-mm nut shell also turned out to be not very similar to the advertisement - it was too hard to simply scrape off with a spoon. However, with the help of a fork and/or knife it could be peeled off and eaten - it tasted almost like a regular hazelnut, only with a faint aftertaste... of coconut flakes! :-) At a price of about 25 rubles/piece. (in the winter of 2006 in Vladimir) it seems like a good saving for those who want to chew hazelnuts. :-)

Overall rating: 3/5.

Kudret nari

I thought it was a fruit, but it turned out to be a vegetable (which is why I had to expand the title of this page). Be that as it may, at one time they sold it to us in Turkey (in August 2004) rather as a fruit that looked very unusual to the gawking tourists. It was so unusual (an orange pimply cucumber) that, having decided that I would never see such a miracle again, I decided to pay 2 dollars for it (at that time it was about 54 rubles). In Turkish it is called “kudret nari”, and they tried to translate it into Russian as “pomegranate apple” (although for some reason it still seems to me that this is the name of something else). Fortunately, they immediately explained to us how to eat it, and that the outer shell is not consumed (although if you look closely at the edge in the second picture, it was slightly bitten off - I tasted it and found that it was bitter and tasteless). The opened fruit looks even more bright and unusual - inside there are small red berries with seeds (they are what resemble pomegranate seeds). These berries are sweet and slightly tart in taste, and most of all they resemble... ordinary domestic green peas. So my taste sensations did not match the anticipation created by the appearance of this miracle vegetable, and next time I would never buy it.

Overall rating: 2/5.

Kumquat

A fruit of the citrus family, the closest “relative” (I would even say “younger brother”), both in its “physiology” and in taste. The oblong fruits are very small in size (from 2 to 4 cm) - apparently due to the fact that they are called Japanese oranges, and in Japan everything is miniature. But the price of these little ones is not at all small - 300 rubles/kg (according to data from the beginning of summer 2006), despite the fact that ordinary oranges cost about 30-40 rubles/kg (that is, kumquats are almost 10 (!) times more expensive). I’m not sure, oh, how I’m not sure that exotic sizes should be so much more expensive, but the taste of a kumquat is the same as an orange, only a little sour. Although it has one more small feature - the thin peel is edible and quite pleasant to the taste, moreover, it somewhat compensates for the acidity of the pulp. Just don’t forget to wash these fruits before eating them with the peel! ;-) Well, you shouldn’t forget about the fact that even in such little ones sometimes you can find completely ordinary orange seeds. In general, this is a fruit for lovers of exotic sizes, and even just to try it once.

Overall rating: 5/5.

Lime

Stanislav: my colleague Sergei brought the fruit from Thailand, so we also tasted it at work, with the entire micro-team. They didn’t eat the peel, since Sergei suggested that they don’t eat it, but simply pry it with a fingernail or knife, after which they easily remove it (it’s quite thin and relatively soft). Inside there is something like a grape, some specimens with a slight taste of fermentation. Even deeper, inside the “grape” itself is a hard and also inedible seed. In general, lychee is really the closest “relative”, judging by its structure and taste.

Colleague Sergei I didn’t remember the name of this fruit right away, but with the help of the Internet and pictures I finally figured it out - it’s longan, also known as lam-yai or “dragon’s eye.” Well, a little later I remembered what else this fruit reminded me of besides lychee - a strange fruit that SPQR had tried 8 months before.

Stanislav: a specimen brought in April 2016 by relatives already from India (the third fruit, opening the replenishment of the collection from there), more precisely, several berries on branches, my eldest son really liked, and my impressions of this fruit improved by 1 point.

Overall rating: 4/5.

Longkong

Before writing these lines, I mistakenly believed that lonkon (aka longkong) is just another name, a synonym for the previously described Thai fruit. But my relatives brought it to me from Thailand (nicknaming it “potato” for its external similarity), and we were able to make sure that it was a related, but still different fruit. Yes, outwardly it looks the same as longan, yes, it is just as easy to clean (thin soft skin), but inside there is not one large “grape” - “eye” with a brown seed - “pupil” inside, but 4 slices like boiled garlic cloves until transparent, one of which may have a light seed. The taste is also close to longan, but due either to the absence of an inconvenient and inedible seed, or to the fact that it was a “correct” fruit, that is, quickly brought straight from the places where it grows, I liked longan(g)con(g) more. There were even taste associations with sweets, that is, as if its “grains” were enlarged to the size of garlic cloves. (All associations with garlic are only in form, not in taste!)

Overall rating: 5/5.

