Product Review: carambola

The carambola, more popularly known as starfruit because of its distinctive shape, grows throughout Southeast Asia and is a popular food in that region.[1] It has also been introduced to tropical regions of the Americas. When the fruit is ripe it will turn a golden orange color and the ridges (or points of the star, which can vary from five to seven in number) will start to turn brown. Most (but not all) of the rind, which is somewhat waxy, can be eaten. If you decide to try a carambola, I suggest you prepare it according to the same directions I consulted.[2]

My verdict: The texture of the fruit is like a grape. The flavor is a lot like an apple, but it also reminded me a little of quince.[3] So since the flavor isn't all that different from an apple, the only real novelty here is the shape of the fruit. So if you want an interesting garnish that isn't likely to have an offensive flavor, carambola is the fruit for you. But if you're looking for something with a new or different flavor, then you should try something else.

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Notes:

[1] See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carambola.

[2] See http://thaifood.about.com/od/introtothaicooking/ss/starfruithowto.htm.

[3] Read my review of quince here (scroll down).