I think the southern part of the country grows more number of fruits than the North. Manu, you have got complete material for an article, with a few photographs. You can use Wikipedia pictures for use without any charges. You have only to acknowledge them. ak
On Mon, Jul 25, 2011 at 11:25 AM, manudev madhavan < manudevkmadha...@gmail.com> wrote: > Got this forwarded mail from my friend.... > > > > > > *Top 20 Fruits You Probably Don’t Know* > > 192 > I was playing a game the other day, in which you have to come up with fruit > that starts with every letter of the alphabet. Apple, banana, cherry…. and > that is about where I hit a blank. My epic failure at this game made me do > some research and what I discovered was a whole world of delicious looking > fruit that I had never even known about! I was completely shocked to find > that there are actually hundreds of different types of fruit (no need to > include them all as omissions in the comments), most of which I had never > even heard of. This list is not to rank the fruit, but rather just to inform > you about them. The only fruit on this list I consider ranked is No: 1, as > it deserves the spot, in clearly being the coolest fruit on the planet. How > many of these exotically delicious fruit have you tried? > > *20* > > Sugar Apple > > *Annona squamosa* > > [image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/> > > Sugar Apples or Sweetsop, is native to the tropical Americas, but is also > widely grown in Pakistan, India and the Philippines. The fruit looks a bit > like a pine cone, and are about 10 cm in diameter. Under the hard, lumpy > skin is the fragrant, whitish flesh of the fruit, which covers several seeds > inside, and has a slight taste of custard. > > *19* > > Mammee Apple > > *Mammea americana* > > [image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/> > > Mammee Apple, Mamey Apple or Santo Domingo Apricot is an evergreen tree, > native to South America, which was introduced to various other regions of > the world including West Africa and South East Asia. They can also be found > in Florida and Hawaii. The Mammee apple is actually a berry and gets up to > 20 cm in diameter. It has a thick outer rind, with soft orange to yellow > pulp on the inside. It usually had one seed in the centre, but larger fruit > have been known to carry up to 4. The pulp is sweet and fragrant. > > *18* > > Cherymoya > > *Annona cherimola* > > [image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/> > > Cherymoya, or custard apple, is a deciduous plant found in the high lying > mountainous areas of South America. The fruit is vaguely round and is found > with 3 types of skin – Impressa (indented), Tuberculate (covered in nodules) > or intermediate (a combination of the first two). The flesh inside the skin > is very fragrant, white, juicy and has a custard like consistency. It is > said that the fruit tastes like a combination of banana, passion fruit, > papaya and pineapple. Mark Twain said in 1866 “ the most delicious fruit > known to men, cherimoya” > > *17* > > Platonia > > *Platonia insignis* > > [image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/> > > Platonia or Bacuri is a large tree (reaching 40m) found in the rain forests > of Brazil and Paraguay. The fruit become the size of a orange, and have a > thick yellow peel which oozes a yellow latex when pressed. Inside there is a > sticky white pulp, wrapped around several black seeds, which tastes pleasant > and has a sweet and sour flavor. > > *16* > > Cocona > > *Solanum sessiliflorum* > > [image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/> > > Cocona fruit is another tropical fruit found in the mountainous regions of > South America. It grows on a small shrub, and can miraculously grow from > seed to fruit in less than 9 months, after which the fruit will take another > 2 months to ripen. The fruit is a berry and comes in red, orange or yellow. > It has a similar appearance to tomatoes, and is said to taste like a mixture > between tomatoes and lemons. > > *15* > > Breadfruit > > *Artocarpus altilis* > > [image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/> > > Breadfruit is a large tree, in the mulberry family, found native to the > Philippines and all the islands in Southeast Asia. The fruit is similar to > bananas, as they can be eaten raw when ripe, and cooked when unripe. The > ripe fruit is soft and sweet, while the unripe fruit is harder and starchy, > which is where it got the name breadfruit from, as it tastes similar to > freshly baked bread when cooked. > > *14* > > Duku > > *Lansium domesticum* > > [image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/> > > Duku or lungsat are two very similar fruits found throughout Asia. They > come from the same family, look and taste identical, with one difference. > The skin of the lungsat contains a latex substance, which is not poisonous, > but causes the skin to stick slightly to the fruit, whereas the duku has no > latex and the peel is removed with more ease. Inside, the fruit has 5 > segments, some of which has bitter seeds inside. It is a very sweet fruit > and can be prepared in a number of different