Tropical fruit

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sales booth with some typical tropical fruits

Tropical fruit (more rarely tropical fruit ) is a common term in the food sector for fruits that are grown in the tropics and often also in the subtropics .

Tropical fruits is a primarily historical, but still common name for types of fruit that are not considered indigenous in German-speaking countries and are imported from southern countries. Tropical fruits, which primarily include citrus fruits , are also sometimes grown in the temperate climate zone .

As exotic fruits (rare exotic fruits just too exotic ) are usually referred to wild or cultivated fruits that are imported in relatively small amounts from distant countries and consumers in Central Europe are not that familiar, such as oranges or bananas . Exotic fruits also come from tropical and subtropical countries. According to another understanding, established imported fruits that are imported in large quantities can also be counted among the exotic fruits, such as bananas. According to information from 2001, it was customary at the time not to count citrus fruits in particular as exotic fruits. The comparison of "exotic and citrus fruits" as two separate, complementary groups can also be found in current publications. In most trade statistics, citrus fruits, bananas and kiwis are no longer counted as exotic (as of 2018).

Problems of definition

There is no generally accepted, uniform definition. For example, nuts (like the macadamia nut ) and nut-like fruits (like the coconut ) are sometimes counted as tropical fruits, sometimes not. The differences in the definitions are partly based, as is the case with other fruits and vegetables, on the different perspectives of biologists, traders and consumers. The general linguistic usage does not adhere to definitions in the specialist literature.

The terms overlap and are sometimes treated as synonyms , although they are not congruent. For example, oranges and apply lemon as a classic tropical fruits ; Because they are imported in large quantities and have long been familiar to consumers in the importing countries, they are usually not counted among the exotic fruits.

In the case of exotic fruits, the boundaries between “exotic” and “non-exotic” are necessarily arbitrary and shift because many fruits perceived as more or less “exotic” are being offered in increasing quantities and become more familiar to consumers over time. In an article from 2010, this development was explained with two examples: “While fruits like persimmons and figs used to be real exotic, they have now conquered numerous fruit stands.” According to data from 2018, citrus fruits, bananas and kiwis are “in most Statistics are no longer listed under the exotic species ”because they are now“ naturally part of the local menu ”. If you don't count citrus fruits, bananas and kiwis among the exotic fruits, mango , pineapple , papaya and avocado are the four most important exotic fruits (measured in terms of global production).

Tropical fruits

In the specialist literature, the term includes, depending on the system:

  • only citrus fruits
  • Citrus fruits, bananas and pineapples
  • Citrus and exotic fruits
  • Fruit varieties that predominantly thrive in the tropics or subtropics (often divided into citrus fruits and exotic fruits)

Tropical fruits are grown in the Mediterranean , Africa , Asia and America .

Exotic fruits (selection)

According to the Federal Center for Nutrition (BZfE), the following exotic species are available in German stores. Other sources offer more extensive lists (also Wikipedia under List of Fruit Types ) or a shorter selection.

Because of their limited shelf life and long transport routes, many of the above-mentioned fruits are mainly offered in processed form, for example as an ingredient in fruit juices, and are rarely available as fresh fruit.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Exotic food dictionary.de
  2. ↑ a b c d Food Science: Exotic Federal Center for Nutrition, accessed on February 6, 2019.
  3. ↑ a b Encyclopedia of Nutrition: Tropical fruits Spektrum.de, Spectrum Academic Publishing House, Heidelberg 2001.
  4. ↑ Hans-Georg Levin: Exotics and citrus fruits . Publisher: Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food, 4th edition 2014, ISBN 978-3-8308-1130-5 . In this detailed brochure, exotic and citrus fruits are dealt with in separate chapters, each with its own product information.
  5. ↑ Fruit Federal Center for Nutrition, see bullet point exotic and citrus fruits .
  6. ↑ a b c Popular exotic fruits of the world, BayWa AG portal, February 7, 2018.
  7. ↑ Example macadamia nut: Tropical fruits in the botanical garden at lapalma-botanik.info. This text about "tropical fruits" (according to the heading) also lists the macadamia nut. That is botanically correct.
  8. ↑ Example coconut: Exotic Fruits Lexicon / Tropical Fruits at issgesund.de. This text counts the coconut from the tropics among the exotic fruits.
  9. ^ Federal Statistical Office: List of goods for foreign trade statistics . Chapter 8: Edible Fruits and Nuts; Peel of citrus fruits or melons , edition 2019 (PDF). In this official classification, “tropical nuts” (coconuts, macadamia nuts, etc.) are differentiated from “tropical fruits” (guavas, mango fruits, etc.).
  10. ↑ Example: Exotic Fruits Lexicon / Tropical Fruits at issgesund.de. According to the introduction, this text wants to list “the best-known representatives of exotic fruits” and lists, among other things, the lime and the tangerine , but not the orange and the lemon.
  11. ↑ Exotic fruits: You can rely on organic test.de, January 27, 2010.
  12. ↑ Grocery knowledge for beginners , p. 205.
  13. ↑ Textbook Raw Materials in Food Production , p. 73 ff.
  14. ↑ Textbook Raw Materials of Food Production , p. 69.