Chinese fruits: features, description and tips on eating

China is a leader among countries engaged in the production and supply of fresh fruit.It is the Chinese fruits that occupy 20% of the total world production. In Russia, many buyers are trying to avoid Chinese products, and for good reason! Among the fruits brought from the Middle Kingdom, there are very tasty and useful exotic specimens that you should definitely try.

Check out the list of the most popular Chinese fruits that Russian consumers have managed to evaluate. They deserve attention.

• Annona. This name brings together more than a hundred kinds of fruit. Cherimoya is widely spread, containing a large amount of phosphorus, calcium, glucose, pepsins. Such a rich composition makes cherimoy very useful fruit, and the content of acids provides easy and fast absorption of fruits by the body. All this allows you to use it in traditional medicine. Externally, the fruits have a conical shape, the flesh is white in color with a fibrous structure. The weight of one unit can reach 3 kg. The taste is delicate, sweet, a bit like an apple.

• Mangosteen. Despite the name, this fruit has nothing to do with mango. It is a purple-brown fruit, similar in parameters to persimmon. The pulp is in the form of cloves, like garlic cloves, it is sweet, juicy, similar in taste to grapes. The most beneficial substances in this fruit are vitamins C, E, B1, B2, as well as trace elements such as nitrogen, calcium, zinc, sodium and potassium.

• Lychee. The second name of the fruit is Chinese plum. The fruits are small, with a diameter of about 3-4 cm. The red skin has sharp irregularities, it is easily removed. This fruit is high in protein, pectin, vitamin C and PP, nicotinic acid. The flesh has a light shade, inside is a bone. The structure of the pulp resembles jelly, the taste is very sweet. In China, this fruit is often used as a supplement to ice cream, marmalade, it can be preserved or dried. In addition, from the fruit of litchi produce classic wine of the country.

• Kumquat. In translation, the name means "golden orange". The skin color is orange, the shape is slightly elongated. The fruit has a compact size of up to 5 cm. It is customary to use this product with the skin. To taste the fruit is similar to tangerine. Kumquat is famous for its ability to fight hangover symptoms, strengthen the immune system, and relieve anxiety and stress.

• Jackfruit. It is the largest fruit growing on the tree. The weight of the fruit can reach 35 kg, and the length sometimes exceeds 90 cm. The flesh is located in the form of yellow slices with seeds. This fruit has a very unpleasant flavor, however, its filling is very tasty. The sweet structure is dense and somewhat reminiscent of a dried banana. This is a very nutritious product, which contains about 40% of carbohydrates. Ripe specimens are eaten in pure form, salads are made from them and added to dessert dishes, and the immature can be fried or stewed, like vegetables.

• Durian Has large fruits with a diameter up to 30 cm and weighing up to 4 kg. Dense skin has spikes. The fruit is characterized by a rotten smell, as it contains organic sulfur. The fruits of durian are quite dangerous, since their overdose or combination with alcoholic beverages can even be fatal. However, there are a lot of useful elements in it, for example, vitamins of group B, C, carotene, amino acids. The flesh has a delicate creamy consistency, the taste is for the amateur: you can’t call this fruit sweet, it reminds someone of mayonnaise, cheese for some, some people feel nutty and fruity flavors in their taste. Usually the first time the fruit is difficult to taste.

• Carambola In the context, the fruit of this fruit has the shape of a star, therefore it is often called “the tropical star”. The color of the peel is yellow. The flesh is very juicy, crunchy, pleasantly fragrant, it can be sweet or sour in taste, like gooseberry. Usually the fruits are eaten with the skin.The most useful substances in the composition of this product are calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin C, however, people with impaired kidney function should avoid consuming this exotic.

Going to the store for Chinese fruit, it is very important to purchase high-quality and fresh fruit. There are a number of recommendations on the choice of fruits from China.

• Choosing a mangosteen, should pay attention to the density of the fetus. It should be high, but when pressing on the skin, a quality product will be slightly springy. If the peel is not pressed at all, then the fruit is overripe. Yellow spots and cracks on the surface indicate improper storage.
• When buying cherimoya, you need to carefully inspect the skin. It should not be foreign spots or damage. Usually this fruit is sold unripe, but do not be afraid of the unripe fruit. At room temperature, the cherimoya will reach the desired ripeness the very next day.

• As for lychee, you need to re-examine the skin. If it is dark, then, probably, the harvest has been harvested a long time ago, its flesh has lost the necessary taste and useful qualities. High-quality fruit has a uniform bright red tint without foreign spots.
• Carambola tastes sour or sweet. If you need a sweet fruit, you should take a fruit with thick yellow or yellow-green ribs. Fruits with thin ribs and green color have a high acidity.

It is believed that fruits, vegetables and other foodstuffs cannot be exported from China, however, in practice everything is much simpler, and tourists take any fruit from the Celestial Empire without any problems. Customs officers are especially loyal to the products in their original packaging.

Another important point: if a case of disease affecting the fruits is registered in China, then it will not be possible to take them out of the country. These are rare situations, but they also happen. If a surge of disease is recorded, then an appropriate announcement is posted at the airport. In case of detection of a prohibited fruit in the baggage, the passenger is asked to remove the product.

The only fruit that is strictly forbidden to export from China is durian. The ban applies to other countries - Thailand, Vietnam and others. This is due to the specific smell of the fruit. Any room where the fruit is located, will have a stench for several days. This fragrance does not erode or wash off. However, it is allowed to import this fruit in a dried state or in the form of durian jam.

It has already been noted that a ban may apply to a particular type in the case of quarantine. For example, at the airport you can see the announcement of the ban on the import-export of stone fruit crops.

Besides, Dried fruits cannot be exported from China. Rather, it is possible, but it is necessary to provide a certificate at customs, confirming that the product meets all the requirements. If the document is missing, the dried fruits can be removed. Customs officers look at the product packaging, it must be completely sealed.

So that the product does not cause harm to the body, as well as its taste seemed more pleasant, you need to eat it right.

• When dressing a jackfruit, it is recommended to lubricate your hands with oil or work in gloves, since sticky latex accumulates on the peel of the fruit.
• When consuming durian, the dosage should be observed, as the excessive temperature in the stomach rises from the excessive intake in the stomach. Before and after drinking this fruit can not drink alcohol.
• If carambola is bought for making a salad or a cocktail, then it is better to choose sour fruits - they will give the dish a savory acidity. When you want to eat fresh fruit, sweet fruits will be tastier.
• Mangosteen is recommended to be consumed fresh, as when adding it to any dish, the taste and aroma are halved. Benefit is preserved in fresh juice. By the way, it can be placed directly with the pelt in the juicer, however, the peel gives a slightly "knitting" taste, so it would be good to add some more sweet fruits to this juice. Try it!

Video review of fruits from China, as well as other products, see below.