Mandarin

Just don’t say that this is not an exotic fruit! Although we in Russia see and eat it no less often than, nevertheless, for our climatic conditions it is still an exotic fruit. When our country was still called the USSR, and it included hospitable and warm Georgia, we happily ate their (or Abkhazian) tangerines. Now, when these southern brothers of ours chose to communicate with another, “most democratic” power, problems arose with tangerines, which is a pity... For example, we only have Moroccan and Turkish tangerines left on the shelves, and the former, in my opinion, are easier peel (less hard), much tastier (sweeter) and almost seedless. The specimen depicted on the right is just a typical Moroccan mandarin, priced at 52 rubles/kg (at the beginning of May 2006). And for the first time I “met” tangerines as a child, in the Far East, and then they were either Chinese or Vietnamese fruits, in any case, delicious. In general, any tangerine is a “younger brother”, which is usually smaller in size and sweeter in taste. Like any other citrus fruit, it has a high content of vitamin C, so when eaten in the morning, it maintains tone throughout the day. My personal experience also says: peeled tangerines, mashed roughly halfway with honey and eaten immediately, greatly help remove colds from the body. And, of course, one cannot help but mention that tangerine is a traditional dessert on our holidays, from birthdays to New Year.

Overall rating: 5/5.

Mango

Another pear-shaped fruit, but “prone to fullness” (towards sphericity). The sample, bought in a Russian supermarket (presumably unripe), was very hard, with smooth green-red skin and, oddly enough, smelled like pine needles; the sample purchased and brought from Egypt was much softer, green and almost did not smell of pine needles. An attempt to cut the mango in half was unsuccessful - I came across a large hard pit in the middle, somewhat similar to a peach pit, but I couldn’t separate the pulp from it, so I had to cut it in layers (in general, eating mangoes without a knife is problematic). Inside it is a rich yellow color, while the “local” sample was hard, and the Egyptian one was soft and juicy, both are fibrous (the Egyptian one is almost imperceptible), but at the same time juicy. It smells less like pine needles inside and generally begins to resemble something like carrots (especially yellow Uzbek ones; although the juicy and soft Egyptian mango hardly resembled carrots), either in smell, or in taste, or simply in tactile sensations when biting. I didn’t find a direct taste analogue, but I came to the unequivocal conclusion that of the last three fruits and vegetables I tried (mango), this one is the most delicious, although not as much as the same pineapple. Mango is also cheaper than avocado and papaya, about 100 rubles/kg (in May 2006 in central Russia), but still its price/taste ratio does not allow it to become quite popular in our country.

Overall rating: 5/5.

Mangosteen

Tasting No. 1

Time: December 2007.

Where to buy the fruit: Russia, city of Vladimir.

Due to the fact that this time we were in such a hurry to try this exotic fruit that I forgot to put a teaspoon next to it when photographing it (so that you could estimate the size), we will have to describe the appearance and size verbally: this is a “petrified apple” (hard shell, like a nut) with a diameter of about 4 cm. As we immediately guessed, you don’t need to eat either the leaves or the shell :-), so we just cut it in half and saw... maggots!:-O Yes, yes, such nasty white worms, slugs, the mere sight of which makes you sick... We didn’t even immediately understand whether they were alive or not (you never know, the “worms” climbed in to eat the “apple”)... :-O and try This we didn’t dare right away... But we finally decided and discovered that “the devil is not as scary as he is painted” - this white cloudy pulp turned out to taste almost exactly the same as the “regular” one, that is, “grape-like” with the only remark that due to some fibrous structure it was difficult to eat it completely. Price – 400 rubles/kg (in one of the supermarkets in Vladimir at the beginning of December 2007).

Overall rating: 3 / 5.

Tasting No. 2

Time: September 2015.

Where to buy the fruit: Thailand, Phuket island.

The “right” fruit, that is, quickly brought directly from the place where it grows (in this case, Thailand), improves photographs, visual and taste impressions (in this case, by as much as 1 point, to a “good” rating). :-) And there are no “maggots” there, but easily removed white cloves, similar to boiled cloves of garlic, but with the taste of sweet and sour grapes. :-)

Overall rating: increased to 4/5.

Passion fruit

Tasting No. 1

Time: May 2008.

Where to buy the fruit: Russia, city of Vladimir.

I've been looking for this exotic fruit (also known as "passiflora" or "passion fruit"), which was last on my "must try" list (of those whose names are well-known). And for a long time I could not find it in our city of Vladimir, perhaps because I had little idea of ​​what it should look like. And finally, my friend Nikolai (he is now a co-author and natural scientist) quite by chance came to visit me and brought it as a gift, and not one, but three whole fruits (despite the high cost - 400+ rubles/kg in May- 2008)! :-) It was thanks to this that I learned that on the outside passion fruit is most similar to (maybe that’s why I didn’t notice it, mistakenly thinking that I had already tried it), and on the inside it is closest to... Although this time the inner pulp is the color of “childish surprise” "with seeds did not resemble red currants - except perhaps in its sourness. In general, we were unable to find a similar taste in our taste memory (the taste of passion fruit juice does not count), although this one in itself turned out to be not very memorable. As Nikolai rightly summed up, “the product is of low value.” :-)

Overall rating: 3 / 5.

