You know that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but what's your IQ on the lesser-known fruits (and veggies) of the world? Take our quiz to find out!
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Question of 10
Which vegetable can actually be poisonous if consumed in its entirety?
rhubarb
Although classified as a fruit for taxation purposes, rhubarb is actually a veggie. The stalk is fine to eat, but never consume rhubarb leaves, as they contain dangerous doses of a toxin called oxalic acid.
eggplant
artichoke
Which variable increases the sour factor of cucamelons?
leaving them on the vine longer
The longer a cucamelon (aka a Mexican sour gherkin) stays on the vine, the more sour it becomes. To avoid excessive sourness, pick them when they're about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) long.
the climate where they're grown
picking them too early
True or False: Sea cucumbers are actually fruits.
False. Regular cucumbers are fruits, but sea cucumbers are vegetables.
True. Sea cucumbers are fruits like their land-lubbing brethren.
False. Sea cucumbers are really animals.
Despite their fruity name, sea cucumbers are actually animals! They are echinoderms, like sea urchins and starfish.
Clashes over the transportation of this carb-rich fruit from the South Pacific to the Caribbean may have led to the Mutiny on the Bounty.
kiwi
breadfruit
Capt. William Bligh was tasked with transporting some breadfruit plants from the South Pacific to the Caribbean as food for slaves there. One story has it that water was in short supply aboard the ship and Bligh prioritized keeping the plants alive over keeping his sailors hydrated, thus leading to the infamous mutiny.
passionfruit
Why was it once illegal to grow gooseberries throughout the U.S.?
They can have hallucinogenic effects if grown improperly.
They can kill trees.
Certain types of gooseberry species can contribute to a disease that kills white pine trees. In 1966 the ban on gooseberries was turned from federal to state-by-state. One state that relies on pine trees to thrive is Maine, and it still bans certain species of gooseberries from being grown there.
They're poisonous to certain North American wildlife.
Which fruit is known as the "Queen of Fruit?"
mangosteen
Popular in southeast Asia where they're grown, mangosteen fruit are purple on the inside with a thick rind. They're known for a light, citrusy flavor, as well as high levels of vitamin C.
noni
tamarillo
The extract from this fruit is a popular no-calorie sweetener in the West, but the fruit itself is seldom seen.
stevia
monk fruit
China banned the export of this small brown fruit in 2004 for commercial reasons but its fruit extract is all over the world, including in China, though, the actual fruit is seldom eaten.
acai
Which fruit should not be consumed by people who take statin drugs to lower cholesterol?
grapes
grapefruit
Grapefruit, which is otherwise very healthy, has a chemical that can interact with certain statin drugs and increase those drugs' side effects. Grapefruit can also react badly with certain antihistamines and meds that treat high blood pressure and prevent organ rejection.
kiwi
Which of these fruits should you avoid if you're on a diet?
coconut
Coconut seems to be in everything right now, but consider cutting it off at the pass. There are 283 calories in only one cup of shredded coconut, and most of those are calories from fat!
pineapple
avocado
Despite its stinky smell, this fruit is often used as a meat substitute in vegetarian dishes.
guinep
durian
jackfruit
Jackfruit is often used in vegetarian dishes because, when prepared correctly, it has a taste and texture similar to pork.
