Thai fruits are the real exotic for tourists visiting the country. They amaze with their variety, taste, and to eat some of them you need to know the special subtleties otherwise problems can not be avoided. There is a separate category of tourists who travel to this Asian country precisely because of the variety of fruits.
10. Pitahaya
Now in Thailand began to cultivate a cactus, which has historically grown in Mexico - this pitahaya is better known as dragon fruit. A feature of the plant is that it blooms exclusively at night with beautiful white flowers. When the fruits ripen, and in one season the cactus can bear up to 6 times, then they look very exotic: the oval shape of the fruit is covered with pink scales, the tips of which are green. The peel of the plant is easily cut with a knife. Inside there is a juicy pulp, which can be red or white, and the whole is penetrated by multiple black seeds, like kiwi. When eaten, these seeds are not felt. People who are first trying dragon fruit (another name) should not get involved in it. Juicy watery pulp with a kiwi banana flavor can cause diarrhea.
9. Tamarind
An Indian Date or Tamarind is very similar to a bean. Thais use unripened fruits for making hot sauces and spices, and mature ones go for desserts. Fruits resemble dates that are in pods. Locals like to drink tea with them because they replace them with sweets. Tamarind has a rich composition of vitamins and minerals, which is why it is widely used in alternative medicine. Inexperienced travelers better not to abuse these “sweets” all because of the same laxative effect.
8. Salak
Snake fruit is also called herring, growing on palm trees, the leaves of which are thorns. Fruits of brown color are covered with roughness for which they received the name "snake", as they resemble the scales of this animal. The taste of the pulp is very specific, astringent and, depending on the variety, can remotely resemble strawberries, bananas, cherries, and some nuts, valerian and corvalol. Without experience, it is very easy to get a lot of small scratches in the process of peeling. Inside the pulp there is a bone, which is better not to try to gnaw. Salak is on the list of the most delicious exotic fruits.
7. Noina
“Cream” or “sugar apple” is one of the most popular fruits in Thailand. Fruits have a rounded shape and are covered with a peel consisting of numerous tubercles. The skin color varies from green to green-blue and gray and the apple is more like a fir cone. Under the peel is a delicious and juicy pulp that looks like applesauce and is used to make various Thai desserts.
Some eat fruit with a spoon. To do this, it is cut in half, but you need to consider that there are a lot of seeds. One fruit can contain up to 40 large seeds. You need to be careful with this apple. Despite the large number of useful substances, he also has its drawbacks. Juice in contact with eyes can lower vision, and seeds, if you decide to gnaw it, lead to poisoning. Pulp is not recommended for pregnant women because of the high content of calcium in it.
6. Papaya
Thai melon can be called papaya - one of the most popular fruits in Thailand. There are many varieties of papaya, but experts recommend choosing a yellow variety, and so that the sides of the fruit are pink. Varieties are varied and taste from caramel, peach to the taste of coffee and chocolate. Thais clean and eat papaya like a melon, but after cleaning they always cool before eating. Melon is also prepared at the stake, and then it acquires the taste of the crumb of freshly baked bread. Papaya goes well with meat. It not only combines taste, but also speeds up the process of its preparation.
5. Mangosteen
The "Queen of Fruits" is what the Thais call mangosteen. According to legend, this is the first fruit that Buddha gave to people. Mangosteen has a thick brown or purple peel, and inside the flesh resembles a head of garlic, as it is divided into segments. In the lower part of the fruit there are always petals and how many petals the fruit has so many lobules inside the pulp. Mangosteen is a Thai leader in nutrient content. It is especially appreciated for xanthones - natural antioxidants, so fruits are used by both medicine and cosmetology.
4. Rambutan
“Hairy fruit” is what rambutan is called in Thailand. And all due to the fact that its fruits resemble walnuts with a red peel and covered with long hard hairs. The ripeness of rambutan is determined by the color of the hairs. They should be red. The flesh inside is reminiscent of elastic jelly of white color and very tasty. The peel is easily removable. To do this, just pry it with your fingernail. Rambutan is also used for the preparation of soap, candles, cosmetics, fabric dyes and much more.
3. Lychee
If in Thailand a traveler sees a tall tree, on which bright red pimply fruits hang in clusters - this is lychee or Chinese plum. Juicy flesh with a taste of grapes, reminiscent of jelly, is hidden under the bumpy skin. It is the bright fruits you need to eat. If they lie down, their color will darken and, therefore, taste will deteriorate. Lychees themselves as Thais and tourists consider the most delicious fruits of Thailand. They are sold on a branch. If the fruits are torn off, they spoil very quickly. Thais use lychee for desserts, dry, preserve, make wine from them.
2. Longan
The resemblance to a large eye provided the longan with a second name - “dragon's eye”. On one branch of a tree there are many fruits resembling nuts. Longan peel is very thin and fragile. Under it is a juicy pulp with a large bone inside, which is considered poisonous. It is the opened fruit that resembles the eye. Fruits are sold on a branch like grapes. They are not subject to long storage. If you want to bring fruit from Thailand, a longan should be bought in green. Thais use longan everywhere. In addition to desserts, they make wine out of it, prepare soup and a side dish for hot dishes. The tourist should not lean on the dragon's eye. Excessive consumption can lead to fever.
1. Durian
Without any doubt and without competitors, the king of fruits in Thailand is considered durian. The plant has 30 varieties, but only 9 are edible. The fruits are like a ball. Their surface is covered with skin, humbled by numerous spikes that resemble pyramids in shape. Durian sizes can reach up to 10 kg. The fleshy flesh is yellow. As the fruit ripens, its smell changes, which becomes sweet and at the same time putrid. The smell is similar at the same time to the stench from rotten meat and rotten eggs. For this reason, in Thailand it is forbidden to bring durian to hotels and shops, about which warning signs hang everywhere. It cannot be taken out of the country. Eat durian immediately after dissection. The pulp is very tasty, it gives away vanilla and resembles papaya. But it’s better not to cut the fruit yourself, as the smell eats into the skin and it is very difficult to get rid of it.