ways, including being canned in > syrup or being dried like raisins. > > *13* > > Safou > > *Dacryodes edulis* > > [image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/> > > Safou is an evergreen tree found in the humid tropical forests of Africa, > as far south as Angola, and as far north as Nigeria. The fruits are also > known as African pears and are oblong dark blue to violet fruits up to 14cm > in length, with pale green flesh inside. These fatty fruits have been said > to have the ability to put an end to starvation in Africa, as 48% of the > fruit is made up of essential fatty acids, amino acids, Vitamins and > triglycerides. The have estimated that a one hectare plantation would be > able to produce 7-8 tons of oil, and all parts of the plant can be used. > > *12* > > Jabuticaba > > *Myrciaria cauliflora* > > [image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/> > > Jabuticaba, or the Brazilian grape tree, is a very strange plant native to > the South Eastern parts of Brazil. What makes this plant so strange is that > it fruits from its trunk. No, I did not make that up, and no the picture has > not been photo shopped. Initially, yellowish white flowers will appear all > over the trunk and main branches, these flowers will then turn into fruit, > about 3 – 4cm in diameter. Inside the thick purple skin is the soft > gelatinous flesh of the fruit, along with 1 – 4 black seeds. The fruit is > sweet and can be eaten as is or made into a wine or liqueur. Unfortunately, > the fruit does not keep long when off the tree and will start to ferment > after about 3 or 4 days. > > *11* > > Rambutan > > *Nephelium lappaceum* > > [image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/> > > Rambutan is an odd fruit that looks like a furry strawberry from the > outside, and much like a lychee on the inside. It is native to South East > Asia, but has been spread and a smaller “wild” version can be found in Costa > Rica, where it is called a Chinese sucker. The fruit is an oval shape and > about 3-6 cm in diameter. Inside the slightly hard, but easily peal able > skin, you can find a soft fruit that tastes slightly sweet, with a possible > sour tinge. > > > > *10*Noni > > *Morinda citrifolia* > > [image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/> > > Noni, otherwise known by many different names around the world, including > the great moringa, Indian mulberry, dog dumpling and pace, is related to the > coffee bean plant and is native throughout South East Asia and Australasia, > but is cultivated throughout the tropics. The tree carries fruit throughout > the year and the fruit tend to have a very pungent odour when ripening (also > known as the cheese fruit or vomit fruit). Despite the smell, the fruit is > high in fibre, vitamin A, protein, Iron and calcium, and is the staple diet > on many Pacific Islands. The fruit can either be cooked into a stew or eaten > raw with salt. > > *9* > > Marula > > *Sclerocarya birrea* > > [image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/> > > The Marula is a deciduous tree native to Southern and Eastern Africa. The > distribution of the tree throughout Africa, follow the migratory patterns of > the Bantu people, as it was an important source of food, and they planted > more trees along their way. The green fruit ripens and turns yellow, the > white flesh inside is succulent and has a very distinct flavor. After > falling off the tree, the fruit will start to ferment and these draw in > animals, like elephants and baboons, for a slightly alcoholic treat. The > fruit is also used to make a popular liqueur called Amarula, which can be > found at any duty-free liquor store at airports. > > *8* > > Salmonberry > > *Rubus spectabilis* > > [image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/> > > Salmonberrys are native to the west coast of North America, stretching from > midway through Alaska, all the way down to California. They are found in > moist forests and create dense thickets. The fruit looks similar to > raspberries, but are more orange in color. They are sweet when eaten raw, > but are often processed into juice, wine, candies and jams. > > *7* > > Salak > > *Salacca zalacca* > > [image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/> > > Salak fruit, also known as the snake fruit, comes from a species of palm > native to Indonesia. These fruit grow at the base of the palm, and gained > the name snake fruit from their red brown, scaly skin. The skin is easily > removed, and inside are 3 white, sweet segments that each contain a large > black inedible seed. When eaten, the fruit have a slightly acidic but sweet > flavor, and the consistency of apples. > > *6* > > Bael > > *Aegle marmelos* > > [image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/> > > Bael, wood apple or stone apple is a species native to India, but found > throughout Southeast Asia. Bael is a smooth fruit with a woody peel that is > colored yellow, green or grey. The hard, woody, outer peel is so hard that > it has to be cracked with a hammer. Inside is an aromatic yellow pulp with > several hairy seeds. The flesh can be eaten either dried or