The fruit has horn-like spines on its body, hence the name ‘Horned melon’. Commonly called as kiwano, African horned cucumber or melon, jelly melon, hedged gourd, melano, the ripe fruit has yellow-orange skin and a green jelly-like flesh. It has a tart like taste and texture to cucumber. The fruit can be eaten at any stage but when it over-ripens, the fruit forcefully bursts and releases its seeds. The fruit is a native of Sub-Saharan desert and is one of the few sources of water during summer in the Kalahari desert. The fruit has migrated to California, Mississippi, Chile,Australia, and New Zealand.
The fruit had also featured in an episode of Star Trek. (source 1,2)
Durian derives from Malay-Indonesian ‘duri’ which means “spike.” Considered to be the ‘king of fruits’ by Southeast Asians, the large fruit has a pungent odor likened to ‘sweaty gym socks’. The thorn covered outer body encases the soft, fleshy yellow colored edible fruit. Alfred Russel Wallace, famed naturalist described the fruit as a ‘rich custard with the flavors of Almonds.’ The overpowering smell of durian has led to its banishment from certain hotels and public transportations in Southeast Asia.The smell emanating from the edible flesh of durian evokes an extreme reaction from food lovers, some consider it as pleasant fragrance while others are revolted by the smell which reminds them of putrefied flesh or rotten onions. (
Alfred Russel Wallace, famed naturalist described the fruit as a ‘rich custard with the flavors of Almonds.’ The overpowering smell of durian has led to its banishment from certain hotels and public transportations in Southeast Asia.The smell emanating from the edible flesh of durian evokes an extreme reaction from food lovers, some consider it as pleasant fragrance while others are revolted by the smell which reminds them of putrefied flesh or rotten onions.(source)
The Miracle fruit is grown in West Africa. The fruit got its name due to its astonishing ability to make sour fruits taste like sweet when their juices are mixed. The miracle is brought about due to a molecule called miraculin. The miraculin works by changing the shape of the sweetness receptors on your tongue. Although the molecule succeeds in distorting the taste of the food, it does not alter the chemical composition of the sour fruits. Caution is advised as it may cause high acidity in your body. The fruit by itself has a mild tangy taste and an edible, but bitter seed hidden inside the fleshy part of the fruit.(source)
Queen Victoria once offered 100 pounds to anybody who could get her fresh fruit! The fruit of the Mangosteen is well protected by a hard shell. The shell has to be split and cracked open before it can be enjoyed. The edible flesh is juicy, tangy and sweet. Mangosteen is available in Southeast Asia, Southwest India and in other tropical countries such as Peurto Rico and Florida.
British-born Malaysian author Desmond Tate wrote: ”By popular acclaim, the mangosteen is held to be the most delectable of all the tropical fruits, and it has been proclaimed their queen. There is no doubt about the luxury of its taste. It has won unstinted praise down the ages from all who have encountered it.”(source)
