Best African Fruits (types and products) Types
Native to Algeria, deglet nour is one of the most common date varieties consumed in the entire North African region. They are small in size, amber in color, and characterized by the nearly translucent meat and a sweet, nutty, and caramel-like flavor.
Except in North Africa, they are cultivated in Israel and the United States, where they had been exported at the beginning of the 20th century. Even though they can be eaten plain as a sweet snack accompanied by tea or coffee, deglet nour are often incorporated in many traditional North African salads, pastries, and cookies.
For 3,000 years, the farmers of Siwa Oasis in the Western Egyptian desert have been taking advantage of water in the desert in order to grow chewy Siwa Oasis dates. Three of the most important varieties are Siwi, Azzawi, and Frehi, but there are three more varieties which are produced in small quantities and are at risk of extinction – Ghazaal, Takdat, and Amnzou.
The producers sell both fresh and dried dates. After the initial 10 years, each plant produces about 50 kilograms of these chewy treats per year. The maturation period of each type varies – Amnzou bears fruit in September, Azzawi and Siwi at the beginning of October, Ghazaal at the end of October, and Takdat between December and January.
Medjool dates are one of the most popular date varieties in the world, first cultivated in the Moroccan oasis Talifalt, and nowadays grown primarily in the Middle East (Israel being the main producer and exporter) and Northern Africa. They are larger and sweeter than other varieties and are often dubbed the "king of dates" due to their superior taste and versatility.
The flavor can be described as caramel-like, the texture is chewy, and they are chock-full of fiber, potassium, and antioxidants. Medjool dates can be eaten on their own (fresh or dried) but can also be a part of various regional recipes, from porridges and desserts to stews, tagines, and pilafs.
Thoory dates are a type of Algerian dates that are firm, dry, and chewy, with a pasty-like texture which is why they got the nickname "bread dates". Given that these dates are very dry and have a hard outside, they keep for a long time and are a convenient snack for outdoor activities, and are often used in baking.
In addition, thoory dates have a nutty taste and are also known as bull's dates.
Matoke is a banana variety that is indigenous to Uganda. There are about 50 different types, and most have subtypes. They are shorter than regular bananas and are somewhat thicker at the mid section as a result. Due to the high starch content, the flesh of unripe matoke bananas is especially hard, so they need to be boiled, steamed, or roasted before consumption.
If the bananas are fully ripe, they can be consumed as normal fruit, but it is considered a waste since matoke is known as a green cooking banana. These bananas are typically mashed and paired with vegetable sauces, ground peanuts, or meat such as beef and goat, and the full dish is then also called matoke or matooke.
White star apple or Chrysophyllum albidum is a forest fruit that's commonly found in tropical Africa. This dark yellowish fruit is usually cultivated in rural areas and is abundant from December to April. If picked from the tree, it's sour and acidic, but when the fruits fall to the ground, that's how you know that it's ripe and sweet.
The name refers to the pulp which surrounds five brown seeds arranged in the shape of a star. Locals split it open by squeezing, which exposes the pulp. The pulp is eaten as it is by chewing it slowly after the milky, sticky juice has dripped away.
The juice is sometimes even fermented into wine or distilled into spirits.
THIS FRUIT IS VERY RARE. São Tomé peach or pessego de São Tomé is a fruit that grows on a small tree (Chytranthus mannii) indigenous to the islands of São Tomé e Príncipe.
The tree grows in the wild, in the archipelago’s humid areas. It takes several years for the tree to bear fruit – the tree can be cultivated, but it is difficult to find a supply of saplings to plant. Due to the fact that the fruits grow on the trunk throughout the year, it makes them accessible to wild animals.
THESE ORANGES ARE AT RISK OF EXTINCTION DUE TO CHANGES IN THE OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE. Rex Union is a South African orange variety grown in the North West region. It is a hybrid between the pomelo and the Seville sour orange. The orange has a dark red, almost blemish-free skin with a thick pith underneath.
The flesh is very juicy and has a sour flavor, which is the reason why Rex Union is traditionally used for the production of marmalade. This orange variety was named after George Wellington Rex, a pioneer of grapefruit in South Africa. Unfortunately, today there is only one orchard containing fewer than 300 trees on Dunedin citrus farm, located in Boschfontein near Rustenburg, but half the trees are quite old and may be near their end.
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