Buzz
I’m a big fan of fruit and it’s something I just can’t seem to get enough of. Imagining what these exotic fruits taste like is almost like trying to picture a new color—it’s hard to comprehend something you’ve never experienced. But that won’t stop me from seeking out as many as I can in my lifetime. After revisiting the previous list of fruits you probably didn’t know, I decided to add more and make this list more globally diverse. There are countless fruits out there, and while I can’t possibly write about all of them, I’ve chosen a few that were completely new to me and caught my interest. This list isn’t in any particular order, but I’ve given the top spot to the fruit that seems to be the most commonly overlooked.
20. Strawberry Tree 1 Muntingia Calabura
While I had never encountered a strawberry tree before, the name itself might ring a bell for some of you. What you may not know is that there are actually three distinct types of trees called strawberry trees, each native to different continents across the globe.
First, starting in the far West, we have the Muntingia strawberry tree, which is native to Southern Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, Peru, and Bolivia. It's also known as the Jamaican cherry or the Panama berry. This tree produces a light red fruit, roughly 1.5 cm in diameter. The fruit is sweet and juicy, and can be eaten fresh or used in cooking to make jams.
19. Strawberry Tree 2 Arbutus unedo
Next, we travel to Europe to find the Arbutus strawberry tree, native to the Mediterranean regions, including France and Ireland. Due to its unique presence in Ireland, it's sometimes called the Killarney strawberry tree. This tree produces red fruit, typically between 1 to 2 cm in diameter, with a rough texture. These fruits aren’t usually eaten raw due to their bland, mealy taste but are commonly used to make jams and liqueurs.
18. Red Bayberry Myrica rubra
Next, we head over to Asia, where we find the Myrica strawberry tree, also known as the Chinese strawberry tree. Native to China, it has spread to Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines. The fruit can range from white to purple, though they are typically bright red. With a rough exterior, the fruit has a sweet yet tangy flavor and contains a single seed in the center. Often eaten fresh, they can also be canned, dried, or fermented. Recently, the juice has been marketed under the trademark Yumberry juice.
17. Finger Lime Citrus australasica
While citrus fruits are generally well known, only a small handful—such as orange, lemon, lime, naartjie, and grapefruit—are commonly recognized, with a few other varieties as exceptions. What many don’t realize is that there are over 100 different types of citrus fruits, and the finger lime is one of the lesser-known varieties. Native to the subtropical and dry forests of Australia, particularly in New South Wales and Queensland, the finger lime is a cylindrical fruit, measuring 6 to 10 cm long. This fruit is the most colorful of all citrus varieties, available in shades of yellow, green, brown, orange, red, purple, and black. The fruit segments contain large, juicy vesicles that burst with tangy flavor when eaten.
16. Buddha’s Hand Citrus sarcodactylis
The Buddha’s hand, also known as the fingered citron, is another intriguing citrus fruit that many may not be familiar with. Native to Northeast India and China, its flowers are tinged purple and grow in clusters. The fruit features a thick rind with little or no acidic flesh inside. When the “fingers” are closed, the fruit is often presented as an offering at Buddhist temples, symbolizing hands in prayer. It’s commonly sliced thin and consumed as is, or sprinkled over dishes. Unlike most citrus fruits, the pith inside the fingers isn't bitter, making it ideal for zesting or adding flavor.
15. Medlar Mespilus germanica
The Medlar is a fruit native to Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe, particularly popular along the coasts of Turkey. It has been cultivated for over 3000 years but has a short lifespan of only 30 to 50 years. The fruit is red-brown in color, about 3 to 4 cm in diameter, with 5 to 6 long sepals at the bottom. When fresh, the fruit is very hard and acidic, but it softens with frost or naturally over time once picked. As it softens, the skin turns brown and wrinkles, and the inside becomes mushy, taking on the texture and taste of applesauce.
14. Cloudberry Rubus chamaemorus
The cloudberry is a golden amber fruit found in the Alpine and Arctic tundra, as well as boreal forests. The plant grows to a height of 15 to 25 cm and produces soft, juicy, segmented berries. When eaten fresh, the berries have a distinct tart flavor, but if overripe, they take on a creamy taste similar to yogurt and become sweeter. Cloudberries are often used in making jams and jellies, and in some Nordic countries, they are used to create a traditional liqueur like Lakkalikööri, a Finnish drink.
13. Crowberry Ericaceae empetrum
The crowberry is a small, low-growing evergreen shrub that thrives in temperate to subarctic climates. Its berries, slightly larger than bearberries, resemble blueberries in appearance. These berries are known for their ability to withstand cold weather, and they can be harvested in the fall and stored for the winter. Crowberries are an essential part of the Inuit diet, offering a juicy and sweet flavor.
12. Feijoa Acca sellowiana
The feijoa is a fruit tree from the myrtle family, native to Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, and northern Argentina. It is widely cultivated in New Zealand as a fruit tree and is also grown as an ornamental plant in Australia. The fruit is also known by other names, such as pineapple guava and guava stein. It contains a soft, gelatinous seed pulp (similar to tomatoes) and a slightly gritty, dense flesh near the peel. The fruit is very soft and juicy, and it can be eaten by scooping the pulp out with a spoon or simply sucking it out directly. Its taste is often described as a combination of guava, strawberry, and pineapple.
11. Imbe Garcinia livingstonei
Imbe, also known as the African mangosteen, is a widely distributed plant found in tropical regions of Africa, stretching from the Ivory Coast to South Africa. This evergreen tree produces small, thin-skinned, bright orange berries that measure around 2 to 3 cm in diameter. The fruit has a pleasantly sweet taste with a slightly acidic aftertaste, and contains a single large seed at its center. While it is mostly enjoyed fresh, it is also used to flavor wines and liqueurs. The fresh berries are notorious for their strong staining abilities.
