15 strange fruits and vegetables

While it may look a bit like a clown's toupee, the Rambutan is a medium-sized tropical fruit that is native to Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines, Sri Lanka and other Southeast Asian countries. Additionally, rambutan is a Malay word literally meaning "hairy" attributed to its hairy cover.

Horned melon

The horned melon (also known as "blowfish fruit" in the U.S.) is a member of the cucumber and melon family that is native to Africa, but now grown in a variety of places worldwide. Known also as the African horned cucumber, jelly fruit, and English tomato, eating this fruit is like biting into a cucumber that tastes like a banana.

Mangosteen

With an inedible and hard exterior that resembles an acorn, the Mangosteen contains a soft, tangy and sweet interior. There exists a legend about the fruit, dating back to Queen Victoria, where she offered a reward of 100 sterling pounds to anyone who could deliver the fruit, the likely source of it's unusual designation as the "Queen of Fruits."

Pitaya

With a colorful, hard exterior and seedy, soft interior, the Pitaya is commonly known as "dragon fruit" and is the fruit of several cactus species. It's often compared to the kiwifruit as it contains small black crunchy seeds as well.

Romanesco broccoli

The Romanesco broccoli (or Roman cauliflower) looks a lot like an alien egg, but is actually an edible flower and variant of traditional cauliflower. Prepared like regular broccoli, it is most suited for raw crudites and has a more creamy and nutty taste.

Durian

With a spiky exterior that makes it less than ideal for playing sports with, the durian holds a fruit in its interior that is known for strong reactions (both good and bad) from the odor it emits. The odor is so strong that it often penetrates its husk even when intact, resulting in its banishment in Southeast Asia from certain hotels and some public transportation.

Chayote

The chayote looks a bit like a pear on a real bad day, but is actually a fruit that is native to Mesoamerica, a member of the gourd family. It is contended to be a rather bland fruit, like a mix between a pear and a potato, so is often marinated with lemon or lime juice when prepared.

Crosnes

Looking a tad bit like larvae, the crosne is actually a root vegetable that has a nutty, artichoke-like flavor, with a white and tender flesh.

Cherimoya

They may look a bit like green apples that were beaten up a bit, but the cherimoya is a fruit that Mark Twain once dubbed "the most delicious fruit known to men." The fruit is soft and fleshy with a sorbet like texture, responsible for its nickname as the custard apple. Additionally, the seeds are poisonous if crushed open and an extractive from the bark can induce paralysis.

Fiddlehead

While it may look a bit like a snail, fiddleheads are a healthy vegetable loaded with Omega 3 and Omega 6, and high in iron and fiber. Also resembling the scroll at the top of a violin, it is called a crozier, named after the top of the curved staffs used by bishops.

Kumara

The Kumara is really just a sweet potato (or yam if you will) that is purple on both the exterior and interior. A tasty dish to eat when served baked and covered in marshmallows or mashed.

Lychee

The Lychee has a hard shell surrounding a very soft and sweet fruit that is perfect for snacking on or making a martini with. Exceptionally sweet, eating a Lychee feels very similar what you would imagine eating an eyeball would feel like (not that I have).

Persimmon

Looking like a cross between a tomato, peach and apple, persimmons are an edible fruit that are usually eaten with the skin peeled off. Like the tomato, the persimmon is not considered a "common berry" though both are "true berries."

Morel

Shhhhhh, the Morel can hear you! Okay, maybe not, but it definitely does resemble an ear. Morels are a very expensive mushroom that are prized by gourmet chefs the world over. Hunted by many, you are most likely to find the Black Morel growing most abundant in forests burnt by wildfires.

Kumquat

Probably the least exotic item on this list (which is why we're finishing out with this one), the Kumquat is a small, edible fruit that closely resembles an orange and is native to south Asia and the Asia-Pacific. Unlike other citrus fruits, its raw rind is sweet, with the flesh acidic and sour like the lemon.