STARFRUIT (Averrhoa Carambola)
The starfruit is a native of Malaysia and Indonesia and spread to India, Philippines, China, Australia and other South East Asian countries. It received its name starfruit from the star-like shape of the fruit’s cross-section. The Portuguese traders introduced this fruit to Africa and South America from India. Carambola is the Portuguese word for food appetizer. When this fruit was first introduced to Europe in the 18th century, it was only available as a fashionable fruit in the most exclusive of restaurant. The starfruit is an attractive small tree, 5 to 12 meters tall, with clusters of small lilac-colored flowers borne on leafy twigs. The fleshy five angled fruits have a sweet to sour taste and is eaten fresh or used for drinks, jellies or preserves. In Chinese medicine, the fruits are used to increase the flow of urine and they are also applied to wounds to stop bleeding. In Thailand, they are given to reduce blood sugar levels in diabetics, and in Indonesia for hypertension, gingivitis and acne. The flowers are used locally for coughs and the leaves are prescribed for rheumatism.