Star Fruit Fun Facts

Star fruit or Carambola is a tropical fruit that can be also found in the US supermarkets. People love the perfect star formation when the fruit is sliced around the middle. It is fun to serve it as a garnish or in salads with other fruits.

I had the privilege to live in the Caribbean for a while, so I got really familiar to this delicious fruit. There was a Carambola tree right in front of the house I was renting. That tree was sooo productive! The fruits looked so weird to me, like little lanterns! They were growing quite fast, from tiny green bulbs to fist-sized-juicy-oblong pieces of heaven. I liked them green, they had a prickly taste, like a green apple, but 100 times juicier.

The star fruit is such a versatile and forgiving fruit! You can use it green in soups and other main savory dishes. If you pick it up green and store it in a dark place, it will ripen and become much sweeter. Then you can use it in deserts, shakes, smoothies...

You can also let it ripe naturally in the tree... of course... I couldn't do that because the birds loved the fruits too... so they were eating them before me... Especially those colorful and oh-so-noisy parrots... they were my enemies when it came down to that. :)

On a final note, if you see these fruits in the supermarket, go ahead and buy a couple. You will enjoy the taste! Did I mention the health benefits? Star fruit is rich in vitamin C, vitamin A and Potassium! Anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, good for skin, heart and muscles. And YUMMY!

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