Ten Terrific Tropical Fruits

1 The Horned Melon

Native , in actual fact, to the Kalahari Desert, in Africa, the African Cucumber, known  by some as the  Horned Melon, is a fruit that looks exactly as the name implies that it might .  Grown  around the world in this modern age,  and often seen in New Zealand ,Australia, Chile and California, USA. The attractive, dark  green pulp, when the melon is split open, both smells and tastes, not just cucumber, as you might expect, but also of Passion Fruit, Limes and Bananas. Southern US citizen refer to it as ‘Blowfish Fruit’, often using it for decorating food , and mixing as smoothies and sundaes, when looking to create something refreshing.


2 The Yangmei fruit

Mainland China is where the Yangmei, or Chinese strawberry tree, is to be found,  covered, at the correct season of the year, with a bright harvest, wonderful, strawberry flavored fruits, both sweet and succulent.  The main use for this type of tree is for ornamental purposes, in parks and gardens , but the red flesh has quite distinctive sweet and sour  flavors, though half of the entire fruit is taken up by the huge seed.


3 The ‘Dreadful’ Durian  fruit

Often harshly judged, the Durian, also an Asian commodity, is reputed  to smell really awful, undoubtedly putting some people off, from eating it, yet the Durian is still known as ‘The King of Fruits’. because the truly delicious flesh is very versatile,  and features in many of the dishes, for which south-east Asia is famous around the world.  There are over thirty types of Durian plant, only 33% of which are actually edible, and found on market stalls.


4 The star shaped Carambola fruit

The Carambola, also widely known as the ‘Starfruit’, after for the shape into which it grows, is found mainly in south eastern Asia, though it could be, according to those who know, be grown easily in any other tropical location.  A five pointed star shape,when sliced, this sweet and popular fruit is rich in vitamin C and anti-oxidants, while being low in acid, sugar and sodium, yet quite delicious to eat.


5 The Chinese KumQuat ‘Orange’ fruit

Indisputably of Chinese origin, the Kumquat is a relatively small edible fruit, that does look something like an  orange , and coming from a tree that is distantly related to the Citrus family, could indeed be a cousin to it. Normally eaten raw, as are the fruits of citrus trees that are more familiar to us, Kumquats are also used in jellies, marmalades, and in the making of alcoholic liquors. Taiwanese people add the fruit to  tea, believing that Kumquats, boiled in water, can help sooth sore throats, among other soothing properties.


6  The ubiquitous Lychee Fruit

Lychees are not only native to southern China,  though often apparently considered an exclusively Chinese fruit, but also India and Taiwan. Parent trees are evergreen, the fruits concealed behind a tough red covering,  though when exposed, they contain white flesh, textured somewhat like the more familiar  flesh of the grape-vine. Sweet ,and very much a treat for consumers, Lychee fruits  have high vitaman C contents,  and are, slowly but surely, starting to be seen on supermarket shelves across the globe, as more people get to like the taste.


7 The  juicy Jackfruit

Southwestern India, Bangladesh, Philippines and Sri Lanka,  are all places where one comes acrossthe Jackfruit, and it is also commonly found  in Australia, holding the distinction of being thought, by some in the fruit-selling business, to be the largest tree-borne fruit on earth .  Seeds are surrounded by a juicy, pulpy flesh, within the fruits, which apparently mildly of pineapple, the pulp employed in producing sweet chips, and  commonly used in cooking, by the local communities.


8 The Precious Pitaya fruit

Pitaya , much more commonly called Dragon Fruit, is made up, from a range of delicious products from several kinds of cactus plants, found in different. Asian countries. The country of origin can determine what these fruits are named, ’Strawberry Pear’ or ‘Pearl Fruit’ being examoles., With prominent black seeds, the edible flesh closely resembles Kiwi fruit  and eaten raw, has a refreshing,  if slightly sour taste, highly prized by people exercising as part of keep-fit regimes.


9 The Rambunctious Rambutan fruit

The Rambutan fruit, native to Malaysia, is akin to the Chinese Lychee,  in that it is covered with a spiky, leathery red skin, a garden fruit tree, very popular with local people, and among the best known of Southeast Asian fruits.  Chock full of sweet and juicy flesh, widely used for making jams, Rambutan is also  readily available in tins. Very popular, the translucent white or pink flesh not only looks good, but tastes sweet, every fruit holding a seed , apparently mildly toxic if eaten uncooked, but soft and crunchy after roasting


10 The Magnificent Mangosteen fruit

Native to the Sunda Islands, and the Moluccas, is the oddly shaped fruit known as the Mangosteen.  Trees of this variety produce  fruits purple on the outside, with creamy textures, having very unique flavours, best described as being l a cross between citrus fruit and peach. It is thought that these fruits, high in anti-oxidant properties, help lower the risk of contracting certain human diseases, including cancer, though this has yet to be proved, through proper scientific research.