Carambola, also known as starfruit, is a species of tree native to tropical Southeast Asia. The fruit is usually consumed throughout Southeast Asia, then South Pacific, Micronesia, parts of East Asia, and therefore the Caribbean. The tree is cultivated throughout tropical areas the whole world.

The star fruit has distinctive ridges grown down its sides usually 5–6. If you cut in cross-section, it looks like a star, giving its name as star fruit . And the whole fruit is edible, usually raw, and it will be cooked or made into preserves, relishes, juices and garnish.

The star fruit looks like a trunk with many branches, reaching up to 30 feet 9.1 m tall. Its green leaves are 6–10 inches (15–25 cm) long, with 5 to 11 ovate leaflets medium-green in color. Flowers look like lilac in color, with purple, and are about 0.25 inches 6.4 mm wide.

The star fruits have a waxy skin and orange-yellow color, and crisp, yellow flesh with juice when ripe. The fruit is about 5 to fifteen centimetres two to six inches long and is an oval shape. it always has five or six ridges like shape. In cross section, it looks a star. The flesh is translucent and lightweight yellow in color. Each fruit can have 10 to 12 flat brown seeds about 6 to 13 mm (0.25 to 0.5 in) in breadth.

Types of star fruits:

There are two main types of star fruits: the small sour or tart type and the larger sweet type. The small sour fruit has a higher oxalic acid content than the larger sweet type. There are so many cultivars that have been developed in years. The most common cultivars grown the sweet types Arkin, Yang Tao, Ma fueng , Maha, and Demak, and the sour types Golden Star, Newcomb, Star King, and Thayer all from Florida. Some Golden Star can become sweet if allowed to ripen.

Where does star fruit grow :

The star-fruits may grow in tropical and subtropical areas and fruit that may grow up to 1,200 metres. It prefers full sun exposure but requires low humidity and annual requires rainfall of a minimum of 1,800 mm. It doesn't have a soil type preference but will grow in loam and it requires good drainage. Moderate irrigation supports its growth during dry seasons. Heavy rains may inhibit fruit production.

Star Fruit are planted at least 6 m from one plant other one and you must give fertilized three times a year. The tree grows rapidly and produces fruit at four or five years of age. The huage amount of rain water during spring session actually reduces the quantity of fruit, but, in ideal conditions, Star Fruit can produce from 90 to 180 kilograms of fruit a year. The Star Fruit tree flowers throughout whole the year, And main fruiting seasons April to June and October to December fruiting seasons in Malaysia.

Insects :

There are some insect problems with Star Fruit plants. Mealybugs can eat the plants and in summer conditions spider mites can cause some problems but generally plants are insect-free and the fruit is not affect by diseases or insects.

Top producers star fruit:

The topmost cultivators in the world market are Australia, Malaysia, Guyana, India, Israel, and the Philippines, Taiwan, and the United States, Malaysia is a global leader in star fruit production.

Star Fruit Nutrition Facts

The star fruit is a different source of nutrients, especially fiber and vitamin C.

This is the nutrient value of (91-gram) single, medium-sized star fruit:

• Fiber: 3 grams
• Protein: 1 gram
• vitamin C: 52% of the RDI
• Vitamin B5: 4% of the RDI
• Folate: 3% of the RDI
• Copper: 6% of the RDI
• Potassium: 3% of the RDI
• Magnesium: 2% of the RDI

In star fruit, nutrient content may show relatively low, And don't forget that this serving only has 28 calories and 6 grams of carbs. This means that star fruit to be very nutritious.

Safety and Side Effects

Star fruit may cause some effects in people, mainly due to its over oxalate content.Therefore, people who suffer from kidney problems should avoid star fruit, and its juice — before try it please consult with a doctor.For people with kidney problems, regularly eating star fruit may be affected by kidney damage as well as star fruit toxicity, which may cause neurological problems — such as confusion, seizures, and even death.

How to Eat It:

Here’s a simple way to eat star fruit:

1. Make sure it’s ripe and ripe star fruit should be the yellowish color with light green.
2. Rinse the fruit underwater.
3. Cut off the ends.
4. Slice it.
5. Remove the seeds and eat.

You can add these fruit to your food in different ways, let see:

• Slice and eat it on its own.
• Add make these fruit into salads.
• Use it as a garnish.
• Turn it into pies or puddings.
• Add it to Indian-style stews and curries.
• Cook it with seafood and shellfish dishes.
• Make jam, jelly, or chutney.
• Make these fruit into Juice and drink it as a beverage.