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If you want to get a taste of the tropics without leaving your home, you can get a true experience by trying different tropical foods. When most people think of tropical foods, they immediately think of the wide variety of fruit that the tropics have to offer. Yet, although vast arrays of tropical fruits are available in many areas, often people neglect to try them. The fact of the matter is that today tropical foods are cultivated to grow in warm climates even outside of the tropics. As a result, they are easily accessible and often can be found for a reasonable price.

There is a long list of tropical fruits. Undoubtedly, you will have heard of some of these tropical foods, while others may be new to you. For example, common produce such as avocado, banana, and watermelon are, in fact, considered tropical. However, other less prevalent produce such as persimmon, mango, gooseberry, jackfruit, kumquat and guava are also on the list of tropical foods. If any of these fruits are new to you, why not try sampling them to see what you think?

The guava is a tropical fruit that many people grow to love. These are plants in the myrtle family that are native to Mexico and Latin America. Scientists believe that this fruit naturally spread to Southeast Asia and the Caribbean through the process of ocean drifting. A guava fruit has a tough outer skin, which can be yellow, orange or green. The inside is quite fruity, and some people have said that the taste reminds them of a kiwi-strawberry flavor. One great way to prepare guava is in a fruit salad. Guava juice is also very delicious. This particular fruit is also very healthy as it is rich in vitamin A and C.

When you are considering tropical foods, another great fruit that many people neglect to eat regularly is the mango. A mango is very sweet and can be either soft and pulpy, or firmer like an avocado. Mango is ideal for juice, ice cream, and pies. This fruit also comes with remarkable health benefits and is high in vitamins and minerals including Vitamin A, C and E. If you want a truly tropical drink on a hot day, try making a smoothie with mango, orange juice, pineapple juice and ice cubes. This drink can also benefit from a splash of rum!

Take advantage of the fact that tropical foods are available across the globe. If you are planning to take a trip to the tropics, incorporating these types of fruits into your diet will undoubtedly get you in the mood.

Published in Cooking Tips
Wednesday, 30 June 2010 08:55

Guide to Tropical Fruit

If you enjoy the tropics or would like to serve up your friends and family with a delicious and refreshing treat, one of the best ways to do that is with tropical fruit. If you happen to be located in Asia in a country such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Vietnam or the Philippines it can be quite easy to come by tropical fruit. Even in other locations around the world you can still easily access many different varieties of tropical fruit. There are some excellent varieties to try and sample including rambutan, durian and jackfruit. There are many benefits to tropical fruit including the fact that they are nutritious as well as very tasty. Tropical fruit is also full of vitamins and minerals so there are plenty of good reasons to eat it regularly.

Durian is also known as the King of Fruits. The main feature that you might notice about this fruit is the fact that it has a very distinctive smell. It also has a unique and truly delicious taste. One thing that you should know about this fruit is that it is particularly large and has a hard skin. It is well known for being high in Vitamin C as well as potassium.

Rambutan is also known as Nephelium lappaceum. This fruit is most commonly red but you might also see it in orange or yellow. The word Rambut in Malay means hairs. One look at this fruit and you will see why it is called this. The fruit contained inside Rambutan is actually quite sweet. You should keep in mind that raw Rambutan seed can be poisonous but it is fine to eat after it has been cooked. Rambutan is high in calcium and iron as well as Vitamins C and A. Many experts believe that eating this fruit on a regular basis will decrease the chance of developing cancer.

Jackfruit is often considered to be one of the largest fruit trees in the world. This fruit is also known as Artocarpus heterophyllus. The yellow pulp of this fruit can be easily and safely eaten raw. The seeds of the Jackfruit should be cooked and can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Jackfruit contains both Vitamin A and Vitamin C as well as calcium and iron. It is thought that Jackfruit can help to reduce the blood pressure due to the fact that it contains potassium. In fact, many native medicine people use the root of this plant to make medicine for curing fever, diarrhea and treating skin and asthma problems.

Whether you live in a tropical environment or you simply enjoy eating the fruits of the tropics, there are many health benefits associated with eating tropical fruit on a regular basis. There are also many ways in which tropical fruit can be enjoyed, including having it for breakfast, as a snack or as a side dish for a main meal. You can also incorporate tropical fruit into many main dishes.

Published in Cooking Tips