FRANKFURT, Jan 14 (Bernama) -- The Marktplatz, the open-air market at Frankfurt's Hauptwache business district with its plethora of consumer products, gourmet foods, and colourful exotic fruits and vegetables on display, is where the starfruit made its quiet debut some years ago.

These days the starfruit has become such a favourite in the average German housewife's list of essential food items that she would go to considerable lengths to secure this coveted fruit which comes from the tropical forests of Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and elsewhere.

Christmas is indeed, as German fruit lovers say, a "time of the stars". This has also been recognized by fruit importers, gastronomes, epicureans and others who feel the starfruit has become a "must" for a variety of reasons apart from its nutritional value and taste.

STARFRUIT STEALS THE SHOW

With its sweet-sour and refreshing taste, the starfruit qualifies as one of the ingredients used in fruit and chicken salads, as part of stew, as finger food or just for decorating cocktails and desserts.

"The carambola, as the starfruit is also called, is a fruit which is harvested when it is still green. Although it can still be enjoyed, its tastes very sour at this point. It is only with increasing ripeness that the fruit acquires its sweetness."

"The longer it is stored, its colour changes gradually to bright yellow. With time, the fruit even turns to a dark yellow. This does not impair the fruit's texture or its nutritional contents, but is a sign that it has reached the optimal ripeness."

"Those who feel optically disturbed can simply cut off the brownish parts. In principle, the external skin of the washed fruit can be eaten as well as the small soft seeds that are to be found inside the fruit," explains a spokeswoman of "aid", a Bonn-based organization for consumer protection, food and agriculture. "aid" of late has been highlighting the strong nutritional attributes of the starfruit.

STARFRUIT'S STAR ATTRACTION

The starfruit, which used to be an intriguing newcomer for many Germans, has long since shed its enigmatic veil that clouded the fruit when it was first introduced to the German consumers.

The shape of the starfruit, the five-corner star, has also been the subject of many discussions in columns written in gourmet magazines and, more recently, in blogs appearing on the Internet.

But, ironically, the appearance of the starfruit has also generated an interest, particularly, in Malaysia and, generally, in the Southeast Asian region whose fertile soil and abundant rainwater are conducive to the cultivation of this fruit which seems to be charming many Germans.

Malaysia and other countries of Southeast Asia are the world's biggest suppliers of the starfruit, but German researchers say that the fruit also comes from India, Brazil and Israel.

STARFRUIT'S ECONOMIC POTENTIAL

With such strong consumer interest, Malaysian exporters are well positioned in the German and European markets. Though Malaysian exhibitors of fruits and vegetables do display the starfruit at major events like the ANUGA fair of Cologne, the world's largest food fair, or the Green Week of Berlin, they need a strategic approach to tapping the German market.

The "aim-and-fire" approach is a marketing tactic but not a strategy, like many German experts say.

Through MATRADE, which already has an office in Cologne and can provide support to Malaysian exhibitors interested in exporting to Germany, Europe's biggest and most lucrative market, Malaysian exporters can organize roadshows and other events to pitch for the starfruits, papayas, guavas, dragon fruits and other delectable fruits that are becoming increasingly popular because of their nutritional properties that appeal to many nature-obsessed Germans who are fascinated by nature's healing process through natural foods and products rather than through chemical-based medicines.

Because of its popularity, Tourism Malaysia can also pitch with the starfruit for promoting Malaysia as a destination. "After all, the easiest way to a man's heart is through his stomach," jokes Kurt Becker, a fruit vendor in the heart of Frankfurt.

But so far, Malaysians have only scratched the surface. There is a lot more to be done underneath, but Malaysian businesses need to devise a strategy to aggressively promote their line of products because their rivals from other countries are also eyeing the lucrative German market. Time is, meanwhile, ticking away.