Tasting No. 2

Time: April 2016.

Where to buy the fruit: India, Goa.

The second fruit to open the collection straight from India. And again, an example of the correctness of my critics, when a specimen promptly brought from its place of growth turns out to be better in taste than a “Russian” specimen of unknown quality. Pleasant, refreshing taste of sweet and sour pulp - “mucus”, enveloping the seeds, which do not need to be separated and spit out - they are easily eaten, without spoiling the taste, but with an unusual crunch.

Overall rating: increased to 4/5.

Medlar (loquat)

While in Rome, Nikolai and his wife went to a grocery store, where, in addition to stands with ordinary (and surprisingly cheap) fruit, Nikolai found a box with what he first thought were apricots, but then he saw that they were not at all. It was not possible to identify him right away, so I took the heels for testing. The label said it was “Nespole” (I didn’t remember the price, but it was inexpensive).

Before eating, I cut it first. Inside there were two slippery bones pressed tightly against each other, easily separated from the rest of the mass. It’s also easy to remove the outer skin in three or four movements, although you can eat right in it; it’s not much tougher than the same apricot skin. The taste can rather be compared to a peach - pleasantly sweet and sour. We ate it with pleasure, but didn’t buy it with us - the very next morning, brownish spots from bruises appeared on the left pair of fruits, and we quickly finished them.

Overall rating: 5/5.

Papaya

Outwardly it looks like, and, therefore, like an ordinary domestic pear. But inside, everything is completely unexpected - the reddish pulp is more reminiscent of a watermelon, and in combination with black beads of oily seeds, it generally looks like... black caviar in red fish. All this did not give me any appetite, but I decided to take a risk. Intuitively guessing that neither the skin nor the bone could be absorbed, I immediately started working on the pulp. The taste sensations are strange, difficult to compare with anything; something similar (although some draw analogies with pumpkin, quince and even peach), but it doesn’t knit. In any case, it’s somewhat tastier than avocado, but it didn’t make me particularly delighted. And even more so, it is unclear who needs it and why for such a price (200+ rubles in May 2006). Once again I come to the conclusion that “exotic” is not synonymous with “amazingly tasty”...

Overall rating: 2/5.

Pepino

My wife Julia unexpectedly bought me this exotic fruit to try. It cost “insane” money – as much as 114 rubles/piece. (specimen in the photo) at the beginning of June 2007 in Vladimir (although I don’t think that the price for it changes much throughout the year), and who knows how much a kilogram costs... In appearance - a smooth-skinned yellow pear, that’s why inside we they assumed something similar... And suddenly there was... a melon inside! fringe of seeds), and the skin is somewhat similar (thin, easy to separate). They finished it with obvious effort - the fruit did not cause any delight in taste, although it turned out to be not as disgusting as. However, we assumed that perhaps we underestimated it because it was perhaps not a fruit, but a vegetable, but then this question was specifically clarified - no, it is a fruit, and very popular among residents of South America. And what did they find in him?..

Overall rating: 3/5.

P.S. A couple of copies of the same thing were brought to me by relatives in 2013 from Cyprus, unripe, along with instructions in English to what extent they should ripen (to a yellowish color and a noticeable smell). When they were ripe, we tried them again and felt exactly the same as five and a half years ago: a barely sweet melon, which I nicknamed “Pepin’s melon”. :-) For some reason, only the eldest son especially liked her from the family.

Pitaya

Tasting No. 1

Time: December 2007.

Where to buy the fruit: Russia, city of Vladimir.

In the supermarket, this fruit was labeled in Russian as “pitahaya”. Then we were in such a hurry to try it that I forgot to put a teaspoon next to it when photographing it, and had to describe the appearance and size verbally: an oblong red fruit about 10-12 cm long, all leathery and with processes in the form of “scales” , which really explains the “dragon-like” appearance of one of its names (“dragon fruit” in English). The transparent jelly-like pulp, slightly cloudy, resembles it with its large number of small black seeds, and the taste is somewhat reminiscent of it, although it is not sweet at all, and is barely sour - almost tasteless. We ate the pulp with teaspoons from the dense and inedible (more precisely, tasteless) peel - the process of eating itself was convenient, what can we deny - but only because someone had to finish eating it, and it didn’t cause us much delight at all ... What can we say about the price of 600 rubles/kg (in one of the supermarkets in Vladimir in early December 2007) ...

Overall rating: 2 / 5.

Tasting No. 2

Time: September 2015.

Where to buy the fruit: Thailand, Phuket island.

Responding to criticism from many