Fruits of Africa: photo and description

Fruits of Africa are an inexhaustible palette of tastes and forms. Tourists visiting this continent are delighted with their diversity and quantity. After all, sometimes it happens that already ripened fruits do not find a sale and rot, and not reaching the inhabitants of the northern continent.

So what are they, the fruits of Africa? Photo and description of overseas delicacies you will find in this article.

What is growing in Africa?

What kind of fruit can a tourist try to choose for this exotic continent? Their list is very extensive. So, what kind of fruit grow in Africa?

In specially designated irrigated areas there are extensive fruit gardens. On their trees, apricots and peaches hang with clusters. But these fruits of Africa are different from those that we used to see on the shelves of our stores. Thus, peaches on this continent are of several kinds. The first of them is breeding. Its fruits are large in size, but do not have enough sweetness. The second type of peaches refers to local varieties. Its fruits have a small size, an ungainly shape, but very sweet. The third type of peaches ripens one of the last. Its fruits are almost white, which slightly gives out crimson shades. This kind of peach is also very sweet.

We are all familiar with such fruits from Africa as mandarins, pomegranates and oranges. The trees planted with these fruits are also very common on this continent.

The most famous for the European inhabitants of the fruit of Africa are bananas. Here they ripen year-round, bringing sweet and fragrant fruits.

What other fruits in Africa will not cause surprise to our tourists? These are pears. Although, unlike those that grow in our country, they are tough. But the local apples, which you can try only in the summer, have a pleasant sour taste. As a rule, they are of small size and elongated shape.

What else do we know about the fruits of Africa? This is pineapple. Although its historic homeland is South America, it also grows in Africa.

We all are familiar with such fruits of South Africa as watermelons. Here it is still possible to meet this herbaceous plant in the wild. Watermelons were known even in ancient Egypt. These fruits were even put in the tomb of Pharaoh, so that they served him as food in the afterlife. Today watermelons are grown on five continents. Extensive plantations of this plant can be found in China, Turkey. They are in the Russian Volga region, as well as in the southern regions of our country.

Indian figs

Of course, fruits from Africa we can meet on the shelves of our stores. But still, we will never see many of them in our homeland. And although all the exotic fruits, photos and names are difficult to bring, with most of them we will still introduce you.

So, everywhere on the African continent there is Indian figs. But the traveler should not pay attention to its name. After all, these exotic fruits of Africa (and their photos prove it) have nothing to do with the familiar figs. This is the fruit of wild cactus, called the prickly pear.

Indian figs have a pear shape. Its fruits are red, green or yellow, reaching a length of 5 to 7.5 cm, covered with small sharp spines. Under the skin is a translucent flesh with large seeds, very sweet in taste.

Mango

It is believed that this is the most delicious fruit of Africa. His homeland is the western territories of the continent. These exotic fruits of Africa, the photos and descriptions of which are listed below, grow on the tropical tree of Irvingia.

The fruits of mango are egg-shaped. At the same time, their sizes range from the size of the pear to the coconut. Mango has a hard green or yellow skin. Inside the fetus is a large bone.

For mango is characteristic yellow-orange flesh. Her piquant sweetish taste, somewhat reminiscent of our raspberries, turns this fruit into one of the most wonderful fruits of the world.

Since ancient times, the local population has been using mango as a remedy. And its seeds, called nuts Dick, are used in modern cosmetology and pharmaceutics. Mango has a special reputation among those who decided to lose weight. After all, the vegetable matter, which is in the nuts Dick, is a great tool for losing weight.

Ashta

What else are exotic fruits of Africa, photos with names of which it is interesting to consider? On the territory of Egypt grows one of the subspecies of the Annon tree. It is called cream, or sugar apple. Another name for this exotic plant is Ashta.

In October-November the fruits of the scaly annona are ripening. They look like a massive prickly apple and resemble a green cone. The fruit is very large. Sometimes its mass can approach 2.5 kg.

In food use the white flesh of the fruit. In this case, the black seeds contained in it are recommended to be discarded. Only those fruits that have a dark tint are needed. It is also desirable that the fruit is soft and slightly kneaded with a slight pressure on the peel. It is not worth buying a very black eshtu. This color indicates that the fruit is overripe and has an unpleasant taste. The same green color of the peel is evidence of the immaturity of the "sugar apple".

The exotic fruit of ashta, which you can try during a trip to the African continent, has a very interesting taste. It is similar to a mixture of ingredients such as melon and apple, yogurt and strawberry. It is not for nothing that from Arabic the name of this fruit is translated as "cream".

The white flesh of an exotic fruit is not only tasty, but also useful. It has a lot of fructose and vitamins B1, 2 and C. Also in the composition of the eshta are easily digested carbohydrates.

Kivano

Many exotic fruits of Africa cause delight and curiosity for the first time they saw their tourists. The kivana is not an exception. This fruit is called a horned melon or an African cucumber.

The fruits of the kiwana are unusual. They look like orange hedgehogs the size of an orange. At the same time on the skin of fruits with soft thick buds there are surprising marble divorces. Cutting the kiwano, you can see the flesh, in which there are snow-white seeds, "packed" in ampoules of dark emerald jelly.

The taste of an exotic African fruit is as unusual as its appearance. It simultaneously resembles melon and cucumber, banana and lime. Some even catch a note of avocado in it. In connection with such an extensive palette of tastes, the kiwana is used in the preparation of not only sweet, but also spicy dishes. It is also used fresh, salted and marinated. From assorted kiwana with various fruits and berries you get a delicious jam and compote.

