Tamarillo is an exotic fruit that looks similar to a tomato, which is why the plant has long been popularly called the tomato tree. Other names are beetroot cyphomandra and tamarillo. It is noteworthy that the tree received its official name only in 1967 and was invented by a breeder from New Zealand. The exact origin of this plant is unknown, but its homeland is considered to be Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile. Tamarillo grows in Brazil, Colombia and Argentina, Venezuela, Haiti, Guatemala, the mountains of Costa Rica, Hawaii, and Java. In New Zealand, these fruits are very popular; large plantations are equipped for their cultivation.
The plant belongs to the nightshade family; shrubs or small trees grow up to 6 meters in height and live for about 15 years. Tamarillo leaves are large, like an elongated heart, the trunk is covered with bark, but can break easily. From the second year of life, young trees begin to bloom in clusters of pink-white flowers with a pleasant aroma. The fragrant tamarillo fruits are egg-shaped, pointed at the bottom, grow on trees in clusters of 3-12 pieces and reach 10 cm in length. The weight of one fruit is up to 300 g. They are red, orange and yellow, depending on the type. There are fruits with purple skin. The skin is smooth, thin and bitter, the flesh is dark orange or light brown, with small black or red seeds. The pulp of the tamarillo fruit combines sour, sweet and salty flavors, similar to gooseberries, currants, tomato and passion fruit.
Kinds
There are 3 main types of tamarillo:
- orange or golden, the fruits of this species are larger than red and yellow ones, with fleshy and juicy pulp;
- The red variety is the most popular and produces fruits with a harmonious taste, which is especially noticeable if the fruit is eaten raw. The pulp is orange with reddish seeds, the peel comes in all shades of red. The fruits are often used to decorate dishes due to the correct and beautiful arrangement of seeds in the pulp. For the first tasting of tamarillo, it is recommended to choose the red fruit;
- the yellow variety produces fruit with yellow skin and flesh that tastes very similar to a sweet tomato. Externally, the fruit is very similar to this vegetable.
Description and characteristics of the fruit
South and Central America is considered the birthplace of the fruit tree. Despite this fact, today its largest supplier is the New Zealand territories. It is from there that a huge volume of tomato fruits is exported.
The plant is tall. It can grow up to 300-400 centimeters. Its fruits resemble traditional tomatoes in their external features. They are characterized by smooth skin and oval shape. In this case, the shape has a characteristic point on one side, like a chicken egg. The pulp of the fruit has a sweetish taste. The width of the fruit varies between 4-6 cm, and the length - 10-15 cm.
Benefits and harms
Tamarillo fruits are not only tasty, but also healthy, they contain microelements and vitamins A, E, C, PP, group B necessary for the human body. During World War II, supplies of citrus fruits stopped in New Zealand, but people needed food and vitamins . Then tamarillo came to the rescue, and later in this country they decided to seriously start growing the plant.
The benefits of fruits are in their rich composition; they help get rid of headaches, restore strength after illness and strengthen weakened immunity. Due to their potassium content, fruits are beneficial for people with cardiovascular diseases. Folic acid improves vision and serves as a good preventive measure for eye diseases. Tamarillo promotes the resorption and removal of atherosclerotic plaques from the body, prevents the accumulation of waste on the walls of blood vessels, which prevents the formation of blood clots and normalizes blood flow. Fiber contained in the fruit pulp helps with constipation, flatulence and dysbacteriosis.
Dark-skinned tamarillo contains anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants that fight cancer-causing free radicals. This type of fruit has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.
Eating tamarillo serves as a good prevention of duodenal ulcers and colitis. The fruits are very useful for people with low hemoglobin levels. If you eat it regularly, you can compensate for the lack of iron, get rid of weakness, brittle hair and nails, and improve the general condition of the body. Due to the absence of sodium, the fruit can be eaten by people with edema and kidney disease. Tamarillo contains few calories, only 50 per 100 g, so it can be included in the diet.
Tamarillo can cause allergies in children under 10 years of age. You should eat fruits with caution if you have diabetes, no more than two in 3 days. In case of exacerbation of gastritis and colitis, the fruits can be eaten thermally stewed or boiled.
You should not eat stale fruits that have been stored at room temperature for more than two weeks; you can get poisoned. Such fruits smell unpleasant and emit a sour odor; there may be mold or defects on the peel.
