Are you eating your recommended serving of two to four fruits a day? Are you tired of the same old apples, grapes, and oranges? If you aren’t eating enough fruit, you are missing out on an important part of your diet.

Fruits are packed with vitamins and antioxidants to help you stay strong. Fruit is a healthy snack choice, and your choices don’t have to be boring. If you are adventurous and want to try new things, there are hundreds of fruits out there.

Asia is known for having some pretty exotic foods, but fruit is one food group that is often overlooked. Read on to learn about the top Asian fruits.

1. Mangosteen

This tropical fruit is about the size of a tangerine. It has a deep purple rind that is inedible. The mangosteen is juicy, sweet, and a little tangy. These fruits are popular in jams and other desserts.

Mangosteens are used to treat diarrhea, cancer, and various infections. Some people even use mangosteens to treat skin conditions like eczema. Mangosteen juice is a popular health drink because of the benefits of its tannins.

2. Pomela

Pomelas are large citrus fruits that are similar in size to a grapefruit. Pomelo is sweet and mild like a grapefruit. This fruit is a very popular snack during Chinese celebrations.

There are a couple of varieties — one with a white flesh that is sweet and another that has a pink flesh and is sour. The peel is sometimes dipped in chocolate or made into marmalade or candied. It is a popular dessert fruit.

3. Dragon Fruit

The dragon fruit, or pitaya, is a type of cactus fruit. These fruits are white with pink skin. They looked like a spiked pineapple. There are several edible black seeds in the flesh.

The fruit is mildly sweet and is crunchy, and it tastes like a blend of a pear and kiwi. You only eat the white flesh, so slice away all the pink parts because they are bitter.

Dragon fruits have a lot of antioxidants and vitamins B and C. It also has a lot of protein, carotene, and captin, which is used for heart conditions. People eat dragon fruit to boost their immune systems.

4. Santol

Santols are round and juicy. They are about the size of an apple. When the fruit is not ripe, the pulp is extremely sour and inedible.

These fruits get much sweeter as they ripen. They also have a citrus and flower undertone to their taste. This fruit is sometimes called the cotton fruit because of the white fluff around the seeds.

The juice is popular with a milky, sweet taste. The rinds are rather sour, but you can find them pickled or ground for a sour agent.

5. Durian

Durian is about the size of a cantaloupe or coconut and is green with a spiky exterior. You can not mistake the smell of a durian. These fruits smell so bad that people say they smell like garbage or dirty old gym socks!

Why would you want to eat something like that? This is one instance where something does not taste at all like it smells. The durian is actually really sweet.

If the smell bothers you too much, you may need to eat it in a recipe. A popular way to eat this fruit is mixing it with sugar and eating it in a pancake. You can also wrap it in rice paper and deep fry it.

6. Soursop

Soursops smell like pineapple but taste more like a mixture of strawberries and apples. They have a creamy texture like a banana. This super fruit packs tons of antioxidants, vitamin C, calcium, and iron.

You can make tea from the leaves of the plant, and use the juice topically. This fruit is used for several medical reasons including:

• Fighting cancer
• Reducing inflammation
• Relieving respiratory illness
• Reversing the signs of aging
• Treating insomnia

As you can see, this fruit is pretty versatile – and yummy. Be sure to discuss this fruit with your doctor before adding it to your health regime

7. Chiku

This fruit is also called sapodilla. This popular treat tastes like caramel. You can eat this yummy fruit by just peeling the skin and slicing it — no need to worry about odd smells or cooking.

To check if this fruit is ready, just scrape a small amount of fuzz off the skin and see if the peel is green. If it’s green, it is not quite ready to eat. The fruit will be brown and slightly soft to the touch when ready similar to a pear.

8. Yangmei

These deep red fruits are sweet and tart. Other names for this fruit include Chinese bayberry, waxberry, and yumberry. Even though these fruits look like berries, they are not a type of berry; they are in the same family as a cherry.

These little fruits pack a bunch of minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins. They are popular to use in juices, canned, or to make wine.

9. Kumquat

This one may not be exotic, but you need to try it if you get the chance. These fruits resemble small oranges. However, the rinds are sweet, and the flesh is tart like a lemon.

You eat a kumquat whole because the rinds give you the sweetness. The seeds are also edible. These fruits are commonly used in marmalades or sometimes pickled.

Where to Buy These Fruits

Asian markets are popping up all over the U.S., giving you a great way to try new foods from around the world.

Asian Fruits Can Add Extra Sweetness to Your Diet

Asian fruits are exotic — and fun! Check out your local Asian market to see if you can pick up one of these healthy, nutritious fruits. Of course, you should still eat your locally grown foods, but sometimes it can be fun to add a little variety to your diet and try new things from all over the world.

If you are looking for more interesting places and foods, check out our blog for other articles like what to eat in Germany. Be sure to bookmark our site to read other useful tips and learn about other fun and interesting places.