Exotic African fruit is rich in alkaline mineral salts, vitamin C and P-active substances. In this regard, it is recommended for the prevention of digestive disorders, as well as pathologies of blood vessels and heart. In its homeland, the kivana is used by local residents to heal burns and wounds. This fruit is especially attractive for those who are on a diet. After all, a horned African melon has practically no calories.

Magic Fruit

What else can surprise a traveler the sunny continent? All exotic fruits, photos and names of which are placed in this article, are unusual in their appearance and taste. But on the territory of Africa there is a small tree belonging to the family of Sapotovs. Its fruit is a miracle fruit. These are bright red small berries, the length of which is only 2-3 cm. In appearance they resemble barberry.

Magic fruit is sweet and very pleasant to the taste. But it should be eaten almost immediately after harvest. After storage, fruits lose all their qualities.

The magic fruit is named so for good reason. He has truly magical properties. It contains the protein miraculin (glycoprotein), which affects taste buds. After consuming the magic fruit, the sour taste in the mouth is replaced by a sweet one. It is noteworthy that the aromatic properties of the products remain unchanged. For example, after using a miracle fruit, lemon will seem sweet. In this case, the citrus fruit will completely retain its taste and aroma. This effect lasts for two hours.

The magic fruit is used as a natural sweetener. It is recommended to those who wish to adhere to dietary nutrition, but at the same time experiencing an irresistible craving for everything sweet. It is recommended he and the patient with diabetes mellitus.

On this useful properties of the amazing African fetus do not end there. After all, it contains many microelements that support the normal vital activity of the human body. Also in the miracle fruit are a lot of fiber and vegetable acids, which improve the health of the digestive system.

Aki

It is unlikely that Europeans in their homeland could try the rarest exotic fruits of Africa. Among them is aki. This plant from the Sapindov family is native to West Africa. His unripe fruits are poisonous to humans. That is why in some countries aki is a forbidden fruit. However, only those fruits that were subjected to improper heat treatment or did not open themselves are poisonous.

The fruit aki has a pear-shaped shape. Its skin is colored in a bright orange-red color. In length, these exotic fruits grow to 9 cm. After ripening, the fruits open themselves. In doing so, they expose the white juicy pulp, which is under the skin, containing large black seeds. The taste of aki resembles a walnut. It is worth remembering that eating only the flesh of this exotic fruit. To avoid poisoning, it is only worth boiling, lowering it into boiling water for at least 10 minutes.

Fruit aki is popular in the kitchen of the peoples of Jamaica. Here, a garnish is made from it. For this, the flesh is pre-boiled, and then fried in oil. The resulting dish, according to its taste, resembles an omelet familiar to us.

This fruit is widely used in its homeland. The peoples of West Africa make from it drugs that can save a person from many diseases.

Marula

This exotic fruit also comes from Africa. It grows on the same trees, found in the territory of many tropical countries. The Marula plant belongs to the family of pistachio. In March, its branches appear small fruits, resembling a plum. They have thick skin and very sweet flesh. Inside the fruit is a solid large bone.

Marula is rich in vitamin C. This makes it very useful for the human body. And a valuable vitamin is not only in the flesh of the fruit. A lot of it and in the bone. In addition to vitamin C in the marula, there are all minerals and nutrients involved in the processes of development and construction of the cellular structure of the body.

The peoples of Africa use the fruit for culinary purposes. And the food is used not only fruits, but also the leaves of the plant. This tree is a wonderful source of food for people and animals. Thus, the local population extracts oil from the core of the stone, which contains many proteins. And in the skin and in the pulp in large quantities there are natural antioxidants and oleic acid. That is why marula is one of the indispensable ingredients of many African dishes. So, from the peel of exotic fruit obtained drinks, reminiscent of their taste qualities, coffee and tea.

In the fruits of marula is a lot of sugar. Falling to the ground, they begin to wander. As a result, you get a real natural bar, which animals love to visit.

African pear

This plant, which is also called dacriodes edible, belongs to the Burrower family. His homeland is the equatorial territory of Africa. Here, evergreen trees of an African pear can be found in forest tracts with moist soils. The height of this tree sometimes reaches 40 m.

The fruits of the edible dacryodes have an elongated elongated shape. In length, they grow to 12 cm. The rind of this exotic fruit has a purple or blue hue. That's why the African pear looks like an eggplant.

The fruit pulp is soft and oily. It has a dark green color. Local people consume the fruits of the African pear in raw, boiled, fried and stewed.

This amazing fruit contains many micronutrients, amino acids, vitamins, fats and triglycerides. The African pear is very nutritious and caloric. After all, even in boiled form, its pulp contains up to forty-eight percent of fats.

Kigelia

In the forests of tropical Africa, you can find a beautiful tree with a wide dense crown and bizarre fruits. It is a pinnate cigelia belonging to the Bignonia family. Another name for the plant is a sausage tree. Of course, it seems a little strange. But the fact is that the fruits of this tree have an amazing shape, reminiscent of the brownish-gray color of the loaves of liver sausage. And they hang on long pedicels like ropes. This whole picture is reminiscent of sausages, suspended immediately after manufacture. Pedicels are so strong that they can be swung by a person if desired.

Kigelia fruits hang on their strings for several months, gradually increasing in size. After ripening their peel bursts.

It should be borne in mind that, despite the mouth-watering name, sausages of African wood are inedible. The local population consumes only the seeds of these fruits, and only after preliminary frying. Raw seeds are poisonous. The fruit of the sausage tree is eaten only by giraffes, monkeys and hippos. Kigel seeds are an excellent treat for parrots. These amazing fruits are used by people as a fuel, and also for the manufacture of a red dye.