Traveling the world is just brilliant, but to some people the world is just commuting from one side of their TV to a nice room with more channels and all you can eat buffet. Not that I have anything against it, but this is definitely not my style of doing things.
To me, traveling is just another synonym for curiosity, exportation and definitely stepping out of ones comfort zone.
What better way to connect with the local culture than with food ? if you think about it, our whole life cycle spins around food, it always plays a major role in big evens in our lives : in big celebrations, weddings, grief, birthdays, religious holidays…and the list goes on.
Here’s quick list I came up with of 10 exotic fruits you have to try before you’ll “kick the bucket” :
1. Durian – well, there’s a reason I chose Durian to be at the top of the list. Probably because of its ‘bad PR’. Here’s the thing… it stinks. In Singapore it is banned due to it’s strong spell .No doubt about it, that this large, green ,spike-shaped fruit smells, but it blends really nicely with coconut milk. It’s inner yellow part (the part that we eat) , is extremely soft and has a great texture.
As a fellow traveler described it once “ it’s like eating your favorite ice-cream in the toilet”
2. Mangosteen – mangosteen is a bit like a natural kinder egg. This purple persimmon-like shaped tropical fruit is a bit deceiving. Sticking your fingers through it’s flesh to revels a juicy purple texture that holds 4 beautifully shaped white cloves that taste very sweet. Buy a kilo in any Asian local market and there’s a good chance that you’ll finish most of it before you get into your car.
3. Snake Fruit (Salak) – definitely one of the coolest fruits in their shape i’ve seen. the fruit earned its name from it’s brownish prickly and scaly skin. The fruit itself is yellow and is in the size of a small lychee. However the exciting part is the taste. Snake fruit has a taste that is a mixture between jack fruit, apple lychee with a sour kick to it, very interesting to try!
4. Tamarind- not one of the sexiest looking fruits you’ll encounter, but definitely and important one. it’s brown pod reveals in it a brown pasty texture and seeds. Although it has a bit of a sour taste. tamarind is used widely in the different cuisines around the world (African, Asian, Latin) to make curries, drinks, desserts and more. Its health benefits and high nutrients made it popular in nature shops in the west.
5. Rambutan – one of the funkiest looking fruits I’ve seen (reminds me a bit of ‘Animal’ from the ‘Muppet Show‘) . Rambutan is a rare cuisine of the famous Lychee without the high dose of sweetness that lychee has. It basically looks like a red-green’ish silicon light bulb that someone decided to sell in the market. It’s hard peel doesn’t’ come out that easily, so you’ll have to use your nails but it’s such a treat when you do. To my opinion Rambutan is one of the best things to eat in the hot season in Asia. …cool it in the fridge for a couple of hours and take a juicy bit from it.
6. Jack Fruit-is definitely one of my favorite fruits! it grows mainly in South East Asia and if I remember right is one of the largest fruits in the world!. one fruit could reach up to 36 kg! (~80 pounds). The cool part is that it grows from the trunk of the tree and not from it’s leafs of branches. Although it’s mixed by foreigners many times with Durian due to it’s size and prickly green skin. it has a completely different taste and texture. it’s sweet flavor makes it a fantastic snack or and easy base for deserts and even curries. (not to mention that from 36 kg of a fruit you can feed a village! .
7. Dragon Fruit- Although Dragon fruit’s flavor is very settled, it’s shape and color makes you feel like you were born a king!it is more than a nice decorative fruit. the color and texture feels like the gods were tripping when they created this fruit… it’s just remarkable!. you can peel purple skin of the fruit quite easily. Doing so will reveal the white edible part, which is oval in its shape and white with black seeds. I’ve recently stumbled upon a purple kind as well. As for the flavor, as mentioned earlier ,it is very settled so this fruit could be perfect for you muesli lovers out there.
8. Passion Fruit- The passion fruit is definitely in the top 3 of our image of a tropical island (among with coconut and pineapple) it’s oval shaped peel reveals a juicy interior full of green yellowish seeds. passion fruits have been used for years to enrich tropical drinks’ flavors and in many desserts. I figure that if Garden of Eden ever existed, Adam took a bite from a passion fruit and not an apple.
9. Carambola (star fruit) -This yellow crunchy-juicy fruit got it’s name from it’s star-like shape. it is extremely rich in vitamin C and can be great for fruit salads, juices or eating it raw (my favorite of the 3 ). Although there are 2 kinds (sweet and sour) of Carambola the sour one is more common to find.
10. Langsat – a small oval shaped fruit, double the size of a grape. Its clear grape like flesh has a bit of an acidic-sweet . very nice fruit to eat in a hot day.
p/s: durian mmg sedap pun, gambar amik dr wardahilmu.blogspot.com ye.TQ
Mostly buah2 tu ada kat Malaysia kan.
Beruntung tak kita duduk kat malaysia? hehe
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