EXOTIC FRUITS Name: Alexandra Ioana

Constantinescu8215

10 MUST-TRY EXOTIC FRUITS

No break in paradise is complete without a super-sized bottle of SPF 30+, a good page-turner and an unlimited supply of strawberry daiquiris. But there’s one other thing to complete your island sojourn; something which lives at the breakfast buffet. We’re talking about exotic fruits; they’re weird and wonderful and seriously worth trying. So, forget apples and oranges, I’ve hand picked our top 10 exotic fruits for your eating pleasure.

1. RAMBUTAN ~NATIVE TO THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO, SOUTHEAST

ASIA Got a sweet tooth? Look no further than the rambutan

– a sweet and juicy fruit that looks like a lychee. It’s a popular garden fruit tree and one of the most famous in Southeast Asia.

2. JACKFRUIT~NATIVE TO SOUTHWESTERN INDIA

If you like pineapple, you’ll love jackfruit. You can get it canned or as sweet chips. Yum.

3. PASSION FRUIT~ NATIVE TO SOUTH AMERICA

The name was given by Spanish missionaries to South America as an expository aid while trying to convert the indigenous inhabitants to Christianity.

No explanation required for this one. What’s not to love about passion fruit?

4. LYCHEE~ NATIVE TO SOUTHERN CHINA

The lychee has a history and cultivation going back to 2000 BC according to records in China.

There are many stories of the fruit's use as a delicacy in the Chinese Imperial Court.

If you’re looking for a little extra Vitamin C, can we interest you in a lychee martini?

5. STAR FRUIT~ NATIVE TO INDONESIA, INDIA

If pineapple, apples and kiwi fruit get your vote, look no further than the star fruit. It comes from the carambola – a species of tree with pink flowers grown even in the US. The golden-yellow fruit is crunchy and sweet.

6. MANGOSTEEN~ NATIVE TO THE SUNDA ISLANDS AND TO THE

MOLUCCAS The mangosteen is an evergreen tree that produces

oddly-shaped fruits that taste like citrus with a hint of peach. Rich in antioxidants, some scientists suggest mangosteen can lower risk against certain human diseases like cancer.

7. KUMQUATS~ NATIVE TO CHINA

The kumquats or cumquats are small edible fruits that look like oranges. They’re often used in marmalade, jelly and alcoholic drinks. The Taiwanese add kumquats to their teas, while others boil it and use it as a remedy for sore throats.

8. DURIAN~ NATIVE TO BRUNEI, MALAYSIA AND INDONESIA You won’t find this one at the breakfast buffet, but we’re including it

because it tastes divine. Also known as the ‘King of Fruits’, durian has a very particular odour, a unique taste and a hard husk. Having a disagreeable smell that’s compared to sewage, the fruit is forbidden in hotels and public transportations in Southeast Asia.

9. DRAGON FRUIT~ NATIVE TO MEXICO AND CENTRAL AND SOUTH

AMERICA Dragon fruit (also known as strawberry pear or pitaya) is a

fruit of several cactus species with a sweet delicate taste and creamy pulp. The most common dragon fruit is the red pitaya. Juice or wine can be obtained from the fruit, while the flowers can be eaten or used for tea.

10. AFRICAN CUCUMBER~ NATIVE TO KALAHARI DESERT, AFRICA

The African cucumber (also known as horned melon or melano) is like a melon with horns. It has dark green pulp that tastes like bananas, limes, passion fruit and cucumber. It’s often used for decorating food, but also as an ingredient in smoothies and sundaes.