25 Exotic Fruits From Asia You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

If you take a trip through the supermarket’s produce isle, you might be forgiven for thinking that you have an impressive variety of fruit at your fingertips. In reality, however, this is only a small offering of the wide variety of delicious and exotic fruit that Mother Nature has in store. You may be surprised to learn about all the different weird and exotic fruits from Asia that can open up an entirely new world to you. Here are 25 weird and exotic fruits from Asia you’ve probably never heard of.

1. Durian

This fruit is revered in Southeast Asia as the King of Fruits. The thorn covered husk along with its pungent odour is the hallmark of the durian.

2. Rambutan

Once the rambutan’s hairy exterior is peeled away, its deliciously sweet and sticky flesh is revealed inside, with a large woody seed in the middle.

3. Mangosteen

The mangosteen is well protected by its hard purple exterior, but the fragrant fruit with a soft, white, edible flesh has a sweet and tangy taste.

4. Langsat

These orb-shaped and small, translucent fruits are also known as the duku. Its skin is thin and easy to peel  with a simple twist of the thumb and index finger.

5. Jackfruit

Also known as ‘nangka’ in the Malay language, the extremely heavy fruit can weigh up to 80 pounds. Its flesh is yellowish-orange and is usually fried like banana fritters.

6. Wood apple

Native to India and Sri Lanka, the fruit has a woody rock-hard shell that is smooth with a grey, yellow or green peel. The fruit is medicinal and its tree is considered to be sacred by Hindus.

7. Snake fruit

Also known as salak, this fruit has a sweet and tangy taste like the pineapple. A species of the palm tree, it got its name from its brownish-red scaly skin.

8. Star fruit

Shaped like a star due to the distinctive ridges running down its sides, this crunchy and juicy fruit is also known as carambola. It is packed full of antioxidants, potassium and vitamin C.

9. Dragon fruit

Resembling the shape of dragon scales or dragon flames, its fruit is white with spotted black seeds and actually tastes quite mild and bland. NB. It is extremely good for aiding digestion.

10. Longan

Longan belongs to the soapberry family and is also known as ‘mata kucing’ in the Malay language, which literally translates to cat’s eyes because its seed is black, round and shiny. Dried longans are commonly used in Chinese desserts.

11. Lychee

Native to China, Taiwan and Southeast Asia, lychee belongs to the soapberry family. Its flesh is extremely sweet, soft and white, and is mostly canned and served in Chinese desserts.

12. Santol

Also known as cotton fruit or sour apple, santol is the size of a baseball and resembles the mangosteen. It tastes sweet and sour, and the seed can be eaten like candy.

13. Bread fruit

Part of the mulberry tree, the starchy fruit can be roasted, baked, fried or boiled. Its name is derived from its flavour that is described as potato-like or similar to freshly baked bread.

14. Noni

Part of the coffee family, the noni goes by many names including Indian mulberry, custard apple and mengkudu. Its fruit is traditionally used by the Polynesians for healing liver diseases.

15. Ciku

Ciku, also known as sapodilla, is a popular tropical fruit whose exterior resembles the kiwi. The extremely sweet fruit is known for its cholesterol-lowering effects.

16. Water apple

Also known as the ‘jambu air’ in Malay, this fruit is small, round and pinkish red. It is shaped like a bell, roughly 3cm wide and is very crunchy and juicy.

17. Nipah seeds

The nipah seeds grow on the nipah palm tree, and is a translucent, white and chewy fruit. It is most commonly served in a shaved-ice Malaysian dessert called ais kacang.

18. Guava

The common guava is an evergreen shrub whose fruit is extremely hard and crunchy. It is commonly served sliced and dipped in sugar powder.

19. Soursop

The soursop is a fruit of the annona muricata, a small evergreen tree. Its flesh is soft, white and pulpish, with a sour citrus flavour that is also slightly creamy.

20. Pomelo

The pomelo is a crisp citrus fruit with yellowish-green skin. It is the largest citrus fruit in the world and can weigh up to 5 pounds.

21. Pulasan

Closely linked and sometimes mistaken for the rambutan, pulasan is part of the Sapindaceae family. Its white fruit is extremely sweet with a big woody seed in the middle.

22. Kaffir lime

The kaffir lime is distinguished by its rough, bumpy green skin, and is commonly served as a pickled fruit. Kaffir lime leaves are used in curries and also in Thai food like tom yam soup.

23. Sugar apple

Also known as custard apple, sweetsop or atis, this fruit comes from the Annona squamosa tree. It is round with a slight pine cone diameter.

24. Kumquat

The kumquat is a citrus fruit that resembles the orange, but is smaller and oval-shaped like an olive. Cultivated in China, Japan and Taiwan, it is commonly used in making marmalade, jelly and preserves.

25. Yangmei

This strawberry native to China is also known as the bayberry or by its scientific name Myrica rubra. Its fruit can be eaten fresh, dried or fermented to makebaijiu, a Chinese liquor.