5 Delicious Thai fruits to try – Unusual experiences

Also known as pitahaya and strawberry pear, the exterior of dragon fruit is bound to draw your interest. This fruit is a bright magenta pink, with green thorn-like scales, almost like dragon skin – hence the name, and is much loved in parts of Thailand. An interesting fact to note about the dragon fruit is that its flowers open only at night! The most common version of this fruit has white pulp with black seeds, but another version is with reddish-purple pulp with black seeds. Dragon fruit is known to be a nutrient-dense fruit.

You're likely to smell durian, long before you see it. Plenty of people tend to be averse to its strong smell and decline the opportunity to try it, but this tropical fruit is packed with nutrients. This fruit is often dubbed the 'king of fruits in South Asia' and is a must-try. The outside of durian is mostly green, with spikes and the inside consists of custard-like flesh with large seeds. In Thailand, you'll find many versions of Durian, and even durian chips, durian candy and dehydrated durian to try if you're not ready to try the fresh fruit straight away!

Mangosteen is very common in Southeast Asia and poses a dark purple exterior, with bright white bulbs inside. The fruit pulp is mostly sweet but is also slightly acidic. Thailand loves its Mangosteen and has two seasons. You're likely to find mangosteen-flavoured drinks/ desserts at some of the best Bangkok restaurants and properties such as Avani+ Riverside Bangkok Hotel. In the unlikely event, you can't find fresh mangosteen, freeze-dried mangosteen is the next best option!

Jackfruit is said to be the largest fruit in the world and is a common sight in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The different stages of this fruit are used in different ways, sometimes even in cooking savoury dishes. However, the ripe flesh of the jackfruit is pleasant to taste and tastes almost like a mix of bananas and pineapples. Jackfruit is said to be rich in Vitamin C AND Vitamin B! In Thailand, the jackfruit season lasts well into spring.

Native to Southeast Asia, Rambutan is a fruit loved by all! Thriving best in tropical conditions, this golf-ball-sized fruit has a peculiar-looking exterior, its shell is red or green and hairy. The taste of rambutan is usually compared to longan and lychee fruits, but that is because it is related to these fruits and looks similar when peeled. Packed with plenty of nutrition, the rambutan is said to be ideal for weight loss and increases resistance to any infections.