THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NUTRITIONAL VALUES OF SOME TROPICAL FRUITS GROWN IN TURKEY AND NEW APPROACHES IN GASTRONOMY

There is an increasing demand in the production and consumption of tropical fruits because of the growing trend of consumer interest in new and different products in recent years.Although tropical fruits are consumed less frequently compared to local fruits with regard to their limited production possibilities due to special ecological conditions, going beyond our habits, and the fact that they are considered expensive.The variety of these fruits is associated with protection from noncommunicable diseases (NCD) such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases due to the nutritional compounds they contain and their high antioxidant activity.Widely known and grown tropical fruits in Turkey are banana, pineapple and kiwifruit and in recent years, pitaya (dragon fruit), guava, lychee, papaya, avocado, pomelo, mango, kumquat and passion fruit are cultivated in the regions which have suitable climate conditions.In the current study, the reviews about the nutritional value and bioactive compounds of some tropical fruits grown in Turkey have been investigated and their benefits for the human health have been evaluated.In this study, innovative products from the tropical fruits in the field of gastronomy by applying different cooking techniques and technologies in order to improve the flavor and texture properties besides the existing fields of use was revealed.