Asian fruits Europeans probably wouldn’t recognise

One of the best aspects of travelling in Asia is trying out a variety of exotic fruits. If you take a stroll through the local markets in SEA, you will most likely encounter the most bizarre looking fruits that you have ever seen.

Not only do those fruits taste absolutely delicious, but they are also full of vitamins and anti-oxidants, which makes them a perfect snack. I highly recommend trying out every kind of fruit you can find – you never know when you’ll have to chance to try them again. If you are not sure how to eat them, just ask the locals. They will enthusiastically explain you how to eat their fruits.

Note: Try to greet and thank them in their language. It is not only polite and shows respect, it really makes them happy and you might get another exotic fruit for free (as it happened many times to me)

This is a list of Asian fruits that I liked the most. Commonly known fruits such as Pineapples, Mangos, Papayas, Watermelon, Bananas, etc. are not on the list. However, it has to be mentioned that they taste much better in Asia and are so much richer in flavour than the ones in Europe.

DURIAN

For the German and Austrian readers it is better known as “Kotzfrucht” from the TV show “Das Dschungelcamp”. Its Asian nickname is “King of Fruits” and when walking through a marked you will smell this fruit a long time before you can actually see it. The smell of this stinking fruit is so horrible that it is prohibited to bring Durians into hotels, taxis, public buildings, or plains. Inside the big spikey fruit are yellow flesh segments. I personally think the taste was not so bad when you consider how awful the fruit smells. The consistence is kind of like yoghurt once you bite through the skin and it tastes like onion to me.

DRAGONFRUIT

The dragon fruit is pink and green and grows on cactus-like trees. Once cut open it can either be white or pink. When eating this fruit you better have a tissue nearby since it will get really messy. Dragonfruit is said to improve the eye-sight and the pink ones are often used to give colour to smoothies. Honestly, I think this fruit is a little overrated and gets hyped by the media too much. Of course it looks really nice on pictures for Instagram, but the taste is only okay compared to the other fruits on the list.

COCONUTS

I know that coconuts are well known in Europe and I said I won’t include those into the list. The coconut, however; simply has to be mentioned since it is the most refreshing thing you can drink in Asia. You can get them everywhere, they are kept cool in the fridge, cut open, super cheap, low in calories, and delicious and refreshing.

LOTUSFLOWER

Technically speaking, this is not a fruit but a vegetable. I never really paid much attention to those fruits – well, vegetables I mean. Only when I did a bicycle tour in Cambodia, one of my travel mates from China stopped and bought them for us. Apparently, she knew them from her home country and showed us how to eat them.

GUAVA

When you expect a sweet and juicy fruit you’ll be disappointed by this one. In Asia fruits are often served with chili slat, which intensifies the sweetness and adds even more flavour to the fruit. By adding chili salt I also enjoyed eating Guava much more.

ROSE APPLE

Looks a bit like a pepper bell and also the texture is crisp and reminds me of a pepper bell. The flesh is white inside and neither very juicy nor really sweet. However, I did like the taste and I encourage you to try out this one as well.

LANGSAT

Langsat is another popular fruit in Asia. Once you peel back the think skin you can find juicy inside. The taste reminded me a bit of a lychee.

JACKFRUIT Jackfruit is becoming more popular in Europe since it is used as a meat substitution by vegetarians due to its fleshy texture. Furthermore, this fruit is bursting with health benefits. From the outside it looks a bit like a Durian but doesn’t stink and its flesh tastes sweet.

RAMBUTAN

I was told “Rambutan” comes from the Malay word for “hair”, which describes this fruit quit well. This hairy fruit looks like a red little hedgehog. Once you open it the flesh looks and tastes a bit like lychee. I like eating this fruit since it is not so juicy and therefore not so messy.

SWEETSOP

Yes it is sweet! Very sweet! I don’t think I have ever eaten something like that. I have also heard people calling it sugar apple. You break it open and when you pull the fruit it comes of in little sections. To me it tasted like eating a super sweet Pina Colade.

SALAK/SNAKEFRUIT

It is hard to say if I like snakefruit or mangosteen the most. Mangosteen comes first closely followed by snakefruit. It is pretty obvious why it is called snakefruit. Once you peel off the snake-like skin you will find white flesh segments in it. Each segment contains a seed, and its flesh is quite firm. The flavour is absolutely unique and you should definitely try this fruit when in Asia.

MANGOSTEEN

My favourite fruit of all --> Mangosteen! It has a purple shell and inside is the most delicious, juiciest flesh you can imagine. Unfortunately, it is really messy and the rind leaves a purple stain on everything. Mangosteen is also getting more popular around Europe since it is supposed to be incredibly good for your health. It is said to provide you with lots of energy, and regarded as anti- depressant, antibiotic, anti-aging and helping to prevent multiple diseases such as diabetes, gum diseases and many more.