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Maybe you never had the chance to try fruits from Asia? You will be surprised to find so many different types of fruits in the grocery stores. It comes in so many colors and shapes and different names that you barely can pronounce, you will almost feel like you left the country!
If you are like me and have not had the chance to explore past the typical banana or strawberry, then the following list of this weird and exotic fruits from Asia you’ve probably never heard of is going to be quite the adventure for you!
#1 Durian
It is the smelliest fruit in the world. Durian is a large, spiky fruit native to Southeast Asia. It’s known for its pungent aroma and savory smell that is sometimes described as fried onions. While foreigners often have a tough time stomaching the smell cause it's more like the strong flavor of “garlic pudding.” It’s much loved in many parts of Asia.
#2 Banana passion fruit
It is a small, golf-ball sized red or yellow fruit with hard skin and tart, juicy seeds that you can scoop out with a spoon. This passion fruit is native to South America, but it’s now grown around the world.
#3 Rambutan
Rambutan is an exotic fruit of Southeast Asia. The meaning of the word 'rambutan' is 'hairy' in Malay, and you can see why. But, once you peel the soft rind, it looks exactly like lychee, which is because they are in the same botanical family.
This little sea urchin is a small, plump fruit that has a sweet, creamy flavor with a hint of floral. Never judge a fruit by its cover, because it probably tastes delicious inside.
#4 Longan
Longan is known as a small round fruit with translucent white flesh and a shiny black seed. The meaning of the word Logan is “dragon’s eye” in Chinese, and is named because it looks like an eyeball when shelled. It is native to South Asia and is similar in appearance and texture to lychee.
#5 Fruit salad plant
Its Latin name, Monstera deliciosa. It sounds delicious while the other bad arse. This fruit actually grows in Australia, and you might unknowingly even have it as a house plant, and the fruit it bears on larger plants is edible and tastes like a combination of different fruits.
#6 Snake fruit
In Indonesia, you can find the Snake fruit (Salak), which is a species of palm tree native to Java and Sumatra. It may remind you of snakeskin or even a dragon egg, but beneath its surface, there is the flesh, which is a delicious combo of sweet, sour, and juicy.
This red fruit resembles a dragon fruit tingle.
#7 Jackfruit
This fruit is native to Southeast Asia. Jackfruit is the largest tree-borne fruit in the world and can sometimes grow up to 80 lb in weight. This starchy fruit has a subtle sweetness/banana flavor.
You may not know that Jackfruit has a mango, pear, peach, and pineapple flavor. It sounds like heaven! It is commonly used as a plant-based meat alternative because the young, unripe fruit absorbs flavor well and has a string, meat-like consistency.
#8 Mangosteen
Mangosteen is native to Indonesia; it's both a miracle fruit and a forbidden fruit. It is used for a variety of medicinal remedies. In fact, it has been used to treat urinary tract infections, tuberculosis, osteoarthritis, and even applied to the skin to treat eczema.
