Food glossary

Carambola

Carambola

More commonly known as star fruit, carambolas have a crisp apple-like texture and a slightly citrus flavour. Their beautiful shape makes them perfect for decorating desserts, such as pavlova or fruit salad, and their sharp flavour goes well with savoury dishes too. The full flavour develops when they are lightly poached in syrup until just tender.

Seasonal availability: All year.

To store: Store in the salad compartment of the fridge.

To prepare: The fruit is ripe when the skin is yellow and the ridges are brown. They do not require peeling, simply slice off the ridges, rather like de-stringing a runner bean, and slice the fruit into stars.