Discovering new and exotic fruits abroad can be one the most delightful parts of a journey to a new land. You might be sitting down for breakfast in an otherwise uninspiring guesthouse, ready for a meal of bruised bananas and plain toast, when you find a strange and unusual fruit on your plate … or you might be browsing through the market, hunting for snacks in advance of a long bus ride, when you spot an oddly-shaped, unknown fruit. Even if the fruit itself turns out to be a bust (durian, I’m looking at you), the thrill of discovery is a treat in an of itself.
My all-time favorite fruit discovery abroad remains the dragonfruit. When we first came across dragonfruit in China in 2007, I was drawn to its outward appearance: it was bright pink and covered in small flaps that looked like green-tipped flames. When the fruit vendor told us the fruit was called “dragonfruit,” I was smitten. I didn’t even have to taste the fruit to know that I loved it.
The dragonfruit is officially called the pitaya, and it is a fruit of a cactus plant. The inside (as you can see in the picture below) is usually white and spotted with small, dark seeds, although there is also a reddish-pink variety. If you’ve never tasted a dragonfruit, the best comparison I can make is that it tastes like a cross between a kiwi and a watermelon.
It used to be difficult to find dragonfruit in the United States, but now they are becoming more commonplace. I have given up on my plans to corner the U.S. market for dragonfruits.
Another crazy-looking fruit that I first found in Asia is the rambutan. Similar to a lychee, but with a spiny fuchsia coating, the rambutan is almost as fun to eat as it is to say. According to Wikipedia, rambutans are likely native to Indonesia and Malaysia – that said, they can be grown in many warm, tropical climates. While in Zanzibar this year, we visited a farm that grew rambutans.
Like the rambutan, we were first introduced to the jackfruit in Asia and recently reacquainted with it in Zanzibar. The jackfruit is a large fruit that, when split open, reveals chunks of semi-dry flesh surrounding large seeds. The fruit is often described as having a pineapple-banana flavor.
Not all of my unique fruit experiences come from Asia: while browsing a market in Guatemala, we encountered a strange-looking fruit. It looked like a mango, or perhaps an avocado, but it was much too large to be either, and no one could explain to us what it was in words that we could understand. We decided to purchase the thing and hack into with a Swiss Army knife. We later discovered that it was a cherimoya, also known as a custard apple. This second name paints an accurate picture of the fruit: it has a creamy texture and a fresh, tropical flavor.
Of course, I can’t close out this list without mentioning the so-called “King of Fruit,” or the durian. The large, spiny durian is notorious for its distinctive odor. Simply put, the durian does not smell good. It has been a long time since I have smelled a durian myself, so I’ll provide you with the Wikipedia list of descriptors: “rotten onions, turpentine, and raw sewage.” Yum? The flesh is soft and custardy, and considered a treat by many.
Just don’t think you’re bringing your durian on public transportation.
What are your favorite fruit discoveries abroad? Your other favorite health food finds from traveling? Let me know in the comments!
Image credits:
1. Dragonfruit, China 2007 by author.
2. Dragonfruit, New York 2010 by author.
3. Rambutan, Zanzibar 2014 by author.
4. Jackfruit, Zanzibar 2014 by author.
5. Cherimoya, Guatemala 2008 by author.
6. Durian by Hafiz Issadeen.
7. No Durians Allowed on Train, Singapore 2008 by author.