While I was aware of the existence of starfruit prior to our trip to China, I’d never actually had one. Well, when I saw them at a fruit stall in Beijing, I just had to try!
Starfruit are fruit of the Averrhoa carambola tree, are longish, and star shaped in cross-section. They originally are from Southeast Asia, and early travelers called them “Chinese starfruit”. In Chinese they are called yangtao. By now they are commonly eaten outside of Asia, especially in South America, and some are even grown in the United States.
The skin is somewhat waxy, but the entire fruit is edible and doesn’t need to be peeled. The flesh is firm and not very juicy, and the fruit tastes a little tart. Since I am a sweet kinda gal, I sprinkled mine with a little sweetener:
Starfruit are very low in calories because they don’t contain a lot of sugar, an average fruit clocks in at about 30kcal. They are rich in antioxidants and Vitamin C, and as you can see above, they are gorgeous to look at and make for a great edible garnish when you need your food to look pretty.
I liked starfruit a lot, but I’d recommend them more to those that enjoy tart flavors. For the rest of us, they are still wonderfully refreshing with a little sweetness sprinkled on! Have you had starfruit? I know it’s grown and easily available in California!
