“Contest : Seasonal fruits of my country”

As usual, I am delighted to participate in this contest that talks about Seasonal fruits of my country.

Which fruit is the most popular in your country that is available in the market during the season?

African pear(Dacryodes edulis)

Is that fruit exported from your country to other countries?

Yes.
Neighbouring African countries.

What is your favorite fruit and what are its benefits to the human body.

My favourite fruit is Carambola also known as Star fruit. Other English names for the fruit are; golden star, five corner fruit, foreign peach, star pickles etc.

(Carambola fruit or star fruit)

Botanical name for it is Averrhoa carambola. It is a woody plant with edible fruit, native to tropical Asia and is popularly cultivated in tropical areas.

(Carambola tree)

Barely ripe carambola has a verjuicelike sharpness taste (verjuice is a highly acidic juice made by pressing unripe grapes, crab-apples or other sour fruit. To change the flavour lemon, herbs or spices are added. It also goes by the name verjus).
As it matures and ripens, it acquired a balance of flavours that is lightly sweet/sour. It is often consumed raw or as a juice or else it is candied in sugar syrup.

Mostly, Pastry chefs use of the fruit for the decorative purpose because of its five-pointed stars when sliced. In the United States, some winemakers extract it juice to produce crisp white wines.

Carambola, though a slow-growing small tree it can bloom up to four times a year, thus yielding multiple fruits. Normally produce fragrant flowers which are rose to pale-purple in colour and come out in clusters in the leaf axils throughout the year.
The pollinated flowers give way to waxy elongated shape resulting in oblong fruits, yellow to orange in colour, which are five protruding angles and reveal a star shape when cut in cross section. The tiny seeds inside are covered with a thin fleshy pulp.
Carambolas have the same fantastic cooling effect as watermelon or papaya.

(on a hot sunny day in the farm it does the cooling)

A carambola with it's juicy bite makes it a good appetite stimulant and palate sterilizer. In countries like Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan, it is considered a cure for sore throats(even in Nigeria, I can also testify to this).

Other medicinal uses

Carambola is traced to Ayurvedic medicine, which include help to digestion, reducing thirst, diarrhea, and vomiting in incidents of food poisoning.
Carambola is used in traditional Chinese medicine, is to treat diabetes.
In Vietnam and some other countries of the world carambola juice is used to improve vision when used as eye drops.

Carambola is a diuretic, and in some races it is believed to reduce the effects of the over-consumption of alcohol.
The condensed flavan-3-ols(organic compounds) in carambolas, similar to those in cranberries, can help fight the effects of harmful bacteria like E. coli and can reduce symptoms of gastric ulcers.

But People with kidney problems, however, are advised to avoid carambola, since its oxalic acids can worsen uremia.

Carambolas has abundant quantities of vitamins A and C, calcium, folate, potassium, and oxalic acids. Star🌟fruits are low in sugar content and have antioxidant properties.

(it energizes me to keep working)

(it's juice mix is superb)

Today carambolas are widely cultivated outside their tropical Asian homeland. It is being grown in places like Australia, Hawaii, Guyana, Nigeria, Florida, and Israel.
Mature Carambola plant can tolerate extreme weather condition down to just below freezing, whereas the young plant cannot. The plant also makes for a pleasing ornamental when grown side by side in a compound.
Thanks.
I recognize the organiser of this contest @abdul-rakib.
I am also inviting @manuelhooks, @dequeen and @josepha to the contest.

All pictures captured by me with NokiaC30