The shape is completely unlike most familiar fruits.
But inside is a pale, starchy kernel that has been used as food for generations.
It’s a reminder that appearance doesn’t always tell us much about what something is.
Final Thoughts
If you came across the strange horned fruits shown in the photograph and wondered what they were, they appear to be water caltrops from the genus Trapa, sometimes called water chestnuts, buffalo nuts, bat nuts, or singhara depending on the region.
They are aquatic fruits with a hard, distinctive shell surrounding a starchy edible kernel.
Traditionally, they are cooked before the shell is removed and the interior is eaten. They can be enjoyed as a snack or incorporated into various dishes, and their edible portion provides carbohydrates and several nutrients.
But there is one point worth remembering above everything else:
Don’t eat an unfamiliar freshwater plant simply because someone identifies it from a photograph.
If these were given to you by a neighbor, ask where they came from and how they were harvested. Confirm the identification, and if they’re intended for food, use a reliable preparation method that involves thorough cooking.
Once properly prepared, however, these bizarre-looking fruits can become a fascinating example of how traditional foods can look completely unfamiliar while having a long culinary history.
What looks like a strange black object covered in horns may actually be a traditional freshwater food hiding a surprisingly mild, starchy center.
Sometimes, the weirdest-looking foods in nature have the most interesting stories behind them.
