8 Fruits You Have Probably Never Tried Before

When it comes to fruit, we Indians don't usually stray far from our bananas, apples and oranges. If we're feeling exotic, a golden kiwi fruit might get your vote but, really, that's all I guess.

Enter these fruits you have likely never heard of and if you have, you probably haven't tried them.

1. Rambutan

These little sea urchin looking things are an exotic fruit of southeast Asia. The word 'rambut' translates to 'hairy' in Malay and you can see why. However, once you peel the soft rind it looks exactly like a lychee, which is because they are in the same botanical family.

The small, plump fruit has a sweet, creamy flavour with a hint of floral.

2. Durian

Durian, aka the smelliest fruit in the world, this spiky fruit actually smells like rotten eggs, sweaty socks, wet garbage and underlying notes of sweetness.

This southeast Asian fruit has a pong strong enough to stink out a whole apartment building. Once you get past the putrid smell, the creamy flesh on the pods inside its thorny shell taste sweet.

3. Fruit Salad Plant

Commonly called Fruit Salad Plant or Swiss Cheese Plant because of the edible fruit it bears or the look of the leaves. This exotic indoor plant grows large leathery leaves and cream flowers. Young plants have leaves that are smaller with no lobes or holes but as it matures it develops lobed and fenestrate leaves.

4. Longan

Longan is a tropical tree fruit also known as 'dragon's eye'. The taste of longan is similar to rambutans and lychees, but with a more tart and distinctive flavour.

5. Mangosteen

If you've never tasted this fruit, you really must next time you travel you find it. Once peeled, the inside pods are reminiscent of a garlic clove but taste like anything but the pods are sweet, creamy and moreish, just remember not to eat the bitter seed.

6. Snake Fruit

Snake fruit (Salak) is a species of palm tree native to Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. Its scaly appearance reminds us of snake skin or even a dragon egg, but beneath its surface is flesh which is delicious combo of sweet, sour and juicy. It's like a dragon fruit tingle.

7. Dragon Fruit

A Pitaya or Dragon fruit the fruit of several different cactus species indigenous to the Americas. Pitaya usually refers to fruit of the genus Stenocereus, while pitahaya or dragon fruit refers to fruit of the genus Hylocereus, both in the Cactaceae family.

8. Banana Passionfruit

While passion fruit are popular in Australia during the warmer months, banana passion fruits are much less known. Native to the Andes of South America, these yellow, elongated passion fruits contain an orange, sweet pulp and are lovely in juices.

Strange appearances, funky smells, intriguing textures and completely delicious. These exotic fruits are worth it, try them out and let me know in the comments section below!