Ugli fruit-The Beautiful Ugli Fruit

While it isn’t really the ugliest fruit in the world, the ugli fruit does have a rather lackluster appearance, with thick, yellow-green skin so loose and leathery that it practically rolls out when you begin pulling it off. But don’t let its unassuming exterior fool you, because this mottled green citrus is truly delectable. A tangelo variant, the ugli fruit’s taste is reminiscent of other citrus fruits, because it is, in a way, being a cross between other citrus offerings. Analysts note that its size rivals that of a grapefruit, with a milder, much sweeter taste, fibrous sections inside and a slight protrusion at the base that looks like an “outie” navel. Not only does it have its own distinct characteristics, ugli fruit also has an interesting lineage. Ask growers what an “ugli” is, however, and you might get a slightly different list of basic cultivars. Ugli fruit is so exclusive in the citrus community that it’s earned its own class designation. Now believed to be a natural cross between a mandarin orange and a grapefruit, it has a number of step-siblings, such as the Seminole, Nova, and Orlando. 

Mythbusters

Myth-Ugli fruit has fat contents!

Truth- Ugli has a zero fat content which makes it a perfect fruit to be eaten in any proportions. As it doesn’t have any cholesterol, it eliminates the risk of heart diseases automatically. No fat and cholesterol fruit like ugli can be cherished all throughout the season.

Ugli Fruit Fun Facts

• One serving of this amazing fruit contains 2 grams of dietary fiber. Food rich in dietary fiber reduces the risk of constipation.

• Ugli fruit also protects against kidney stone formation.

• Being rich in Vitamin B, this fruit also promotes good oral health.

• As this fruit is low in calories, it helps to prevent obesity as well. This exotic fruit acts as an antioxidant and help the body to destroy free radicals.

Tamarind- The Tingle in Your Tooth

Deliciously tangy and one of the most highly prized natural foods in South Asia, the tamarind – the melodic name of which comes from the Persian "Tamar-I-hind," meaning "date of India" – is gaining recognition and appreciation throughout the world. Said to be native to Africa, this exotic fruit grows on exceptionally tall trees of the fabaceae family, such as peas, beans, and other legumes, mostly in the warmer, dryer areas of Asia, Mexico, and India. Tamarind trees produce an abundance of long, curved, brown pods filled with small brown seeds, surrounded by a sticky pulp that dehydrates naturally to a sticky paste. The pods look a bit like huge, brown, overly mature green beans. After harvest, tamarinds are sometimes shelled in preparation for export. From there, they're often pressed into balls and layered with sugary water or syrup; sometimes they're salted.

Mythbusters

Myth- There is a myth that ghosts stays on imli (tamarind) trees, which is a reason why villagers do not leave their home after evening also, the tamarind trees are always found outside on the boundaries of the village.

Truth- The truth is, in the evening the amount of carbon dioxide increases and while of oxygen decreases around the tree because of which any person sitting, standing or sleeping around it would feel uncomfortable there are chances for the person to feel lethargic or even committed.

So, there is no paranormal parasite around or on the tree!  

Tamarind Fun Fact

In the Bahamas, large but still unripe tamarind fruits called "swells" are roasted in coals until their skins burst open. The sizzling pulp is then dipped in wood ashes and eaten as a quick snack.

Star fruit-The Gossip Creator

The five-angled star fruit, also known as carambola, is a waxy, yellow-green fruit that is originated in the sultry, tropical area of Sri Lanka. The fruit grows on a small, bushy evergreen tree, first bearing clusters of small lilac, bell-shaped flowers which become the oblong fruits. Because they're known to be intolerant of cold and actually die in freezing weather, it's best to grow them in more moderate temperatures. Obviously, the most unique visual quality of the star fruit is its shape - that of a perfect star when it's cut across the middle. There are two varieties; the challenge is telling them apart, which you'll want to do, because one is deliciously sweet – described as a cross between an apple and a grape – and the other puckeringly sour. As a general rule, the sweet type has thicker flesh. Some contain two to five tiny, edible seeds in the center of each angled cell. One of the great benefits of star fruit is that the entire thing – waxy coat and all – can be enjoyed.

Mythbusters

Myth- Star fruit is safe for patients suffering from chronic diseases! 

Truth- People suffering from chronic kidney disease have to avoid eating star fruit if they value their lives. Around the world, many cases have been documented in which ingestion of the yellow star-shaped fruit led to poisoning of dialysis patients and people with kidney disease. There are a variety of symptoms: from intractable hiccups, vomiting, weakness, mental confusion, and psychomotor agitation, to unusually long-lasting epileptic seizures, coma, and death. In acute cases, only hemodialysis can save the patient. It is clear that star fruit contains an unidentified neurotoxin that healthy people clear out through the kidneys without problems. In those with kidney disease, however, the toxin accumulates and can eventually enter the brain

Star Fruit Fun Fact

Fruit and juice of star fruit facilitate elimination of excess water from the body. They are also used in treatment of cough, jaundice, constipation and bacterial infections. Leaves and root are used in treatment of chickenpox, headache and ringworms.

Rambutan-Your Friend for Healthy Bone

Rambutans are primarily known for its similarities with the lychee and the longan fruit, particularly its transparent-whitish flesh and the seed in the middle. This is because these fruits are actually close relatives. Although they are similar, the outer cover or shell is what sets these three fruits apart. Nevertheless, the rambutan fruit can be easily identified because of its green and red spikes that resemble hair, which is interesting because the name “Rambutan” comes from the Malay word for “hair.”

