Avocado to Medjool dates: Exotic fruits that Indians can't stop eating

Imports are increasing and domestic cultivation is expanding for the taste and health benefits of these foods

Vibrant pink dragon fruit, horned kiwano, hairy Rambutan: These are names of exotic fruits that Indians can’t have enough of, no matter the price.

“Recently, a colleague treated us to Uzbekistan plums – they were delicious and I have never eaten anything like them,” says Parag Nagpal, a journalist in Delhi.

Chayanika, who is 14 and studies in a school, “relishes” exotic fruits and his father is happy buying because he “finds solace in the idea that it helps him replace junk food like chocolates.”

Fruits are part of a balanced diet and a source of essential minerals and vitamins.