Ten Exotic Fruits You May Not Have Tried

I've had dragon fruit. It was very light and delicate, not too sweet, but still very good. Somewhat expensive, $5 for something that was less than a pound. Don't know if that was just the local supermarket gouging prices, but if I found it cheaper, I'd probably have more.

Not sure if it counts, but I've also had durian. Since you can't find it fresh where I live, it was frozen. To be honest, not sure what to make of it. It did smell funny, and the taste wasn't easily comparable to anything else, so I would rather not make such a quick judgement. I've talked to friends in Malaysia and Singapore, and even there it seems to be something of a love/hate.

Rambutan are usually easy enough to find canned, and reminds me of lychee (probably indistinguishable to someone who hasn't had both several times). The stuff canned in syrup is going to be sweeter like most such canned fruit, which makes the flavor seem milder than the fresh ones.

Buddha's hand is pretty much all rind and pith from what I remember, so it smells nice and you can make marmalade, but are otherwise limited to things that can just use its zest or oil. Unless you get it cheap, it is more ornamental than for use as food.

Chayote was really disappointing to me, as the couple times I tried using it, it had almost no flavor of its own. Unless I had it growing on my own property, or it was the same price range as potatoes and plantains, it wasn't worth it to me.

Dragonfruit for a while was easier to find dried than fresh for me. Dried it isn't as expensive, but is quite different. Because it had so many seeds, the dried form was more like a slightly flavored sesame or rice cracker. The fresh ones are usually very expensive, but at least better quality, and worth a try for the novelty (unlike say starfruit, which seem to be as expensive where I am, but horrible quality compared to when I lived further south).

The other odd fruit I've taken a liken to is jackfruit, which I can get cheap ice cream and fruit bars for at an Asian supermarket. The normal grocery store started carrying the fruit, but typically just puts out a single, whole, basketball-size fruit for $40, which sits there for several weeks. At the end of its shelf-life it does get cut up and packaged, but disappears quickly. I haven't asked if they could cut it up at any other point, but could just go to the Asian supermarket anyway where it is always stocked in cut pieces.

I didn't expect such excellent feedback. Interesting! Thank you.

Cherimoya sounds like a fantasy fruit! I'd LOVE to try that!

In Costa Rica, we have the fruit listed in the article as "Rambutan", but we call it Mamón Chino. I always describe it to visitors as a cross between an anemone and a grape. You use your fingernail to tear the durable, spiny outer covering, then gnaw or suck on the grape-like white object in the middle. The grape thing has a pit inside that is about 80% the size of the grape, so it's sort of like gnawing on a grape with a peach pit inside. But the flavor is pretty tasty.

We have chayote also, and I agree with the other poster that is doesn't have a lot of flavor on its own, but it is often prepared with other flavorful items, and it takes on their flavor. They taste delicious is meat-based soups. There's a dessert that some of our friends make using honey, chayote, and some sort of light cheese, and they fry the whole thing, and it tastes pretty amazing.

A couple other exotic fruits they have here are granadillas and guaba. Granadillas look about the size of a tangerine on the outside, but when you open them up, it is reminiscent of a bag of snot, full of slimy sunflower seeds. Maybe a tangerine full of fish eggs or something. Either way, I was unable to eat very much of it. The Guabas look like a giant pea pod. But when you split it open, instead of peas, there are little fruit-like seed things. I think you sort of suck on them, like the mamón chinos I mentioned earlier.

I agree with the poster about Buddha's hand.

Durian - I like. But it is "fussy". It can taste sweet and custardy when it is on the edge of ripe. But one minute past ripe and it is slimey and just a yucky taste.

Cherimoya - I like. Also a custardy pear like flavor. But leave it in the fridge and the flavor goes out.
I like Rambutan. They are very similar in flavor to the lychee. I prefer lychee over rambutan though.

There are two fruits that I would like to add. I do think they are an acquired taste though.
Santol and Duhat.
Santol has a leathery outside, but white sour and tart flesh inside. Best eaten with salt. The salt makes the tart and sour a bit sweet. I cannot describe what flavors it is closest to though.
Duhat - I know they are known as java plum in other parts of the world. Their flavor is like a deep dark bitter sweet flavor. Like a sweet black currant and a white cherry flavor. They make your mouth water, from the astringent properties in the skins.

For chayote: cut into squares, steam or boil, add salt and melted butter.
Two sweet fruits some of you might not know: caimito, purple and white inside, black seeds ; and mamey, reddish brown with a huge black seed, like a pink avocado. Both are truly delicious.