Mythbusters

Myth- Rambutan seeds are not edible?

Truth- Rambutan seeds are not edible while they are raw because they contain toxins, the seeds are edible when are roasted. Another way to cook the seeds is by removing the seed coat or testa, boiling in water until soft, then boiling in syrup to make sweet.

Rambutan Fun Facts

• In 1997 Hawaii’s top 3 tropical fruits included Rambutan.

• It takes about 5 to 6 years for a tree planted from seed to start to bear any fruit.

• Rambutan trees bear twice annually, once in late fall and early winter.

Quince-Your Secret Reward

Quince is an ancient fruit, found in Roman cooking and grown across Turkey and Southeast Asia. It grows on small trees and is closely related to apples and pears, but it lacks their immediate edibility and appeal. The fruit is knobbly and ugly, with an irregular shape and often have a grey fuzz -especially when the fruit has been picked under ripe. The ripest, nicest quince will have a golden tone and smooth skin. But even ripe quince doesn't taste very good raw. Quince may be the most difficult, yet consequently rewarding, fruit ever encountered. It's completely inedible when raw. It also has an extremely tough and spongy flesh, which is difficult to cut up.

Keep care while cutting a Quince!

Mythbusters

Myth- Can quince be eaten in its natural state?

Truth- Quince can’t be eaten raw or in its natural state as the proteins when amateur tastes bitter and can be toxic, it is advisable to eat it cooked.

Quince Fun Facts

• Quince is deciduous tree that belongs to the family of roses. 

• It originates from Caucasus and Iran. Cultivation of quince started 4.000 years ago in Asia and Mediterranean region. 

Papaya-The Powerful Friend

Native to southern Mexico and Central America, papaya is now cultivated in most tropical regions, including Hawaii, where it was introduced in the early 1800s. Today, Hawaii is still the only U.S. state where papaya is commercially grown. There are two main papaya varieties: Mexican, which can weigh as much as 10 pounds, and the much smaller Hawaiian type seen in grocery stores. Sometimes known as a tree melon or pawpaw, papaya is known not just for its rich sweet flavor, but also for its use as a meat tenderizer. Initially green and somewhat bitter in taste, papayas are butter-yellowa when fully ripe and shaped like a pear. Their pale-orange flesh has dozens of small, black, gelitonous seeds at the center, similar to a melon.

Mythbusters

Myth- You should not eat papayas during pregnancy because it may cause miscarriage. False!

Truth- As mentioned earlier, a miscarriage occurs because there is usually an abnormality in the fetus. A miscarriage is Nature’s way of preventing the further growth of an abnormal baby.

Papaya Fun Fact

Papayas were first referenced in 1526 by the Spanish chronicler Oviedo, after discovering this fruit on the Caribbean coasts of Panama and Colombia. Christopher Columbus is said to have called papayas the "fruit of the angels."

Orange- Your Storehouse of Vitamins

What's a better lunchbox treat than a delicious, juicy orange, with its sweet, tangy flavor and its own easily peeled protective casing? Oranges in the scientific sense are considered to be berries, the fruit being arils, divided into sections known as segments or carpels, surrounded by the leathery, pocked peel which, like the fruit, is highly nutritious. Thought to have been cultivated first in Southeast Asia. Oranges grow on 30-foot trees in subtropical climates where there's a lot of water, sunshine, and warmth, which is why southern and western states like California and Florida are known for their oranges. Some varieties are bitter, but the most popular type is sweet, great for just plain eating or used to make juice, zest from the peel, marmalade, and liqueurs. 

Myth-   Orange juice is a good source of vitamin C

It turns out that even though juice might contain a lot of vitamin C, the high sugar content actually prevents your body from absorbing that vitamin C. Glucose (carbohydrates in your blood) competes for the same receptors in your body as vitamin C uses — only one of them can win. The higher your blood sugar levels, the less vitamin C your cells can take up. In addition, higher blood-sugar levels impair re-absorption of vitamin C by your kidneys. So drinking juice increases the amount of vitamin C you need while simultaneously making it more difficult to absorb.

Truth- Eat whole fruits -no syrup, no added sugar, just the fruit itself.

Orange Fun Facts

• A single citrus plant can bear as many as 60,000 flowers, but only 1% of those flowers will turn into fruit

• Navel oranges get their name from the belly-button formation opposite the stem end.

• Valencia oranges are the most widely planted variety of orange worldwide

Nutmeg- Spice Your Pallete

Like many other spices, nutmeg is one of those fragrant additions to food that brings a little kick of warmth and curious complexity that, once tasted in a dish, can't be done without. Used in Chinese and East Indian cultures as a curative and aphrodisiac, as well as flavor enhancer, it was once a rare, costly spice prized by Byzantine traders who obtained it from Arabia. The earliest references to the nutmeg tree pinpoint its origin to Moluccas Island, aka Spice Islands, in the Indonesian rainforest. Nutmeg is actually a fruit with a single seed (which makes it a drupe). As the seed matures, the nutmeg kernel splits from the mace in a sort of lace pattern.

Nutmeg Fun Fact

In very large quantities nutmeg has a hallucinogenic effect, so, never use or consume too much of nutmeg.