Tropical Fruits

On a warm summer day, nothing is quite as refreshing as a cool fruit salad filled with tropical fruits. Pineapple, banana, papaya, and mangos are tasty, colorful, and refreshing. The next time you are chopping up fruit for a fruit salad, be sure to consider some of these less obvious options.

Pomegranate

The pomegranate is a large fruit with a tough, leathery skin that is yellow with deep red or pink markings. Unlike many fruits, the flesh is not typically eaten on a pomegranate. Rather, the juice sacs and seeds inside the fruit are eaten or used in juice. Those who are unfamiliar with pomegranates often wonder how to cut and de-seed the fruit in order to access the tasty juice sacks. Simply Recipes offers a tutorial complete with pictures on this process.

Pineapple

Pineapples have yellow fruit housed inside a tough skin that has spines on it. The pineapple is typically peeled and cored using a sharp knife, and the sweet yellow flesh surrounding the inner core is eaten. How to Cut a Pineapple offers a pictorial guide to getting the edible portion out of this tasty fruit.

Mango

Mangos are a tropical fruit that often shows up in fruit salads. Ripe mangoes can be yellow, orange, green, or red, depending on the way they are cultivated. The edible flesh covers a large, flat, seed. Neither the seed nor the skin is typically eaten. Fresh Mangos.com offers a variety of mango recipes, as well as information about the history and cultivation of the fruit.

Carambola

Carabola is sometimes called Star Fruit because of its unique five-pointed shape. It has a slightly sour yet sweet taste and makes a beautiful and healthy garnish for a variety of salads. The edible skin of the star fruit is yellow-green in color and will turn brown around the edges when the fruit is ripe. The Cape Tribulation Exotic Fruit Farm offers recipes that utilize this exotic fruit.

Banana

Bananas are so much a part of everyday American life that they do not always seem tropical, but this fruit does, indeed, need a tropical environment to thrive. Full of potassium and other nutrients, bananas are one of the healthiest snacks available. They can also be used in a variety of recipes, as found on All Recipes.com. Cool Bananas offers interesting facts about this popular fruit.

Papaya

Papaya is used for both its fruit and its juices. Most papayas found in American supermarkets are Hawaiian varieties, which have a yellow skin and orange to pink fruit when ripe. Mexican papayas are much larger and more difficult to harvest and ship, but they have a milder taste. The Thai Food page at About.com explains how to buy, cut, and prepare fresh papaya.

Avocado

Because they are green, many people think of avocados as a vegetable, but they are, in fact, a fruit. Ripe avocados have a dark green to black skin that surrounds a bright green fruit. SuperfoodsRX explains how to choose a ripe avocado.

More Information About Tropical Fruits

If you are looking for exotic fruits to add to your new fruit salad or simply want to know some fun facts about the fruits you are eating, consider these resources:

· Trade Wind Fruits – Offers descriptions of numerous tropical fruits, including highly exotic varieties.

· Delicious Organics – Informative page about how to eat and choose exotic fruits.

· Tropical Fruit Index – Provides pictures and information about tropical fruits.

· Fact Monster Fruit Fun Facts – A site with fun facts about a variety of fruits, including many tropical fruits.

· The Fruit Pages – Offers fun facts and nutritional information about all types of fruits.

The more fruit you have in your diet, the more nutrients you will be eating. If you see a fruit in the market that you do not recognize, go ahead and try one. You just may find a new favorite to add to your diet!