CARAMBOLA
The star fruit or carambola (Averrhoa carambola), is a unique, waxy, golden yellow to green fruit that has a 5 pointed star shape when cut across the middle of the fruit.
They probably originated in Sri Lanka and the Moluccas, and have been cultivated in southeast Asia and Malaysia for several hundred years. They are also grown throughout the Caribbean, Central and South America and Hawaii.
There are 2 varieties found in markets, one very sour and the other slightly sweet. Their flavor has been described as like a cross between an apple and a grape. It is almost impossible to tell the sweet and tart varieties apart, but in general the sweet varities have thicker, fleshier ribs; some also report that the yellower, the sweeter.. There are several white varieties, all of which are sweet.
They bruise easily, so handle with care. Star fruit (the sweet variety) can be eaten out of hand or sliced and used as a garnish or in salads. They are also used in chutney, curries and tarts. The juice can be used in tropical drinks and smoothies.
Other names for the fruit are belimbing or belimbing manis (Indonesia) and mafueng (Thailand), Chinese star fruit and Five angled fruit.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Star fruit originated in Southeast Asia and is readily available in Taiwan. Star fruit causes several symptoms in patients with chronic renal failure or end-stage renal disease. The symptoms vary and include insomnia, intractable hiccups, agitation, muscle weakness, confusion, consciousness disturbances of various degrees, seizures, and cardiorespiratory arrest. The various star fruit subspecies contain different toxins, including a powerful neurotoxin that is suspected to accumulate in blood, cross the blood-brain barrier in chronic renal failure patients, and eventually cause irreversible damage.
Star fruit intoxication is a neglected but serious fruit intoxication frequently observed in patients with chronic renal failure. Because no effective treatment is currently available, patients— especially those who are newly diagnosed with chronic renal failure or end-stage renal disease—must be warned not to ingest star fruit, even in small amounts.
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