2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Carambola (lat. Averrhoa carambola) - an evergreen tree belonging to the Acid family. The fruits of this plant are often called "starfruits" or "tropical stars".
Description
Carambola is a tree endowed with acacia-like complex leaves, the length of which can reach half a meter, and fancy pinkish flowers. Each tree has a very dense crown and often grows up to five meters high.
Glossy carambola fruits are colored either yellowish-brownish or yellowish-greenish tones, or deep yellow. They are characterized by pronounced ribbing, in addition, in cross-section, each fruit forms an elegant five-pointed star. These juicy and crunchy fruits with ribbed pronounced growths can be both sweet and sour and sweet. Their taste is a cross between cucumber, gooseberry and apple. Carom is also an excellent source of vitamin C. As a rule, fruits begin to ripen in May and end around August.
Where grows
Most often, carambola can be seen in Indonesia, India or Sri Lanka. Also today, it is not unsuccessfully cultivated in Southeast and South Asia. And recently, this unusual tree has been acclimatized in Israel, the USA (especially in the states of Hawaii and Florida), French Polynesia, as well as in Guiana, Ghana and Brazil.
Application
Carambola is mainly used to decorate desserts or cocktails. It is great for quenching thirst, as this wonderful fruit contains a lot of liquid.
One of the main advantages of carambola is its extremely low calorie content (34 - 35 kcal per 100 g). In addition, these "star" fruits are rich in all kinds of micronutrients, as well as riboflavin, thiamine, vitamin C, pantothenic acid and beta-carotene. It is difficult to find a more suitable source of minerals and vitamins.
Thiamine in carambola helps maintain the normal functioning of the nervous system, and riboflavin is actively involved in the formation of antibodies and red blood cells. It also helps regulate the thyroid gland, reproductive functions and has a beneficial effect on the condition of nails, hair and skin. The pantothenic acid contained in carambola helps to regulate the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats and is an excellent prevention of allergies, colitis, heart disease and arthritis.
In Asian countries, carambola is widely used for vitamin deficiency, weakened immunity, constipation, colic, fever and headaches. And in Sri Lanka, the acid contained in these bizarre fruits is successfully used to remove stains from fabrics. Moreover - the carambola helps to polish brass or copper products!
Contraindications
Carambola is undesirable for people suffering from stomach and duodenal ulcers, as well as gastritis or enterocolitis (especially in the acute stage) - it contains a lot of oxalic acid.
You should not abuse the use of carambola either, as this can provoke a sharp violation of salt metabolism or lead to the development of renal pathology.
Growing and caring
Carambola compares favorably with most other tropical cultures in that it does not require a lot of light. This plant is moisture-loving and grows very well even at home. It will not be difficult for carambola to grow even from a single seed, however, at home it most often grows in a weeping form.
In leaving the carambola is rather unpretentious. In addition, she is very shade-tolerant and is not at all afraid of winter cold drafts. And this plant requires moderate watering - drought-resistant carambola can not be called in any way.
