Tantalizing Tropical Fruit Tattoos – InkedMag

I’m sure we’re all familiar with nature’s candy—apples, oranges, strawberries, the works. But how many fruits outside of the regular produce section at your supermarket have you tried? Beyond the usual colors lining your local fruit stalls lie the vast world of magically tinted, flavorfully unmatched fruits that remain elusive to us in colder-climate areas. Tropical fruits, as they are referred to, are any fruits produced by a tree native to the tropics—a region of the globe between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. The unique environmental conditions create a habitat predisposed to wildly diverse plant growth, which includes a multitude of fruits.

Some of the most well-known tropical fruits include mangoes, pineapples, guavas and papayas, which you have a better chance at finding at your local grocery store. Others, though, are much harder to track down, due to the fact that many tropical fruits are quite sensitive to temperature changes and don’t last long off the tree. If you’re looking for a specific type of tropical fruit that’s harder to find, your best bet is to visit a specialty store or a store known for carrying goods from a different region. Of course, there’s also always traveling closer to the source. A vacation to Hawaii, the Caribbean, Central or South America or even Southeast Asia will undoubtedly bear the freshest of coconuts, cherimoya and rambutan, which are all certainly worth the trip.

My personal favorite tropical fruits have to be mangoes and pineapples, however I have a massive soft spot for fruits my parents would always bring back from the Asian market such as lychee and longan. Longan, in particular, my dad always referred to as “dragon eyes,” because the white exterior and black seed in the middle resembles a dragon’s eye. Sometimes, my mom would feel a little extra spontaneous and bring home a pitaya (also known as dragon fruit) or starfruit, which my youthful eyes used to think were mystical food items pulled straight out of a video game.

Tattoos of these fantastical nourishments are definitely worth considering. If I were to get a fruit tattoo, I’d want it to be something sentimental and a little bit out there. Tropical fruits are delicious, as well as exude vibrant color palettes that translate beautifully onto skin. The ombre of a mango, hot pink and green frills of a dragon fruit or multicolored cross-section of a passion fruit may not only remind you of blissful times, but are guaranteed to be dazzling pops of color amidst the rest of your ink. And as far as your typical foodie tattoos go, these ones are certainly sweeter than the rest.