Bypass the garden-variety fruits and go global with rare exotic fruits
- 1 Minute Read
Brenda Braslow, MS, RDN, LDN, CDCES - Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES)
Bored with bananas? Apathetic about apples? Venture outside of the ordinary and explore rare exotic fruits. A fun, whole new world awaits!
Experiment with rare, exotic fruits year-round
It wasn't long ago that fresh fruits, such as papaya, tangerines, pineapple, and kiwi, seemed so tropical and exotic! Well, times have changed. You'll find these fruits available year-round as typical produce fare. Thanks to our global markets and worldly customer expectations, we have more rare and exotic fruits to explore than ever in the grocery. Although most likely found in a large local grocery store or international market, our delectable international ideas lie beyond the usual mounds of apples, bananas, and oranges.
6 Rare and exotic fruits to check out
- From the cactus family, dragon fruit grows in Florida, the Caribbean, and other subtropical and tropical areas worldwide.
- It is also called pitaya or pitahaya.
- It is very pretty on the outside and has a soft, pear-kiwi-like flavor.
- You can slice it in half lengthwise to make a beautiful fruit bowl.
- 60 calories/100 grams
- Guava may be round, oval, or pear-shaped and is sweet and slightly acidic.
- The rind may range in color from white to red to purple.
- You can eat all of it, including the seeds.
- It is an excellent source of vitamins A and C, fiber, and potassium.
- More selection, storage information, and recipes can be found at myrecipes.com.
- 67 calories/100 grams
- A bright purple fruit, mangosteen is extremely sweet.
- It grows on a tropical evergreen tree in subtropical and tropical areas.
- To open, make a shallow cut around the center of the fruit, then twist to open. Eat segments right out of the shell.
- 71 calories/100 grams
- An aromatic fruit native to Asia and resembles a large yellow pear.
- It can be eaten raw but is more commonly eaten cooked.
- It is high in vitamins, minerals and particularly high in vitamin C.
- Try this recipe: Pork with Savory Quince Compote
- 57 calories/100 grams
- Native to Southeast Asia, rambutan looks interesting as a round fruit with hair-like spines.
- When ripe, it may be red, orange, or yellow with green spines.
- Peel the rind and eat like an orange.
- 68 calories/100 grams
- Also known as Carambola.
- A sweet yet tart, yellow fruit.
- Grows in subtropical and tropical areas.
- It makes a nice garnish or accent to fruit salad due to its star shape.
- You can eat the whole fruit with no need to peel or seed.
- An excellent source of vitamins A and C and fiber.
- 31 calories/100 grams
Of note, the prices you pay for exotic and rare fruits can vary widely, which may impact whether you buy them or not. Tune into seasonal and local availability to optimize taste, nutrition, and overall fruit quality. Ask the produce staff questions about selecting the right level of ripeness according to how and when you will eat the fruit. Exploring different fruits can be fun and interesting, and that's one more way to stay with a healthy nutrition plan. An informative website about these and other rare exotic fruits is SpecialtyProduce.com.
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May 2, 2022
