Star Fruit is an exciting fruit

Star Fruit is an exciting fruit
Oriyun Ross Williams
Culinary Foundations II
Chef Mark Varnado

Star Fruit, it’s an exciting fruit.
Carambolas also know as a star fruit is a very unique fruit. The name Carambola was names after Averrhoes, a 12th century Muslim philosopher and physician. Carambola is a Portuguese word derived from a South India It is a tropical fruit, native to the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. The Star Fruit is a small to medium sized bushy green tree that grows great under very hot, humid, and tropical conditions. The plant itself bears some small lilac bell-shaped flowers that sit together in clusters which help develop the five edges that give the fruit its distinctive shaped.
There are two different variations of the Star Fruit which are slightly sweet and the other being sour. The light green in color is said to be the sweeter version the over the evergreen color. The entire fruit is edible including the seeds which each fruit contains ten to twelve seeds. Depending on where the fruit is grown but here in the United States the fruit is mainly in season during the summer June, July, and August. Depending on your local grocery store they may have them year round.
Some of the traditional medicinal uses from its native land when the roots and leaves are used to cure headaches, hangovers, sore eyes, ringworm, prickly heat and chickenpox. The star fruit is known to be one of the very low in calories and one of the lowest in the exotic fruits. 100g which is 3.52oz provides just 32 calories. The fruits waxy peel provides a good amount of dietary fiber. Fiber helps soak up the LDL cholesterol; in the gut. It also help the colon from exposure of harmful toxin that cause cancer. The star fruit also contains good amounts of vitamin –C. Vitiman- C is a powerful natural antioxidant, inhibits an anitoxident is a substance that inhibits oxidation especially one used to counteract the deterioration of stored food production. The Star Fruit is also know for having a good source of B Complex vitamins such as folates, riboflavin, and pyridoxine(vitamin B6),these vitamins together help as co-factors for enzymes in metabolism as well as various synthetic functions inside the body.
The Star Fruit has many culinary techniques, it can be used in tarts, fruit salads, preserves, stewed fruits. It can be used for garnishment for poultry and beverages. Some of the nutritional values are
Serving size 125g - Amounts Per Serving - % Daily Value*
Calories 40
Calories from Fat 5
Total Fat 0g - 0%
Saturated Fat 0g - 0%
Cholesterol 0mg - 0%
Sodium 0mg - 0%
Total Carbohydrate 10g - 3% Dietary Fiber 3g - 12% Sugars 7g
Protein 1g
Vitamin A 15%
Vitamin C 45%
Calcium 0%
Iron 2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
The Star Fruit has always been an interesting fruit to me but since I really introduced myself to the history of the fruit I have a greater respect for the fruit as a whole. I’ve learned so many thing that will help me physically as well as in my culinary pursuit for a career.

Reference http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/star-fruit.html http://www.foodreference.com/html/art-star-fruit.html http://phys.org/news/2013-11-sweet-poison-star-fruit-neurotoxin.html