Star fruit is a star-shaped tropical fruit with a sweet and sour taste. This fruit has an amazing benefit for health, skin, and hair. Star fruit can be sliced and enjoyed on its own, but it can also be added to other dishes and drinks. This fruit is known to taste like a cross between an apple and a plum while having a crunchy texture similar to a cucumber.
This fruit, also called carambola, is a tropical selection native to Sri Lanka, the Philippines, India, and other parts of Southeast Asia. But, it’s also developed in other warm climates, like Latin America and Florida, so it’s often presented at the supermarket.
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Here are some ideas on how to prepare and eat star fruit.
1. Mix this into Leafy Green Salads
It makes an interesting addition to simple green salads. Make the salad simple, using ingredients like romaine lettuce, chives, sweet bell pepper, and avocado. Stay away from usual garden salad ingredients like carrots, cucumbers, and shredded cheddar cheese. Opt for light vinaigrette dressings, like lemon vinaigrette, balsamic vinaigrette, raspberry vinaigrette, or Italian vinaigrette. Tangy French dressings can also match the flavor of star fruit well.
2. Include Star Fruit in a Fruit Salad
Toss slices of this fruit with other tropical fruits to make a colorful blend of sweet-and-sour flavors. Fruits that match up well with this fruit include banana, strawberry, kiwi, mango, pineapple, papaya, grapes, and citrus fruits. You can toss the fruit salad gently with a lemon vinaigrette, orange glaze, honey, or fruit cocktail syrup to add an additional dimension of flavor. For an even more tropical twist, decorate the fruit salad with a sprinkling of shredded coconut.
3. Use it as an Exotic Garnish
Garnish dishes and platters with sliced fruit for an edible garnish. Add the sliced fruit to the tops of tropical taste cakes or ice cream. Decorate plates of steamy entrees, like teriyaki-marinated chicken, with artistically placed slices of star fruit. Cut a small portion into a piece of this fruit and hang it off the part of a cocktail glass.
4. Use this fruit as an Accompaniment to Poultry or Seafood Dishes
The taste of the fruit pairs fine with chicken, duck, and many types of fish and seafood. After preparing chicken fried rice, tropical chicken stir-fry, or Asian-inspired chicken stir-fry, adds fresh slices of star fruit to the dish. Cut this fruit into little pieces and add it to chicken salad, tuna salad, or lobster salad. Grill chicken, tuna steaks, prawns, or duck and serve the fruit beside it, grilled or fresh.
5. Create Preserves

Cook chopped star fruit on the stovetop with sugar and steamy fruit juice. Use greater pieces of this fruit and more liquid to make a jam and less juice for chutney.
6. Make a Tropical Smoothie
Blend this fruit with other steamy fruits and juice to create a thick, fruity drink. Blend 3 seeded star fruit, 1 diced mango, 3 cups (750 ml) orange juice, 2 cups (500 ml) ice cubes, 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) ground cinnamon, and 1 Tbsp (15 ml) honey until smooth. If beloved, add chunks of pineapple, strawberry, or banana to the smoothie, as fine.
7. Prepare Juice Drink
`For a non-alcoholic infusion, mix pureed this fruit with plain fruit juices or water. Mix 1 lb (450 g) star fruit with a pinch of ginger, 1 tsp (5 ml) lime juice, 4 cups (1000 ml) of water, and sugar for taste. Strain the juice and serve. Add carbonated water to this juice for a non-alcoholic star fruit spritzer.