Carambola: Know Interesting Facts About the Star Fruit

Carambola, often called Star fruit has five segments, which gives it a shape of a star and a beautiful classy look. Starfruit is a crunchy & juicy fruit with a sweetly sour taste and tropical aroma. The exterior of this fruit is slightly yellow-golden in color with small dark-colored seeds in the center. This fruit is native to Southeast Asia and is grown in India for hundreds of years.  

About Carambola/ Star Fruit 

The scientific name of carambola is ‘Averrhoa carambola’ and it belongs to the Oxaliadacea family. In general, the length of this fruit is about 6 inches. When this fruit is cut in the cross-section, it gets a star-like distinct shape. Carambola is known as Ambanamkaya, Kamrakh, Kamranga, and Thambaratham, Vairappuli, Chaturappuli in different regions of India.  

What is the Nutritional Profile of Carambola? 

As per the information by the USDA, one cup (132g) of Star fruit contains- 

• Calories- 41

• Fat- 0.4g

• Sodium- 2.6 mg

• Carbohydrates- 8.9g

• Fiber- 3.7g

• Sugar- 5.3g

• Protein- 1.4g

Tips to Grow Carambola? 

• Star fruit can be grown on a wide range of soils including heavy clay, sand, limestone, or any other kind of soil, but especially it does well on rich loamy soil with good drainage. 

• It grows well in a moist & warm climate. In India, carambola is mostly grown in hilly areas.

• Carambola is mostly grown from seeds; seeds germinate in around 1-2 weeks depending on the climate. In summers, it takes one week and two weeks in winters. For the germination of seeds, peat moss can be used.

• After germination, the seedlings of carambola can be transplanted to sandy loamy soil. In the beginning, you must take good care of plants as they are very tender and delicate.

• Young plants need frequent irrigation until they establish in the field/container and become mature.

• Seedlings take around 4 years to bear fruits

• Carambola can be harvested when the fruit becomes plump and mature. 

India is one of the largest star fruit producers in the world, still, it is considered as a minor fruit crop here. Star fruits are very delicate, therefore require proper packaging before shipping to other places. This fruit is considered to have many health benefits, also there are many recipes that can be prepared with carambola including pickle, dessert, juice, jelly, etc.   

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