As a result of numerous archaeological excavations, scientists were able to prove that fruits and vegetables in China began to grow more than six thousand years ago. Nowadays, the Celestial Empire supplies a huge amount of fruit to the world market. And among them there are not only fruits known to Europeans, for example, juicy and fragrant apples, kiwi or mango, but also quite exotic fruits of China.
An inexperienced tourist is really impressed by the variety of fruits on the shelves of markets and supermarkets in this country. You must have heard about goji berries, which are now very popular. What kind of fruits in China can I try again? In China there are many delicious and very healthy fruits that are worth a try if you happen to visit this country.
Fruits of China with photos and names: Annona
This name brought together more than a hundred kinds of fruits. Cherimoya is widespread in the country, which contains a large amount of calcium, phosphorus, pepsins, glucose. Such a rich chemical composition and a pleasant delicate taste, slightly reminiscent of the usual apple for us, made these fruits very popular in China.
Cherimoyu is also used in folk medicine. These are conical fruits with white pulp with a fibrous structure. The weight of one fetus reaches three kilograms.
Mangosteen
Looking at the photos of the fruits of China with names, many mistakenly attribute these fruits to a variety of mangoes. However, despite the name, this fruit has nothing to do with mangoes. The violet-brown fruit is similar in parameters to persimmon. Its flesh is in the form of slices, it is juicy, sweet, tastes like grapes.
This fruit is rich in vitamins C, E, B1, B2, trace elements - calcium and nitrogen, sodium and zinc, potassium. Mangosteen is consumed exclusively in fresh form, since when it is added to dishes, the taste and aroma are halved. Useful properties are fully preserved in freshly squeezed juice. In a juicer, these fruits are placed directly with the peel, which gives a slightly astringent taste.
Carambola
Starfruit, or tropical star, is what this fruit is called in China. The whole fruit is edible. It is usually cut into small slices. Sour-tasting unripe fruits are sweet when fully ripened. They are used to decorate cocktails, prepare fish and meat dishes. When buying carambola for making a cocktail or salad, choose fruits that give the dish a pleasant sourness. For fresh consumption, sweet fruits are more suitable.
Vampire
Often, Europeans first try these fruits in China and know almost nothing about them. Meanwhile, a tasty and healthy fruit that grows in southern China is sweet or slightly sour. Vampi pulp is added to fruit salads and desserts, delicious jelly and aromatic jam are prepared from it.
The Chinese use the sun-dried fruit halves for bronchitis. Thin slices of vampi are sold even in pharmacies. A decoction of leaves is good for washing your hair - it significantly refreshes the color of your hair.
Durian
Large fruits, the diameter of which reaches 30 cm, and weight - 4 kg. Thick peel covered with sharp spikes. The fruit has an unpleasant rotten odor, since it contains organic sulfur. You will be warned in China that durian is quite dangerous: combining it with alcohol or overdosing even leads to death.
Nevertheless, there are a lot of useful substances in this fruit - carotene, B, C vitamins, amino acids. The fruit pulp has a creamy delicate texture, but the taste is not for everyone: you can’t call it sweet, for some it resembles cheese, for some mayonnaise, some taste fruity and nutty notes.
Kumquat
The name of this popular fruit of China (you can find the photo below) is translated as “golden orange”. Fruits of a slightly elongated shape are covered with an orange peel, small (about 5 cm in diameter). They are consumed with the peel. The taste of the fruit resembles tangerine.
Kumquat is able to relieve anxiety, strengthen the immune system, and fight the symptoms of a hangover. In addition, liqueurs and candied fruits are prepared from the fruits.
Jackfruit
The largest fruit growing on a tree in China. Their mass can reach 35 kg, and the length often exceeds 90 cm. The pulp is in yellow segments with seeds. This fruit has a rather unpleasant odor. However, the dense structure of the fruit is sweet, tasting like a dried banana. In addition, it is an extremely nutritious product - it contains almost 40% carbohydrates.
Ripened fruits can be consumed fresh, used in the preparation of salads, added to desserts, and unripe ones are fried or stewed as vegetables. When cutting jackfruit, you should lubricate your hands with oil or wear gloves, since sticky latex is collected on the skin of the fetus.
Lychee
This fruit also has a second name - Chinese plum. The fruits are medium-sized, with a diameter of about four centimeters. The red skin is covered with sharp bumps, but it is quite easy to remove. Lychee contains a large amount of protein, vitamins C and PP, pectin, nicotinic acid. The pulp is painted in a light yellow color, inside there is a small bone. The flesh is similar in structure to jelly, very sweet in taste.
These fruits in China are often used as a supplement to marmalade, ice cream, they can be dried or canned. Lychee fruits are used to make very popular wine in the country.
Longan
The name of the next fruit in our review is translated from Chinese as “dragon eye”. Longan tones, in Chinese traditional medicine it is known as a powerful aphrodisiac. It is eaten raw, added to soups and snacks. The fruits have a pleasant sweet and sour taste.
They are sold in the same way as grapes are in clusters. When buying a longan at the local market, be sure to pay attention to the peel. In a ripened fetus, it is solid and dense, without cracks. An inexperienced tourist can buy unripe fruits, which are much inferior to ripe ones in taste, so ask the seller to try the fruit before buying. If the longan is left in the dark for two or three days, then it will become more fragrant and soft.
We told you about some Chinese fruits. Vegetables in the Middle Kingdom also have their own characteristics.
Daikon
This root crop, known to many in our country, is used in China not only in cooking. Traditional healers make him medicine, as well as cosmetics. The daikon tastes spicy, reminiscent of radish or radish, but with a sweet aftertaste. It is eaten raw, and is also boiled and dried. It is important that the root crop does not lose its beneficial properties after drying or heat treatment.
Red cucumber (tladianta)
In China, the bushes on which these unusual fruits grow are often grown as ornamental to decorate the site. The taste of their fruits is also very pleasant - a bit like ordinary cucumbers, but they do not have a pronounced smell.
Red cucumber is suitable for preparing side dishes, various salads and even sweet dishes - jam, jam, jam.
Stachis
In Europe, the plant is called the Chinese artichoke. It has been used in China for a very long time, and in other countries a vegetable plant was appreciated only in the last century. To taste, stachis resembles cauliflower or asparagus. It is easy to cook - the artichoke is boiled for five minutes in salted water. Then the water is drained, and the stachis is seasoned with olive oil. You can use a simpler recipe - having prepared a very tasty stew. To do this, stew it with other vegetables.
Lotus root
Most are mistaken, believing that this vegetable has something to do with beautiful flowers. In fact, this is a separate plant, which is a long pods firmly connected to each other. Many sellers, before laying on the shelves, cut them. These pods can be fried, boiled or stewed.
What kind of fruit can not be exported from China?
There is only one fruit that is strictly forbidden to be exported from China - this is durian. This is due to its specific, extremely unpleasant odor. Any room in which the fetus is saturated with stench. This disgusting smell can neither be weathered nor washed away. Durian can only be exported as jam or in a dried state.
In the case of quarantine, the ban may apply to any particular type of fruit. For example, an announcement is sometimes posted at the airport to ban the export of stone fruits. Dried fruits cannot be exported from China. More precisely, for their export at customs, a certificate should be presented that confirms the product's compliance with sanitary requirements. In the absence of a document, dried fruits will be taken.