Types of Tropical Fruits

Tropical fruits may only grow in tropical climates but some are beginning to show up at markets worldwide when food cultures are shared. Most people are familiar with tropical fruits such as the banana and pineapple, but there are various others that are grown for food and medicinal purposes.

Java Plum

Resembling an olive more than a tropical fruit, the Java plum is native to Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines. The grape-like inside of the fruit is sweet when ripe, sour if eaten unripened. This fruit is used for medicinal uses as well as food.

Coconut

A more commonly known tropical fruit is the coconut. Coconuts, a slow growing fruit, flourish in wet tropical areas. Coconuts offer multiple uses, such as oils for beauty products, food from the white flesh and juice called coconut milk.

Guava

Tropical Asia grows many kinds of Guava, from a small, golf ball-sized version to a larger apple-sized variety. The green apple-sized guava is the most commonly eaten because it has a higher flesh ratio than other guavas. Guavas are frequently used to make jellies and jams because of their high pectin content.

Passion Fruit

Passion fruits mature into a yellow or deep purple color. Their round or oval shape when cut open reveals a soft to firm fruit around a large cluster of seeds. Uses include fresh consumption and mixing the strong flavored juice with other fruit juices for drinking.

Durian

Durian fruit, a spine-covered large fruit from the Southeast Asia tropics, have sections inside filled with custard-like flesh. The taste is sweet, although some say it has a mild onion taste with the sweetness. Some varieties of durian put off a foul odor, but durian lovers insist that it is so delicious they have nicknamed it the King of Fruits.

References

• Pocket Guide to Tropical Fruit
• Tropical Fruits
• Durian

Resources

• Tropical Fruit Recipes
• Tropical Fruit Index and Picture Gallery