Description
The fruit is about 2 to 6 inches (5.1 to 15 cm) in length and is ovate to ellipsoid in shape. It usually has five prominent longitudinal ridges, but in rare instances it can be as low as four or as high as eight. In cross section, it resembles a star. The skin is thin, smooth, and waxy and turns a light to dark yellow when ripe. The flesh is translucent and light yellow to yellow in color. Each fruit can have 10 to 12 flat light brown seeds about 0.25 to 0.5 in (0.64 to 1.3 cm) in width and enclosed in gelatinous aril. Once removed from the fruit, they lose viability within a few days.
Like the closely related bilimbi, there are two main types of carambola, the small sour (or tart) type and the larger sweet type. The sour varieties have a higher oxalic acid content than the sweet type. A number of cultivars have been developed in recent years. The most common cultivars grown commercially include the sweet types 'Arkin' (Florida), 'Dah Pon' (Taiwan), 'Fwang Tung' (Thailand), 'Maha' (Malaysia), and 'Demak' (Indonesia); and the sour types 'Golden Star', 'Newcomb', 'Star King', and 'Thayer' (all from Florida). Some of the sour varieties like 'Golden Star' can become sweet if allowed to ripen.
Read more about this topic: Carambola
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