subject: Ezhuvelil Gardens And Orchid Yards [print this page] Lesser known fruits; Jamaican star fruit and Indian rambutan fruit
Fruits have been known mankind since the beginning of human civilization. Fruits form a very important part of our diets and are known to be liked by almost everybody. There are few very rare people who do not relish having a fruit. Fruits are available in an innumerable types and varieties. One would run out of time if one starts counting the total number of different fruits present on our planet but the few more popular and commonly eaten fruits are mango, apple, orange, banana, strawberries, grapes, melons, pineapple, coconut, chikoo, papaya, avocado etc. Even among a particular type of fruit, there are different varieties available depending on the region where the fruit is grown or on the season in which the fruit is grown. Fruits are said to be very healthy and nutritious and are believed to be storehouses of all types of proteins and vitamins that can make a person healthy. As goes the famous saying, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Apart from being eaten in their raw form, fruits are used in making a lot of other food products and dishes some of which are fruit juices, fruit jams, fruit tarts and as essences and fruit extracts in a large variety of dishes.
The Jamaican star fruit is also known as a carambola more popularly. The Jamaican star fruits are mostly grown in the tropical region only. Even though, this fruit is believed to have originated in southern Asia, the Jamaican star fruit has now made its way across the world. The Jamaican star fruit is identified by its unique taste that is sweet and juicy yet slightly acidic with a pleasant taste. The Jamaican star fruit can be eaten in any state, ripe or unripe. The unripe Jamaican star fruit is lime green in color but the ripe Jamaican star fruit becomes golden yellow when fully ripe. The Jamaican star fruit is used in the preparation of fruit salads, chutneys, stewed chicken etc.
The Indian rambutan fruit is also a fruit of the humid tropics and has recently moved to India. The Indian rambutan fruit is generally round in shape to oval drupe. The fruit has a thin, leathery fruit skin that can be easily peeled away. The inside of the Indian rambutan fruit is pearly white in appearance with gelatinous, juicy pulp surrounding a large seed. The Indian rambutan fruit is eaten as a fresh dessert fruit and its pulp can be preserved in syrups and in food conserves.
The Jamaican star fruit as well as the Indian rambutan fruit are good sources of vitamin C and hence should be eaten more often.
