(VNF) - Fruits are one of the healthiest foods you should eat. But not all healthy fruits are available in the market. There are many rare, nutrient-rich fruits in the world. Most of such fruit plants only grow in some specific areas.

Among those, mangosteen, durian and rambutan are just a few of the special and unique fruit can be found on the Vietnamese local market.

Here the list of 10 rarest fruits in the world.

10. Cupuacu

Cupuacu mainly found in the wild Amazon rainforest. This fruit is also cultivated in some parts of Peru. It is completely like a wild fruit, grows 8 inches in length and has an average weight of 2 kg. The fruit has the thick shell and soft tastiest pulp inside.

The pulp of cupuacu fruit is very fragrant. It’s a rich source of vitamin b1, b2 and b3. In fact, cupuacu is from the family of chocolate. It’s also tastes like chocolate.

Eating cupuacu would stimulate your immune system. It also helps to reduce the chance of heart diseases. The huge concentration of antioxidants within the pulp of cupuacu also empowers the body tissues.

(Image: Bjoerns on Wikimedia Commons)

9. Cherimoya

Cherimoya fruit is a native to The Andes mountain range between Argentina and Chile. It is one of rare fruits grown in South America. The pulpy, cherimoya tastes very sweet and has a pleasant fragrance. This greenish fruit has irregular oval shape and weighs up to 500 grams.

Cherimoya contains essential vitamins, antioxidants and minerals. The pulp of this fruit is used in ice creams tops and salads. Cherimoya could remove small toxic elements from your body. It also helps you to balance blood pressure and heart rate.

(Source: mnn.com)

8. Mangosteen

The mangosteen fruit is very rare in Western markets. It is native to Indonesia also found in few South Asian countries. The purple colored, mangosteen contains fruity part which inside a small shell. The edible part of mangosteen has a small triangular shape. This fruit is also very fragrant.

The tropical, mangosteen fruit contains no cholesterol and other types of fats. It is also a rich in vitamin C which help to prevent many infections. Mangosteen juice is one of popular drinks in South Asian countries in the summer season. The fruit also has few medicinal properties. The mangosteen juice helps to reduce diarrhea, urinary problems and stimulating the immune system.

Mangosteen season in Vietnam lasts around May to August, where three varieties of the fruit are cultivated and harvested, one of which is the doi mangosteen.

(Photo: {extra}ordinary machine on Flickr)

7. Miracle Fruit

The small, red colored miracle fruit is native to the tropical forests of West Africa. The miraculin (glycoprotein) within the fruit makes every food taste sweet. In the medical field, doctorsmake use of the sweetening effect of miracle fruit to bring back the appetite of cancer patients.

This single-seeded, exotic is fruit also called as miracle berry, sweet berry, and miraculous berry. The sweet, miracle fruits also help you to cut down the calories. At the same time, excessive consumption of miracle fruit also results in acidity.

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6. Durian

The seasonal, durian fruit is known as ‘king of fruits‘ across South Asian countries. In fact, only a few species of durian fruits exist today. The fruit is native to Indonesia and Malaysia. This fruit smell awful due to the presence of different combinations of chemicals.

The fruit grows up to a size of 12 inches and has a green thorn-covered husk. It has weight up to 4 kilograms. The pulp of durian inside the husk is in light yellowish color. Durian fruit drink is completely free from cholesterol and other fatty acids. It offers instant refreshment as it contains simple sugars. The fruit is also used for the preparation of ice creams, sweets, and shakes.

The two most famous varieties in Vietnam are Ri 6 and Cai Mon, from the Mekong Delta provinces of Vinh Long and Ben Tre.

(Source: Hoi An Food Tour on Pinterest)

(Source: Lim SK on Flickr)

5. African Horned Cucumber

African horned cucumber is one of the oldest fruits in the world. The fruit was originated 3000 years ago in Africa. It is also called as ‘blow fish fruit’, named after it’s yellowish outer shell with spines like horns. The fruity part of horned cucumber is green with lots of seeds. The outer shell of the fruit is rich in vitamin c.

This jelly, melon fruit has an oblong shape and length between 5-10 cm. African horned cucumber tastes like a cross between a cucumber and lemon. Its juice is a excellent remedy for acidity, heart burns and eczema. The consumption of this fruit also helps to get relief from kidney, urinary problem and to regulate blood pressure.

(Image: Kaldari on Wikimedia Commons)

4. Jabuticaba

Jabuticaba is a rare, purple colored fruit native to Southeastern Brazil. Unlike other fruits, jabuticaba bear in the trunk of its tree. This fruit looks like grapes but has tougher outer skin. The fruit grows up to a size of one inch in diameter.

The whitish pulp of jabuticaba is very fragrant and sweet. The fruit is mainly used in baked products, jams, and wines. It can also heal diarrhea and asthma.

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3. Physalis

Physalis is an exotic fruit native to South America. The fruit is related to tomato family. Ithas a transparent leaf like husk. Unlike tomato, physalis fruit is small in size. The fruit also has the same acidity as that of a tomato.

Physalis also one of the sweet fruits with many medicinal properties. The presence of Vitamin C, B and Iron within this fruit makes it as a special herb in a number of traditional medicines. The consumption of physalis also stimulates your immune system.

(Source: themysteriousworld.com)

2. Rambutan

Rambutan fruit grows across South East Asia. This exotic, oval shaped fruit has a pinky hair on outershell. It is named after Malaysian word ‘rambut’ which means hairs. The sweet and sour white colored fleshy part lies inside the fruit.

The rambutan trees bear fruits in fall and late spring season. Rambutan has the same taste as grapes. The carbohydrate and protein content of the fruit offer instant refreshment. This copper rich fruit also help to increase the rate of production of white blood cells. The white cells fight infection to keep the body fit.

It bears fruits around May, which is the beginning of the rainy season, and lasts when the season ends around October of every year. The most famous Rambutan fruits grow in Binh Hoa Phuoc Village (Long Ho District, Vinh Long Province).

(Source: Mumukung/Getty Images)

1. Ackee

Ackee is a rare and strange looking fruit that native to tropical regions of Western Africa. It is also the national fruit of Jamaica. The main attractions of this fruit is its brain like shape.The inner part of the fruit contains soft white to yellow flesh with black seeds.

In African countries, people like to eat ackee with vegetable dishes. This fruit can also eat in raw form. Ackee is completely free from cholesterols and other unwanted fatty acids. But its seed contains poisonous hypoflycin. That is why the U.S food and drug administration banned the importation of ackee fruit to the country.

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( According to themysteriousworld.com )