And yes, this also means, trying out certain foods - which, of course brings plants with it.
So, just to have an interesting list-post (it's been a while), here are some plants you might never even heard of until now.
1. Abiu
They grow on trees in South America, and they have a translucent inside, and a jelly-like texture. They apparently taste like caramel custard, with a mild hint of pineapple perhaps.
2. Blue beans
These are native to eastern Asia. They grow on shrubs, and their insides are filled with a transparent jelly-like pulp and a bunch of black seeds. It is generally grown as an ornamental plant, but they are edible, and the taste ranges from bland to very sweet. The seeds are not to be eaten, tho!
3. Breadfruit
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The breadfruit can be generally found in Southeast Asia, and it got its name because the cooked fruit has a flavor that's similar to freshly baked bread. Thus, they are generally either roasted, baked fried or boiled before eaten. Some people also described it as potato-like. If you live them on the tree, they become very sweet as they ripen since their starch converts to sugar.
4. Chinese artichoke
This one is a root vegetable, which is pretty hard to cook. They are usually used in salads or as a garnish, and they have a nutty flavor. They can also be pickled.
5. Cupuacu
This can be found in the Amazon basin, and they apparently have a taste described as a mix of chocolate and pineapple. They are used in desserts, juices and sweets. Their juice tastes like pear with a mix of banana.
6. Horned melon
Native to Africa, these are generally used in salads. The taste is somewhere between cucumber and zucchini, or a combination of banana, cucumber and lemon. The seeds can be eaten, and also some people eat the skin too, however you can spit out both of them and only swallow the pulp.
7. Keluak
These are not to be consumed when they are fresh, because they contain hydrogen cyanide, which is deadly to us. To eat it, they are first boiled, then buried in ash, banana leaves and earth and left there for forty days. In this time they turn to a very dark brown color or black. They are used to prepare chicken or pork.
8. Langsat
Again, southeastern Asia. The fruits can be eaten raw or turned into syrup. They taste like a sweet grapefruit when they are ripe. They are also used as medicine, mostly for deworming, ulcer problems, dysentery, malaria, treating scorpion stings, and diarrhea, and if their dry skin is burnt, it will repell mosquitoes.
9. Mangosteen
The part that you can eat is the white one. It is sweet, juicy and fibrous.
10. Snake fruit
Also called Salak, this is native to Indonesia. The edible fruit is inside, with an inedible seed, and they resemble garlic cloves. They taste sweet and acidic, and they have an apple-like texture.
