Once again, it’s time to play Guess That Fruit or Veggie! Think you know your produce? See if you can figure out what these exotic picks are.

(Stumped? Scroll down for the answers!)

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1.   If you see an African cucumber at a market close to home, it might be called a blowfish fruit. A study in contrasts, this plant is something between a fruit and a vegetable. With its horned exterior and juicy, seeded interior, it tastes like a cross between a cucumber and a tropical lime, and is rich in both vitamin C and fiber. Although native to Africa, the plant is hardy and easy to grow, so it shouldn’t be too tough to find here in the US. If the slimy, seedy texture isn’t your style, use the cuke as a striking centerpiece.

2.  They look like Christmas ornaments, but the fruits of the jabuticaba  really do grow directly on its trunk and branches! Otherwise known as the Brazilian Grape Tree, this plant is native to Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. The succulent purple fruit can be plucked and eaten straight from the tree, or made into jelly, juice, or even fermented to make wine or liquor.

3. Appearances can be deceiving: the rambutan is also grape-like in taste and texture, despite its wildly colorful, spiky rind (“rambutan” is derived from the Malay word for “hairy”). Once the striking exterior is peeled away, the tender white flesh surrounding a single seed is as edible as a lychee, albeit less juicy. Its origins are in Southeast Asia, but luckily for us, rambutan is now commonly cultivated and imported close to home.

4. The winged bean is also known as the Goa bean, the asparagus pea, and sometimes even called a “supermarket on a stalk”—for good reason. This feather-like plant is edible in its entirety, from leaf to seed: the large, pale blue flowers lend a mushroom-like flavor and can be used in salads, along with the spinach-like leaves; the tuberous root can be used like a potato, and the pod is similar to the green bean or garden pea. It can even be sprouted like the soybean, and made into a tofu-like curd. Its various parts are excellent sources of protein, vitamin A, and other minerals often in short supply in tropical climates like Papau New Guinea, where it grows vigorously. Watch this plant: with its many usable parts and high nutrient content, the winged bean could become a savior for developing countries.

Know any unusual fruits and veggies we haven’t mentioned? Leave them in the comments!

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