10 Buah Yang Kelihatan Anih

1. Buddha's Hand - beautiful but tasteless

This fruit is commonly found in China or Northern parts of India. It goes by a few names including Fingered Citron and Bushukan but we think Buddha's Hand is by far the coolest and certainly the most apt. This fruit is made up of long finger like sections that all grow from the same base giving the illusion of a multi-fingered hand.
When it comes to eating it, this citrus fruit is nothing like your average orange or lemon. It has no juice or pulp, it is essentially made up of skin and pith. However unlike all other citrus fruit, the pith of the Buddha's Hand is not bitter. The fruit is often candied, dried or canned and used to complete all manner of sweet and savoury dishes.
This fruit is also extremely fragrant; many Japanese and Chinese families place this fruit around the home as it gives off a pleasant smell.

2. Miracle Fruit - miraculously changes the way you taste....

From the name of this fruit you can tell that we're about to fill you in on something very special indeed! The Miracle Fruit is a form of berry found in West Africa, it has a plum red outer and lightly sweet taste. However the real wonder occurs after you've eaten it. Miracle fruit has a miraculous effect on the taste-buds which alters the tastes of foods we're all accustomed to.
After eating miracle fruit you'll find that bitter and sour foods taste sweet. Just imagine a fresh lemon suddenly begin as sweet as a lemon drop or a pint of Guinness being as sweet as honey.
The secret behind the miracle lies in a glycoprotein called miraculin. This binds to your taste-buds and acts a sweetness inducer when it makes contacts with the acids found in sour foods. The effects only last 30-90 minutes

3. Kiwano Melon - looks like it came from outer space

This fruit looks like it was conjured up to play the baddie in a forties B movie. The severe spiked skin and the luminous green jelly like flesh certainly set it apart as one of the most striking fruits around. Also known as the Horned Melon, Horned Cucumber and English Tomato (not sure what that name is about!) this fruit is native to Africa but is now grown in warm climes across the globe. The taste of the kiwano melon is likened to cucumber and it contains many large white seeds which are completely edible. The best way to eat your kiwano melon is to slice it in half and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. 

4. Ugli Fruit - the name says it all

It's pretty difficult not to judge a book by its cover when its title is as off putting as this one. The look and name of the Ugli fruit doesn't fill me with much culinary confidence. However this mottled yellow-brown dry looking skin is loosely wrapped around a sweet citrus offering. The fruit is made up of generously sized segments and sports a sweet tangy flavour and a pulpy texture. 
The name Ugli is in fact just a trading name for what is really a Jamaican tangelo – similarly to how Pink Lady is a trading name for a pink crisp apple. The Jamaican tangelo is a hybrid of a pomelo, an orange and a tangerine. When the creators discovered this fruit, they thought it deserved the name Ugli!

5. Jabuticaba - we promise this has not been photo shopped 

The weirdness of this fruit lies mainly in the way it grows. The jabuticaba is a form of grape which grows on the Brazilian Grape Tree.
Unlike the grapes we're used to eating in the UK, jabuticabas do not grow in bunches and grow directly from the trunk of the tree rather than its branches. The fruits are dark purple and
have a thick skin and have pleasant sweet taste. Similarly to grapes these fruits are also made into jellies, jams and wine.

6. Monster Fruit - perfect if you like a challenge 

The monster fruit - or monstera deliciousa to be technical - could be one of the weirdest fruits we've ever come across.
It is native to tropical rain forests and has since been introduced to a range of tropical areas across the globe including Hawaii.This is one of those fruits which requires a little extra effort to eat it. First you need to prise it from the surrounding leaves and vines, but be careful.
The potassium oxalate content in both can be an irritant to the skin causing rashes. The fruit itself, which looks like a green ear of corn, is covered with scales which need to be peeled away or left to fall off. Once this is done you are left with a sweet fruit with a similar taste and texture to pineapple.

7. Safou - a fruit to end world hunger? 

The safou fruit is also referred to as an African Pear, African Plum and the more telling – butter fruit. This is because the safou is high in fat and amino acids giving it a creamy buttery texture. This native fruit to west and central Africa has even been hailed as a key tool for preventing hunger in starving nations with non-profit groups promoting is as a worthy crop to farmers and land owners. It is a calorie dense fruit full of essential nutrients and vitamins. It is also very versatile with the flavour lending itself to sweet and savoury dishes.

8. Akebi Fruit - the prettiest things often lack substance 

This magical looking fruit is only found in the north of Japan and only appears for a few weeks a year in early autumn.
Once thought of as scavenger food, it is now cultivated and sold mainly in specialised fruit shops in Japan – no doubt for a lot of money! The Akebi fruit is made up of a striking purple pod which contains a cloudy white flesh inside. It also contains a large amount of small edible black seeds which are hard to remove.
As the fruit itself is not particularly sweet, it can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes. Culinary wiz kids all over Japan have done everything from stuffing it to deep frying it.

9. Cupuacu - creamy, cocoa, pineapple. Delicious 

Like chocolate and pineapple? That's the exact flavour mix you can expect when you eat a cupuacu fruit. If deliciousness isn't enough to get you tempted, this fruit is packed full with anti-oxidants vitamins - B1, B2, B3, A and C - amino and fatty acids and nutrients that can boost the immune system, lower cholesterol and improve the appearance of skin and hair.
This large melon sized fruit is grown in the rainforests of the Amazon, Peru and Brazil. Once opened, there is an abundance of creamy soft white flesh

10. Ackee - Jamaica's national (slightly toxic) fruit 

The ackee fruit is a Jamaican delicacy which is always treated as a vegetable. This fruit has even found fame as one of the main ingredients in the countries national dish – ackee and salt-fish. Once ripe the pods burst open on the tree to reveal three large shiny black seeds surrounded by a yellow flesh. It is this scrambled egg like substance
that we eat, other parts of the fruit are highly toxic. The texture is soft and buttery, and it has a light smoky taste.