Watermeal is the smallest fruit in the world and here are the amazing facts about this
Wolffia globosa, more commonly known as the Asian watermeal, is the smallest fruit in the world and is also the world’s smallest flowering plant.
Probably, many people haven’t seen this yet. Some might think that in the fruit aspect, the smallest might be a raisin, a cranberry, or a blueberry. However, their sizes are much bigger than the measurement of watermeal.
Based on the article in Readers’s Digest, the size of this fruit ranges from 0.7 to 1.5 millimeters. It’s a type of duckweed. To better understand this measurement, watermeal is about the size of the Thief Ant, one of the world’s smallest ant species.
Holding the friend in your hand would just make it like a speck. With its very small size, watermeal still holds nutritional value. It is packed with protein. Southeast Asian nations cultivate it regularly as it is being added to their cuisine, especially in Thailand.
The smallest fruit in the world is a great addition to smoothies, omelets, and soups. It tastes a bit like watercress.
Here are other facts about the watermeal, based on Byjus.com and Food Republic.
- The plant looks like light green grains and is around 1mm long.
- Wolffia Globasa floats on the surface of calm bodies of water such as lakes and ponds.
- They are harvested and consumed as a vegetable, in certain regions of Asia,
- They are a good source of protein, with around 40 percent of the fruit being protein by mass.
- Library of Congress estimates it would take at least 5000 of the minuscule plants to fill a thimble
- In Thailand, it is called khai-nam, which means “water eggs,” and is sometimes referred to as Mankai
- In some areas, they are considered invasive, as their mass numbers can block sunlight from reaching underwater plant life, starving the water of oxygen, and leading to fish die-offs.
Speaking of food, there is a unique snack from the Philippines and it is called Ice Candy.