Bizarre foods: Starfruit 

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Starfruit can be cut into star shapes and make good, fun snacks for kids. (Photo by Anna Skinner)
Starfruit can be cut into star shapes and make good, fun snacks for kids. (Photo by Anna Skinner)

Commentary by Anna Skinner

What is it?

Starfruit is popular through Southeast Asia, and it usually has five crests running along the length of the fruit. The fruit is ripe when the waxy exterior is a bright yellow with a few tints of green. The edge of the ridges should be beginning to turn brown to signify prime ripeness. The flesh should be firm. The fruit is very healthy and only contains approximately 30 calories per fruit.

How do you eat it?

Like an apple, the starfruit can be eaten skin and all. Although it is perfectly acceptable to just gnaw from the outside heading in like apples, I cut mine horizontally so that the fruit turned into little five-point stars. I placed mine in the fridge and let it cool before I eat it, although the starfruit can also be eaten at room temperature and stored on a countertop.

What does it taste like?

The starfruit is very tropical, and it retains a lot of water. It’s friendly as far as exotic fruits go, and it can be a good snack for kids to bring for lunch, especially if cut into stars. The texture is similar to that of a grape, but I thought the exterior skin to be a bit waxy.

Where do you buy it?

I bought my starfruit at the renovated Kroger on Range Line Road in Carmel, but it is available at most grocers and is more popular than some exotic fruits. Once I was done sampling this tropical delicious fruit for the first time, I returned to the store and bought more to store in the fridge for my own enjoyment.

Have a bizarre or exotic fruit or vegetable you are intrigued to try or learn more about? Email ideas to [email protected] and you may find the food in an upcoming edition of Current.


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