From the Canadian rainforests of British Columbia to the grasslands of Africa, we count down
the top 10 fruits you've never heard of part 15.
Number 10, Yellow Rambutan Native to Malaysia the yellow rambutan is
the yellow sibling of the more common rambutan or red rambutan. Offering bigger fruit with
more juice that is a little more mild tasting than it’s red brother the yellow rambutan
has a delicious sweet taste and an edible seed when roasted. The seeds of the yellow
rambutan tend to stick more to the fruit when eating them but the outer casing that stays
attached is perfectly edible. You can see here they come in different shades of yellow
with green or orange spikes.
Number nine, Euclea crispa This African small bushy tree or evergreen
shrub grows to 26 feet or 8 meters tall which intriguingly grows up at 9,000 feet or 2800
meters up a mountainside or all the way down to sea level. Offering both fruit and leaves
that are edible, which are typically eaten by locals of the area only this fruit is found
in southern africa most notably angola and zambia. Requiring both a male and female plant
to produce the fruit, when ripe they will be furry and red on the outside with yellowish
orange flesh on the inside. Measuring about the size of a grape the euclea crispa fruit
is pleasantly sweet and not tasted by most.
Number eight, Aglaia teysmanniana Found in Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea,
Malaysia, Thailand and China this small apricot sized fruit houses 3 seeds surrounded by juicy,
gelatinous flesh. Born of a male and female plant this weird red fruit has antifungal,
antibacterial and antiviral properties. Not only a source of fruit this tree that grows
up to 50 feet or 15 meters tall which provides an abundant source of firewood as well. This
tree is classified as near threatened as it grows in places where vast forests are clear
cut for the palm oil industry. Not only are trees like this falling victim to this industry
so are animals like the critically endangered Sumatran Orangutan. I filmed this one in Thailand
a couple years ago, the pain in her eyes was more than enough reason for me to never purchase
palm oil again. The full story of this orangutan can be found on my episode “The world’s
worst zoo” which will be linked at the end of this video.
Number seven, Barberry Native to Europe, Asia, the Middle East and
North Africa, this 10 foot or 3 meter tall bush produces these oval shaped red berries.
Been used in Chinese medicine for over 3000 years, they are valued as a liver cleanser
and for heartburn and upset stomachs. Also used to treat diarrhea, psoriasis and
to lower blood pressure this fruit is common in persian cuisine most notably rice pilaf.
Here we have creamy brussel sprouts with barberries which quite frankly looks nasty. In Russia
they are made into a jam and the extract is used in soft drinks and candy.
Number six, Slimcado Apart of a different branch of the avocado
family the slimcado is one grown in humid climates unlike the common hass avocado which
grows in dry places. At first glance you’ll notice these avocadoes are huge with some
weighing up to 2 lbs or almost 1 kg. They are sweeter and have higher water content
than a traditional haas avocado as well as 35% less calories and 50% less fat than an
avocado. They also hold their shape better and are a great source of b vitamins, vitamin
e, zinc, potassium. It’s quite possible these will explode with popularity in the
coming years.
Number five, Garcinia atroviridis Known as asam gelugur, asam gelugo, or asam
keping this member of the garcinia family which I’m convinced is the most delicious
fruit family on earth is produced on a large rainforest tree native to Malaysia. Widely
cultivated and grown wild throughout Malaysia and also found in Thailand, these bright orangish
yellow fruit are eaten raw, dried, added to curries and stewed with sugar to make a dessert.
The atroviridis unlike the mangosteen has a particularly sour taste to it. The dried
fruit is known as asam keping or sour slices which are produced commercially.
Number four, Red Huckleberry Found in western north america like here in
the British Columbian rainforest, the red huckleberry bush produces small red berries
that typically grow to ½ the size of a blueberry, although I have found one bush where they
were full blueberry size. Growing up to 13 feet or 4 meters tall, the berries will grow
all across the bush in evenly spaced out increments. Having thin skin, lots of juice and some tiny
seeds the red huckleberry is a cousin of the blueberry but is much more tart. They are
eaten raw and added to baked goods but are also used to aid with sore throat or inflamed
gums as they naturally constrict blood vessels.
Number three, Baccaurea racemosa Cultivated in Indonesia and Malaysia we’ve
got a weird one here. The Baccaurea racemosa is a fruit loved by the locals where it’s
grow but eaten sparingly as it will induce vomiting. Eaten fresh, fermented, stewed or
pickled this 1 inch or 2.5 cm size fruit is a real show boater with it’s rosy outer
color and vibrant blue seeds. A stem or vine like brach that grows off the main trunk of
this tree will yield dozens of fruits pre branch that taste sour with hints of sweetness.
Number two, Lychee A member of the soapberry family which is
home to chestnuts and maple trees as well as rambutans and longans the lychee has multiple
different varieties. The dry and clean types are the most desirable as other varieties
will leak juice when the skin is broken. This superfruit is packed full of nutrition, typically
consumed raw but also used in drinks, desserts, ice cream and teas. Often consumed during
the Lunar New Year celebration this fruit originates from China and Malaysia in fact,
wild lychee trees are one of the most dominant trees in southern China.
Number one, Fragrant Pear Grown around the city of Korla, the largest
city in western China this pear is a complex hybrid variety, cultivated for more than 1300
years. It was finally discovered in 2001 to be a hybrid of Pyrus communis a European species
and Asian species Pyrus pyrifolia and Pyrus armeniacifolia. The fragrant pear or korla
fragrant pear are best consumed raw offering a crunchy, juicy bite with an abundant fragrance
of flowers. The longer they are removed from the tree the more reduced their floral fragrance
becomes. They are now starting to be around outside of China, they are put in trucks which
take a week to reach Hong Kong where they are sent around the world on ships.
Hopefully you enjoyed this episode, one final bonus tip for the lychees, typically pick
them when they are solid red but there are some varieties like the ones I’m holding
here which don’t need to turn fully red and they are red and green mostly green actually
when they are ripe. If you made it this far into the video I appreciate you watching the
full video and until the next one have a good one.