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Star Fruit

in The Too Busy to Diet Blog on January 15, 2015

Written by Claire Allen, Candidate for Masters in Dietetics at The University of Illinois at Chicago.  Last week I had the pleasure of taking a break from the bitter cold in Chicago and enjoyed a short trip to Costa Rica.  Among the delicious coffee and fresh fish that was available daily, a common fruit that was served with meals was star fruit.  I had seen this fruit before at my local grocery store, but always thought it looked a bit unusual and never ventured to taste it.  Turns out star fruit is a juicy tropical fruit that is slightly sweet with a unique flavor that combines pineapple, plums, grapefruit and lemons.  The entire fruit is edible, but can be prepared by washing it, cutting off the ends, and then gliding a sharp knife along the edges.  Once cut, if you sprinkle just a dash of salt on it you will instead encounter a bitter, sour taste.  Star fruit is grown in Thailand, Southeast Asia, Australia, South America and Hawaii and Florida, and is an excellent way to obtain your daily Vitamin C.  It can be included in fruit salads, mixed into leafy green salads, used as an exotic garnish, or added to cake or bread