fresh. From the > fresh fruit, a juice called sharbat can be made, adding water, sugar and > lime juice to the pulp. It takes just one large fruit to make 6 liters of > sharbat. > > *5* > > Star Apple > > *Chrysophyllum cainito* > > [image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/> > > The Star apple is a fruit native to the low-lying areas of Central America > and the West Indies. The underside of the evergreen leaves shine with a > golden color from a distance, and the tree carries small white to purple > flowers with a sweet fragrance. The fruit is round, purple and has a thick, > latex filled skin. If the fruit is cut horizontally, a clear star pattern > can be seen in the white purple pulp. The fruit is delicious fresh, with a > intense sweet taste. > > *4* > > Star fruit > > *Averrhoa carambola* > > [image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/> > > Star fruit or carambola is a fruit tree native to the Philippines, but can > be found throughout Southeast Asia, East Asia, South America, Florida and > Hawaii. This fruit has five ridges running down its length, which when cut > sideways, makes the star pattern after which it is named. The fruit is rich > in Vitamin C, and Antioxidants. The fruit turns a bright yellow when ripe, > has a waxy skin and the entire fruit is edible, juicy and crunchy. > > *3* > > Horned melon > > *Cucumis metuliferus* > > [image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/> > > The horned melon, also known as African cucumber or jelly melon, is an > annual vine native to Africa, but can now be found grown in California, > Australia, New Zealand and Chile as well. When ripe, the melon has a thick > spiky yellow outer skin, with bright green, jelly like flesh. The flesh is > often compared to the taste of a banana, with the texture of the seedy part > of a cucumber or tomato. The thick skin can be eaten and is a good source of > vitamin C and fibre. > > *2* > > Pitaya > > *Hylocereus* > > [image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/> > > Pitaya, or dragon fruit, is a cactus fruit that can be found throughout > Asia, Australasia, North America and South America, even though they are > believed to be native to Mexico originally. There are two main types of > pitaya, the sour types, typically eaten in the Americas, and sweet types > found across Asia. The fruit comes in 3 different color varieties, Labelled > as red, yellow and Costa Rican pitayas. The “red” fruits are generally a > bright magenta color on the outside, with yellow flesh. The Yellow Pitaya is > yellow inside and out, and the Costa Rican pitayas are magenta on the > outside and the inside. They smell deliciously fragrant and most have a > sweet flavor similar to a kiwi fruit. > > *1* > > Miracle Fruit > > *Synsepalum dulcificum* > > [image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/> > > The miracle fruit, or sweet berries, is a very strange berry native to West > Africa. What makes the fruit strange and miraculous, is miraculin (a sugar > substitute), which is found in large quantities in the fruit, combined with > a glycoprotein. The fruit itself does not contain a lot of sugar, and tastes > only mildly sweet but when eaten, the glycoprotein binds to the tongues > taste buds, which, for about an hour after eating the fruit, distorts any > other taste into sweetness. With that effect you could technically eat a > lemon, and it would taste like a ball of syrup. Although the definite reason > for this occurrence is not fully understood, it would seem as if the > miraculin distorts the shape of the sweetness receptors in the tongue so > that they pick up on acid instead of sweetness. The sweetness receptors on > your tongue then transmit to the brain to taste sweetness when they come in > contact with any acidity. In the 70s attempts were made to commercialize and > sell the fruit as a diet aid, as it has the potential to turn any meal > sweet, without affecting your calorie intake. These attempts were shattered > when the FDA declared it a food additive, due to pressure from sugar > companies who could foresee big losses in profits. In the last two years the > berries have been making a comeback, by being the guest star of many tasting > parties in the states. The berries are dried and exported, and the party > guests each have one and then taste all kinds of common foods to experience > a new taste sensation with every bite. > > > > > > -- > *Manudev K Madhavan* > Junior Research Fellow > Systematic & Floristic Lab, > Department of Botany, > Centre for Postgraduate Studies & Research > St. Joseph's College, Devagiri > Kozhikode- 673 008 > Mob: 9496470738 > > -- Anand Kumar Bhatt A-59, B.S.F.Colony, Airport Road Gwalior. 474 005. Tele: 0751-247 2233. Mobile 0 94253 09780. My blogsite is at: http://anandkbhatt.blogspot.com (A NEW BLOG has been ADDED ON 12 April 2011.) And the photo site: www.flickr.com/photos/akbhatt/ <http://www.flickr.com/photos/akbhatt/>(NEW PHOTOS HAVE BEEN ADDED ON 15 March 2011.) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ten most common surnames of Indians: Singh, Kumar, Sharma, Patel, Shah, Lal, Gupta, Bhat, Rao, Reddy. Cheers!
