Gingerbread plums are native to West Africa and taste similar to strawberries, but are plum-sized and crisp. The leaves are aromatic and the tree is in the shape of a large mushroom. The fruit is high in vitamin C, and is usually eaten raw as a snack.
Source: Worldwatch.org
This fruit almost looks like an exploded fungus and is sometimes called a “vegetable brain.” Native to tropical West Africa, the fruit is often used in savory dishes, or to make wine. National Geographic named ackee one of the best national foods.
Source: Worldwatch.org
Star apple is native to tropical Africa and contains more vitamin C than a guava or orange. They’re a healthy snack, but the fruit also have medicinal powers: the seeds can treat skin and vaginal infections and the leaves can treat wounds and stomach ailments.
Source: Itfnet.org
This fruit looks like it could be a character in Nickelodeon’s “Aaahh!!! Real Monsters” but in fact it’s harmless and delicious. Sometimes called a horned melon, this fruit grows in the Kalahari Desert in Southern Africa and has innards similar passion fruit — goopy, seedy, sweet and tangy.
Source: Mnn.com
Jackfruit is native to South and Southeast Asia, but it is widely cultivated throughout Africa, including in Cameroon, Uganda, Tanzania, Madagascar and Mauritius. It has a mild, sweet flavor, and is often cooked in savory dishes.
Source: Crfg.org
The African mangosteen is native to tropical areas in and near Somalia and South Africa. The fruit is a gorgeous bright orange hue, and is quite small — similar in size to a tangerine. There is little edible fruit inside the skin, but it packs a great punch. The fruit is used in a lot of drinks.
Source: Fruitipedia.com
African medlars grow in the southern and eastern Afrotropics and taste similar to apples. The fruit can be consumed raw, but the pulp can be dried and stored, and the seeds can be roasted. Traditional healers use the roots and leaves for medicinal purposes.
Source: Tradewindsfruit.com
The santol fruit is native to former Indochina and Peninsular Malaysia, but has been widely cultivated in Seychelles and Mauritius. The fruit contains a milky juice, and a sweet-and-sometimes-sour pulp with inedible seeds. The fruit is often cooked, or it is candied or turned into marmalade.
Source: Capetrib.com
This is a small but powerful fruit, that, when mixed with sour juices, will make them sweet. Now you know why it’s called miracle fruit or miracle berry. The fruit doesn’t actually change the way something tastes, but rather how your taste buds interpret flavors.
Source: Discovery.com
Though it has a tough pod which is carved and used as wood, this bean has edible fruit on the inside and is highly nutritious. The seeds are 44-percent protein, containing all 20 essential amino acids and they have healthy fatty acids. The oil is often added to soups, like the okra soup pictured.
Source: Itfnet.rog
The prekese of Nigeria looks like a burned and exploded nutshell, but it’s a powerful fruit. Along with having several therapeutic properties like preventing post-partum contractions in new mothers, the fruit is used as a spice in soups like banga soup (pictured) and is used to make soap.
Source: Itfnet.org
The Baobab fruit has three times more vitamin C than oranges, 50 percent more calcium than spinach and is loaded with antioxidants. The pulp on the inside is dry and spongy, which is why it’s sometimes called monkey bread. The pulp is often dissolved in milk or water and mixed with sugar to sweeten it.
Source Itfnet.org
