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Food and Festivals

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Exotic fruits you've probably never heard of

Apple, grape, orange

These are familiar fruits

The ones you can find in any grocery store

Anywhere in the world

But what about Litchy, Pomolo, Sapadilla, or Mangosteen?

Have you ever heard of these fruits, let alone recognizing them?

They are exotic fruits.

Most of them can be found in Southeast Asia, but also often at Asian food stores in other countries.

Some are furry, some are fuchsia, and some have bright white flesh.

They're weird and tasty.

And you should get to know them.

Chomp Chomp, Rambutan.

It's one of the best known fruits of Southeast Asia

and is also cultivated in the tropics including Africa, southern Mexico, and Sri Lanka.

However, Thailand is the largest producer of Rambutan.

You can recognize it by its spiky looking hairs, but don't worry.

Chomp Chom won't hurt you with those spikes.

This stunning fruit has a flavor and texture similar to lychees with a soft interior.

It is easy to eat a bunch at a time.

Just peel away the thin outer layer to get to the good stuff inside.

This fruit is usually sold fresh and has a short shelf life.

Chomp Choms are commonly used in making jams and jellies.

Evergreen Rambutan trees, with their bright colored fruit, make beautiful landscape views as well.

You could also buy a few to keep around the house as decorations

because they are one of the most absurd looking things in this world.

Dragon Fruit

Another stunning example in the Fruit Kingdom is Dragon Fruit.

It's also known as Pitya, the fruit of several different cactus species.

Dragon Fruit is cultivated in Southeast Asia, Southern California, Florida, the Caribbean, and Australia.

The name Dragon Fruit has been used since 1963.

The fruit has this name because of its leather -like skin and spikes on its exterior.

The fruit normally weighs from 150 to 600 grams.

Some may reach up to 1 kg.

Pitya flowers bloom overnight and wilt by the evening.

These plants can endure temperatures up to 40 Celsius degrees

and very short periods of frost.

The fruit is a little sweet, a little sour.

People say the taste is like a combination of a kiwi and a pear,

and the texture is something likened to that of a kiwi because of its black and crunchy seeds.

And a fun fact, it's the national fruit of Vietnam.

Durian

If there are 100 things you should taste before you die,

then the durian fruit is certainly in the top 10.

Durian is a large tropical fruit with a spiky and hard outer shell.

It can grow up to 30 cm long and 15 cm wide, which is bigger than a football.

Known as the King of Fruits, durian is very popular in Southeast Asia.

With its creamy texture and sweet taste, it is very delicious.

But what makes durian so unique is its smell.

While some don't mind it, most people describe it as a mixture of sweat,

unwashed socks, and rotten garlic and onions.

Yes, that doesn't sound very appealing, but don't let the smell discourage you.

It is very high in nutrients compared to most other fruits.

It also has many other health benefits.

It reduces cancer risk, prevents heart disease,

fights infection and lowers blood sugar.

Durians are also used to make all kinds of mostly sweet treats,

like cakes, cookies, milkshakes, ice cream, candies, and a lot more.