10. Natal Plum Carissa macrocarpa
The Natal plum is a small tree or shrub native to South Africa. The fruit is also known as the large Num-Num in Zulu and the Noem-noem in Afrikaans. It is commonly found along the Eastern Cape coastline and is also prevalent in Natal. The fruit is the only edible part of the plant, as the rest is toxic. The fruit itself is slightly drooping, plump, and crimson. It can be eaten raw or cooked into pies, jellies, jams, and liqueurs. With its sweet flavor, it remains relatively uncommon for cultivation or retail consumption.
9. Jack Fruit Artocarpus heterophyllus
The Jack fruit, known as the largest tree-borne fruit, is related to mulberries and is native to Southern and Southeast Asia. It is the national fruit of Bangladesh and is also cultivated in South America, the Caribbean, and some East African countries like Uganda and Mauritius. A single jackfruit can weigh up to 36 kg and can grow as large as 50 cm in diameter. The taste is starchy, making it a good source of dietary fiber. Different varieties of jackfruit range from the larger, firmer fruit with a flavor similar to unripe bananas, to smaller, softer types with a sweeter taste.
8. Monster fruit Monstera deliciosa
The Monstera Deliciosa, commonly known as the 'delicious monster,' is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant across the globe. However, few are aware that this plant also bears a tasty fruit. Other names for this fruit include Cheese plant, Fruit salad plant, and Mexican breadfruit. The fruit grows to a length of 25-30 cm and has a diameter of 3-4 cm, resembling a green ear of corn. The unripe fruit is covered with green 'scales,' which begin to peel back as it ripens. Beneath these scales is the edible flesh, which has a texture similar to pineapple and a flavor that combines the tastes of pineapple and jackfruit.
7. Honeyberry Melicoccus bijugatus
Honeyberry, also known as Spanish lime, Mamoncillo, limoncillo, or Guiseps, is a fruit that has become widespread across tropical regions, particularly in Central and South America, as well as in some tropical parts of Africa. When ripe, the fruit turns green and contains a large edible seed inside. Typically, the entire fruit is placed in the mouth, where the skin is bitten, and the juices are sucked out. Its flavor is often compared to a blend of lychee and lime, though it can have a tangy, tart taste.
6. Rose apple Syzygium
The rose apple, also known by other names such as wax apple, pamarosa, lillypilly, and satin ash, consists of approximately 1,100 species within the myrtle family. These species are commonly found in regions across Africa, Southern Asia, and the Pacific Islands. Many of these species yield fruit, but here we focus on the Syzygium samarangense, which produces bell-shaped fruits that vary in color from light pink to purple to bright red. The fruit begins as a small, round shape and gradually expands as it ripens. Its scent and flavor are faintly rosy, which is why it is called the 'rose apple.' The fruit’s flesh-to-juice ratio is similar to that of watermelon.
5. Black Sapote Diospyros digyna
The black sapote, native to Mexico and extending to Colombia, is commonly known as the 'chocolate pudding plant.' The tree can reach up to 25 meters in height but is highly sensitive to frost. The fruit, which is about the size of an apple, starts off green on the tree. As it ripens, it shrivels and turns brown. The fruit’s interior has a consistency and flavor reminiscent of chocolate pudding. It can be eaten raw, often used as a substitute for chocolate, or combined with orange juice and brandy for added flavor. This fruit is low in fat but rich in calcium, phosphorus, iron, and vitamin C. One black sapote contains over four times the amount of vitamin C found in an orange.
4. Strawberry Guava Psidium littorale
The strawberry guava, also called the Cattley guava in honor of horticulturist Sir William Cattley or the Peruvian guava, is indigenous to Brazil. The fruit is about the same size as a typical guava and can be eaten by cutting it in half and scooping out the inside, or simply bitten into with the contents sucked out. Its flavor is a mix of passion fruit and strawberry, and its edible skin has a taste similar to rose petals, although it is generally not consumed.
3. Durian Durionaceae
The durian is a large and highly esteemed fruit native to Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Known as the 'king of fruits,' it can grow up to 30 cm in length and typically weighs between 1 to 2 kg. Beneath its spiky outer peel, the fruit emits a notoriously strong and pungent odor, often compared to that of a decaying corpse. The smell is so overpowering that the durian is banned from many public transportation systems. The flesh inside may be pale yellow or red, depending on the variety. While the scent is divisive, with some people absolutely adoring it and others finding it revolting, the taste of the fruit offers a stark contrast. Naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace famously described the taste as 'a rich custard highly flavored with almonds.' The fruit can be eaten at various stages of ripeness, and even the seeds are edible once cooked.
2. Saguaro Carnegiea gigantea
The saguaro is a towering cactus native to the Sonoran Desert, spanning across Arizona, the Mexican state of Sonora, and a small part of Baja California. Known for its long life span, it can take up to 70 years for a saguaro to grow a single arm. When the flowers are successfully pollinated, the resulting fruit contains thousands of tiny black seeds, embedded in a sweet-tasting connective tissue. This fruit is highly sought after and cherished by the local people.
1. Sugar Palm Borassus flabellifer
The sugar palm, also known as toddy palm or Cambodian palm, is native to South and Southeast Asia. This towering palm tree can reach heights of up to 30 meters and has a broad fan-shaped canopy. It can live for up to 100 years. The fruit, which can grow up to 10 cm in diameter, is encased in a husk. To access the juicy, gelatinous seed sockets inside, the top of the fruit must be cut off. The taste of the fruit is similar to lychees, though slightly less sweet.
