A British tourist suffered a nasty surprise after eating an exotic fruit in Mexico: third-degree burns on his hands and face.
Thomas Harold Watson, 28, was walking through a market in Campeche when he saw a stand selling cashew apples, the fruit of the cashew nut. Curious to discover this exotic fruit, he had no idea what would happen to it afterwards.
This fruit is edible and is known for its fruity aromas as well as the dry and rough sensation it leaves on the tongue.
“I had heard of it, but never tasted it, so I bought it. I went for a walk and started eating a few different fruits,” the young Briton said, according to the New York Post.
From the first bite, the acidity of the fruit was felt, the tourist shared. He said he felt a burning sensation in his mouth and throat: “I couldn’t believe the pain just from biting into a single fruit.”
The next day, he woke up with third-degree burns on his hands and around his mouth, the New YorkPost. His lips hurt so much that they seemed to “dissolve” and his hands “discolored.”
Without the traveler knowing it, the cashew apple fruit contains cardol and anacardic acid, a dangerous cocktail that can cause blisters on contact with the skin.
Wanting to avoid medical costs, Mr Watson decided not to go to hospital to treat his injuries, despite the skin on his face peeling.
