‘Tis the season for apples, avocados, pineapples, lemons, dates and pears among other fruit during the colder winter months. However, there are many more varieties out there, some of which are mostly unheard of but are delicious or dangerous.
For example, the ackee fruit of Jamaica looks harmless enough, but if improperly eaten, it can cause vomiting and in severe cases can lead to coma or death. Ackee fruit is only safe to eat when the pod turns red and opens naturally. Jamaica’s national dish is ackee and codfish.
Another mostly unheard of fruit is the physalis of South America.This fruit is a relative of tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, and has the same acid taste of a tomato, making it perfect for salads and different kinds of pasta.
The durian, said to be the smelliest fruit in the world, is native to South East Asia. The seeds of the fruit can be eaten raw or cooked.
The texture of the flesh of cherimoya has earned the name ‘custard apple’. American writer, Mark Twain, called this fruit “the most delicious fruit known to man”.
Lastly, the unusual hala tree fruit contains dozens of seeded wedges inside its husk. Besides food, other uses for the fruit include a natural dental floss, or the wedges are made into jewellery.
Other weird and wonderful fruit can be found on the Mother Nature Network.
