Pacific Food Guide | Star Fruit

• Home
• About the Guide
  • Development of the Guide
  • How to use the Guide
• Regional Information
  • Republic of Palau
  • Federated States of Micronesia
  • Guam
  • Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
  • Republic of the Marshall Islands
  • American Samoa
  • Hawai’i
  • Food and Land
  • Biological vs Social
  • Food Preferences
  • Food Production
  • Nutrition Transition of the Pacific
• Nutritional Guidelines
  • United States Deptarment of Agriculture (USDA) Guidelines
  • Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) Guidelines
  • The Pacific Food Guide’s Categories
• Chosen from the Sea
• Walks Along the Ground
• Grown from the Ground
• Contact Us
• References

Search for: General and reliable food and nutrient information is provided on this website. The website is not intended to meet the specific needs of people with special diet requirements, who should consult with a credentialed nutrition expert and/or licensed healthcare professional Star Fruit Pacific Food Guide / Grown from the Ground / Star Fruit

Star Fruit (Averrhoa carambola)

Selection

Choose star fruit that is ripe with a sweet smell and free from bruises. Fruits picked off the ground should also be free from bruises and infestation.

Storage

Keep star fruit in a cool place and arrange in single rows to prevent bruising. They can be frozen when pureed or stewed.

Preparation

• Wash fruit well before use.
• Trim the corners if desired and cut into wedges or slice as stars.
• Peeling off the ridges of the sour variety removes the oxalic acid.
• Puree the fruit using a blender.
• Star fruit is usually eaten fresh as a snack or made into juice or jam.
• It can be used as a garnish, in fruit or vegetable salads, desserts, and can replace apples in various recipes.
• Star fruit can be used as an ingredient in fish and other meat dishes
• Half-ripe star fruit can also be pickled
• (Malolo et al., 2001)

Photo Source

Dale Allyn Portfolios

Star Fruit

Star fruit has five longitudinal ridges with the cross-section shaped like a star. There are sweet and sour varieties, of which the sour ones contain notable amounts of oxalic acid. Star fruits can be light green, yellow or off-white in color (Darley, 1993).

Traditional Names

• Chamorro – bilembines
• Hawaiian – hua hōkū
• Palauan – kemim
• Yapese – arfathnstar