The world is full of colorful, strange, and delicious fruits that many people have never even heard of. While apples and bananas are great, so many other fruits offer exciting new flavors and textures.
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These lesser-known fruits come from tropical regions worldwide and are often packed with vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants. Whether you're a foodie, a traveler, or just curious, learning about exotic fruits can open up a whole new world of taste. Here are 15 exotic fruits that might surprise you with their looks and flavor.
Rambutan
With its hairy red shell, a rambutan looks like a sea creature, but inside is a sweet, juicy fruit. It’s similar in texture to a grape and has a mildly sweet flavor.
Rambutan is rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, making it a healthy treat. It grows in Southeast Asia and is often found in markets alongside lychee. Peel off the hairy skin to enjoy the soft white flesh inside.
Salak
Also called snake fruit, salak gets its name from its reddish-brown scaly skin. Once peeled, it reveals a crunchy, apple-like texture with a sweet and slightly tangy flavor.
Grown mainly in Indonesia, salak is often eaten fresh or used in desserts. It’s rich in fiber and antioxidants and has a unique taste you won’t forget. Despite its tough skin, the fruit inside is a true delight.
Mangosteen
Known as the “queen of fruits,” mangosteen has a thick purple rind and juicy white segments inside. Its flavor is sweet, slightly tangy, and incredibly refreshing.
Mangosteen is popular in Southeast Asia and is prized for its health benefits, especially its anti-inflammatory properties. It can be tricky to open, but the tasty reward inside is worth the effort. The fruit is often enjoyed fresh or juiced.
Buddha’s Hand
This fruit looks like a bunch of yellow fingers reaching out in all directions. Buddha’s hand is actually a variety of citron and is known more for its aroma than taste.
It has no juice or pulp but is often used for its fragrant zest in desserts or cocktails. It makes a great natural air freshener and is sometimes used in Asian religious offerings. The citrus scent is strong, bright, and uplifting.
Jabuticaba
Jabuticaba is a grape-like fruit that grows directly on its tree trunk, giving it a very unusual look. It has a dark purple skin and sweet, jelly-like flesh inside.
Native to Brazil, it’s often eaten fresh or made into jellies, wines, and juices. The fruit is high in antioxidants and vitamin C. Its unusual appearance makes it a fun fruit to discover and share.
Langsat
Langsat is a small round fruit with pale yellow skin and soft, translucent flesh. It is popular in parts of Southeast Asia and has a sweet, slightly sour flavor. The fruit is packed with vitamins and is often eaten fresh or added to fruit salads.
Its thin skin is easy to peel, revealing segments that resemble peeled grapes. Some varieties may be a bit bitter, but most are very sweet.
Lucuma
Lucuma is a bright yellow fruit with dry, sweet flesh that tastes like maple and sweet potato. It’s native to Peru and is often used in ice creams, smoothies, and baking.
The texture is a bit crumbly, almost like a cooked yam, and it’s high in fiber and antioxidants. Lucuma is also known as a powdered natural sweetener. While it might not be juicy, its flavor is one of a kind.
Soursop
Soursop has a spiky green skin and soft white pulp inside that tastes like a mix of strawberry, pineapple, and citrus. It’s native to tropical areas of the Americas and the Caribbean.
Soursop is often used to make smoothies, juices, or desserts. It’s believed to have many health benefits, including immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory properties. The soft flesh is sweet and tangy, making it a favorite for many.
Chayote
Chayote is a green, wrinkled fruit often cooked like a vegetable. It has a mild, crisp texture and absorbs the flavors of whatever it’s cooked with. Common in Latin America, it’s used in soups, salads, and stir-fries.
Chayote is low in calories and high in vitamin C and fiber. It’s not sweet like other fruits, but its versatility makes it a great ingredient in savory dishes.
Sapodilla
Sapodilla is a fruit native to Central America and the Caribbean. Its rough brown skin and sweet, brownish flesh taste like brown sugar or caramel. The fruit is often eaten fresh.
Its texture is soft and grainy, and it is full of natural sugars. Sapodilla is also rich in fiber and vitamins, making it a tasty and nutritious snack. It is especially popular among those with a sweet tooth.
Jackfruit
Jackfruit is the largest tree fruit in the world and can weigh over 50 pounds. Its yellow pods have a sweet, tropical flavor that mixes banana and pineapple.
When unripe, jackfruit is often used as a meat substitute in vegan dishes because of its fibrous texture. It’s full of nutrients like potassium and vitamin C. Whether sweet or savory, jackfruit is incredibly versatile.
Dragon Fruit
Dragon fruit, also known as pitaya, has bright pink or yellow skin with white or red-speckled flesh inside. Its flavor is mild and slightly sweet, similar to that of a kiwi.
Dragon fruit is grown in many tropical regions and is high in antioxidants and vitamin C. It looks exotic but is easy to prepare: slice it open and scoop out the flesh. Dragon fruit is as pretty as it is healthy.
African Horned Melon
Also known as kiwano, this fruit has spiky orange skin and bright green, jelly-like flesh. Its unique flavor is a mix of banana, cucumber, and lime. It’s native to
Africa, and also grown in New Zealand and the U.S. Its high water content and refreshing taste make it a great fruit for hydration. The vibrant look alone makes it worth trying at least once.
Nance
Nance is a small, yellow or orange fruit found in Central and South America. It has a strong, unusual, sweet, and slightly cheesy flavor.
It’s commonly used in desserts, drinks, or eaten raw with a sprinkle of salt. The taste can be an acquired one, but many people love its richness. Nance is also full of vitamins and antioxidants.
Bael
Bael is a hard-shelled fruit native to India and parts of Southeast Asia, often used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine. Inside, it contains aromatic orange pulp that can be eaten fresh or used to make juice, sherbet, and jams.
The pulp has a sweet, slightly tangy flavor and is rich in fiber and antioxidants. Bael is also known for its digestive benefits and is often consumed to soothe the stomach and improve gut health.
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However, with some creativity and resourcefulness, you can implement numerous clever hacks to reduce your never-ending grocery bill without sacrificing the quality or variety of your meals.
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