Scientific name : Averrhoa bilimbi

Family : Oxalidaceae

Others names : Bilimbi, Vinagrillo, Grosella China, Bilenbi, bélenbé

Where Does It Comes From?

Native from Indonesia, the blimbing

is today spread aver the Caribbean

and all the tropical American

continent

The blimbing is practically an annual

fruit, it grows almost all along the

year.

The tree where the fruit grows on is called the Belimbing. The tree trunk is short

and little branched, measuring 5 to 10 m tall. Belimbing is one of the small fruit

trees commonly grown as a backyard plant in the home gardens and in the

kampongs of Malaysia and Singapore.

The tree thrives in well-drained sandy soil and prefers a sunny dry season.

The flowers, red dark, grow in bunches on the trunk and older branches.

What Does It Look Like?

.

The fruit looks like a smooth-

skinned gherkins: it is 5 to 7 cm

long and nearly 3 cm wide.

Green first, it takes a yellowish

colour and even white when

mature. The fruit then falls.

Owing to its high acid content in the fruit, the Bilimbing is not suitable to eat

as a fresh fruit

The bilimbi is used for preparing vinegar like pickles or condiment or

preserved in syrup.

It can also be used for chutney, seasoning in curries.

It acid juice is besides used to remove stains from clothes and hands.

How To Use Blimbing?