Have you tried this fruit in Oman yet?

Muscat: The Al Attar fruit is the most popular locally grown fruit in Oman and other Gulf countries.

Muhammad Al Badi, a nature and wild plants enthusiast from Saham, Al Batinah North, said, “The Attar Tree is an herbaceous plant that the animals in the pastures feed on, it grows vertically towards the sky. It gives two types of fruit – the antelope which is smaller in size and has a peel like the Pomegranate, and the second is Al Hameer Attar. It is wider, circular, with crunchy leaves and a sweet-tasting fruit inside. It is called Qurroon Al Attar and is surrounded by a peel with soft scales inside it.”

Nawal, from Al Batinah North said, “The Al Attar is found in deserts, mountains and valleys, and is called the Jarawah. It is an annual or bi-annual plant and its fruit produces lactic juice that is very popular.”

Nasser Al Ghnboosi, from South Al Sharqiyah governorate said, “The fruit of Al Attar is a tasty fruit. It grows in the foothills of the mountains and near streams of the valleys, in the South Al Sharqiyah part of Ja`lan Bani Bu Ali. We call it Al Kharshoof Al Barri locally.”

Dr Kaltham Al Ghanem, from the Qatar University in Qatar said, “The plant of Al Attar grows with rain and when it reaches 5 cm its flowers begin to appear. They then turn into a small fruit and grow slowly."

"When its fruit is small it is more delicious and sweeter. The fruits are usually collected in March and April, but if it rains early, it can bear fruit even in the month of November. In Qatar, fruits of Al Attar are collected from the deserts in December due to early rains in the State of Qatar and they are locally known as Al Yrawah. The fruit is used as a food and it is very popular in the season," Al Ghanim explained.

She also confirmed that the fruit of Al Attar is not used in the medical field, as some people believe.