Category: Tropical cuisine

Globally, the consumption of tropical fruit juices has seen significant growth, driven by consumer interest in flavorful and functional beverages. These revitalizing drinks are typically a medley of vibrant fruits, creating a refreshing taste that transports you to a sun-drenched paradise.

According to scientific reports, the inner seed of the kukui nut is very toxic when consumed raw and can cause severe symptoms like abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. The critical health and safety question, 'Can you eat kukui nuts raw?', should be answered with a resounding no, due to the presence of harmful toxins that must be neutralized through proper preparation.

Star apples, also known as caimito, are a tropical fruit native to the West Indies, and when perfectly ripe, they offer a sweet, subtle flavour reminiscent of pear and grape. If you've just discovered this exotic fruit, you might be wondering how do you prepare star apples properly to avoid the bitter, inedible skin and its sticky, latex-filled sap. The key lies in chilling the fruit and using a simple cutting and scooping technique.

Did you know that while technically safe to consume, unripe plantains are significantly different from their ripe counterparts, possessing a starchy, tough texture and mild, earthy taste that requires cooking to be truly palatable? Unlike bananas, green plantains should not be eaten raw, but instead transformed into savory dishes.

Over 2,000 plant species contain naturally occurring cyanogenic glycosides, and the cassava plant is one of them. This fact directly answers the question, 'is it safe to eat raw cassava leaves?'—a firm no. Consuming them raw can release toxic hydrogen cyanide, posing a significant health risk.