We are pretty fond of eating exotic dishes around here and we’re more than willing to trying all things new, be it main dishes, exotic desserts, strangely flavored sweets, or snacks. And while we were looking for news in this field, we stumbled upon a very nice collection of photos of fruits, vegetables, spices, nuts and berries. Consequently, we realized that we don’t know much about certain delicious natural wonders. We are used to seeing these natural foods prepared in certain ways, so we don’t know much about how they look and grow in their natural habitat. Now it is common knowledge that oranges grow on trees and vanilla is actually a flower, but did you ever see a pomegranate tree or a field of artichokes? So instead of providing you with newly discovered flavors, places to eat strange foods, or outstanding restaurants, today we will go back to the roots, so to speak, and tell you some things about 5 fruits whose growth always made you wonder.
5. The Pomegranate Tree
We all love the healthy, red sparkling mysterious pomegranate fruit. Did you know that pomegranates are actually not growing on trees, but in something that is commonly described as shrubs or small trees that bear fruit? This awesome fruit has existed for centuries and is consumed heavily in North America and Europe in recent years. , Nutritionists are still amazed by its healthy features.
4. Pineapple
Among all the fruit whose growth made you wonder, botanically speaking, the pineapple is one of the most interesting. It doesn’t grow or develop in a tree, like you would believe, but originates from a herbaceous perennial which, with some care, can also grow in your front garden in a large flower pot.
3. Mango
There is indeed a mango tree. But you know what’s interesting about these wild fruit bearers? The trees can grow up to 115–131 feet (35–40 m) tall and have a very interesting crown radius that can reach even 33 feet. However, what makes them interesting is that these are very livelong trees being able to fruit even after 300 years of life. Oh, and there are over 400 different types of mango fruits, which make things even more challenging as some may wonder what exactly are they eating under the generic name of “mango”?
2. Avocado
Who hasn’t heard about the alligator pear by now? Have you tried one of the hundreds of recipes involving this fatty (and very healthy) fruit which is not sweet like fruit should be and is often considered a vegetable? Avocados grow on trees and they belong to the same family as cinnamon, bay laurel and camphor… which is odd as we use the others as spices. The avocado tree grows up to 66 ft (20 m) and is largely commercially cultivated in orchards, as it is largely popular in many parts of the world.
1. Kiwi
Ask anybody if they ever saw a kiwi tree and they will spend a few minutes scratching their heads. Has ANYONE seen a kiwi tree? No you haven’t, unless you live in a parallel universe! You see, you couldn’t have seen a kiwi tree, because kiwi grow on vines, not trees, much like grapes. It is a berry cultivated in many parts of the world for commercial purposes. It tastes great and is quite popular around the world. And, for the sake of trivia, if you take a trip to the very warm regions of Serbia, you will find houses with kiwi vines growing on fences or used to shadow sunny parts of the patio or gardens. Oh, and they are DELICIOUS!
There are many other fruit whose growth always make you wonder about their origin. There is much to learn about them as well as other vegetables, nuts and spices, if ever you’re interested in their botanical specifics. For instance, who knew that what we munch and chew on and generally call cashew looks like this in its natural, raw form?
