Guardian Nature School Team Contact Blog Project Noah Facebook Project Noah Twitter

A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife

Join Project Noah!
nature school apple icon

Project Noah Nature School visit nature school

Carambola

Averrhoa carambola

Description:

This fruit is unmistakable because it has five (sometimes more) prominent ridges down its side. Green when unripe and sour to set your teeth on edge (lovely with a dash of salt) but sweet-sour and yellow when ripe.

Habitat:

I saw the top part of this tree covering the roof of a small stall on the road I take to work. The tree was behind the stall so I did not get to see it in entirety. I am just surprised that the local urchins have not looted the fruits...or the owners (if any) have not harvested it for sale.

Species ID Suggestions



Sign in to suggest organism ID

4 Comments

mauna Kunzah
mauna Kunzah 5 years ago

That's a hilarious story, Sukanya! :-') I also had no idea that people made chutneys with this (pretty awesome). I've tasted it in Hawaii, where we call it starfruit.

SukanyaDatta
SukanyaDatta 5 years ago

Mauna kunzah...this fruit is very sour when raw....we usually make achutney with loads of sugar to counteract the sourness. The Indian version of this fruit is not soapy in taste..I can attest to it. Slices are sold outside schools and I once smuggled one into class and almost got caught eating it...salt or not it was so sour...I think the nun saw my grimace....

mauna Kunzah
mauna Kunzah 5 years ago

This fruit kind of looks and tastes like soap! It has a flavor that’s barely there, lol.

Hema  Shah
Hema Shah 5 years ago

Some people are just very lucky! Carambola and Amla and Imli and Mango,oh my!

SukanyaDatta
Spotted by
SukanyaDatta

Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Spotted on Jan 22, 2019
Submitted on Jan 22, 2019

Spotted for Mission

Related Spottings

Averrhoa bilimbi Bilimbi Starfruit tree Starfruit

Nearby Spottings

Jumping Spider Butterfly Lime Swallowtail Bug
Noah Guardians
Noah Sponsors
join Project Noah Team

Join the Project Noah Team