Fruit: Advanced

Pomegranate

The pomegranate hides hundreds of juicy, ruby-red seeds beneath its leathery skin. Its sweet-tart juice is rich in antioxidants.

💡 Did you know? In many cultures it is a symbol of fertility and abundance because of its many seeds.

Fig

The fig is a soft, sweet fruit with grainy flesh, eaten fresh or dried. The fig tree grows in the warm Mediterranean.

💡 Did you know? A fig is botanically not a fruit but an inward-grown cluster of many tiny flowers.

Date

The date is the very sweet fruit of the date palm and a staple food in North Africa and the Middle East. Dried, it keeps for a long time.

💡 Did you know? Dates are largely made of sugar: they are regarded as a natural energy source.

Lychee

The lychee has a red, knobbly skin and, beneath it, white, juicy flesh around a large seed. It tastes sweet and slightly floral.

💡 Did you know? It comes from southern China, where it was prized at the imperial court over 2000 years ago.

Papaya

The papaya is a large tropical fruit with orange flesh and black seeds in the middle. It tastes mildly sweet.

💡 Did you know? It contains the enzyme papain, which breaks down protein and is used to tenderise meat.

Passion fruit

Passion fruit has a wrinkled skin and an intensely aromatic yellow pulp with edible seeds. It tastes sweet and tart.

💡 Did you know? The name 'passion fruit' comes from the flower, in which missionaries saw symbols of the Passion of Christ.

Guava

The guava is a tropical fruit with thin skin and fragrant, often pink flesh. It is exceptionally rich in vitamin C.

💡 Did you know? A single guava can contain more vitamin C than several oranges.

Persimmon

The persimmon is an orange, tomato-like fruit with sweet, honey-like flesh. Fully ripe it turns almost jam-soft.

💡 Did you know? Unripe it tastes strongly astringent and furry in the mouth: only when ripe does its sweetness come through.

Dragon fruit

The dragon fruit (pitaya) grows on a cactus and has bright pink skin with white or red flesh full of tiny black seeds. It tastes mild.

💡 Did you know? The cacti bloom only at night: their large white flowers open for a single night.

Star fruit

The star fruit (carambola), sliced, produces star-shaped pieces. Its flesh is crunchy and tastes fresh and tart.

💡 Did you know? Because of its shape it is often used as an edible decoration on desserts and cocktails.

Kumquat

The kumquat is a tiny, oval citrus fruit eaten whole, skin and all. The peel is sweet, the flesh sour.

💡 Did you know? It is the only citrus fruit whose peel tastes sweeter than the inside.

Quince

The quince is a hard, yellow pome fruit that is barely edible raw but wonderfully fragrant when cooked. It is made into jelly and quince paste.

💡 Did you know? It is closely related to the apple and pear but almost always has to be cooked.

Mirabelle plum

The mirabelle is a small, golden-yellow type of plum with sweet, juicy flesh. It ripens in late summer and is well suited for jam and schnapps.

💡 Did you know? The French region of Lorraine is especially famous for its mirabelles.

Elderberry

The elderberry grows in dense black clusters on the elder shrub. Raw it is hard to digest; cooked it makes juice, jelly and soup.

💡 Did you know? The elder's white flowers are used to make the popular elderflower cordial.

Sea buckthorn

Sea buckthorn bears bright orange berries on thorny branches, often on coasts and riverbanks. Its juice is very sour and extremely rich in vitamin C.

💡 Did you know? Because of its high vitamin C content it is also called the 'lemon of the North'.

Gooseberry

The gooseberry grows on thorny bushes and bears green to reddish, often slightly hairy berries. It tastes tart and fresh.

💡 Did you know? Unripe and sour it suits baking; fully ripe it becomes sweet enough to eat raw.

Cape gooseberry

The physalis (cape gooseberry) is a small orange berry that grows inside a papery husk. It tastes sweet-tart and aromatic.

💡 Did you know? The lantern-like husk protects the fruit and makes it a popular plate decoration.

Mulberry

The mulberry resembles an elongated blackberry and grows on the mulberry tree. Ripe it is sweet and juicy, but it stains heavily.

💡 Did you know? The leaves of the white mulberry are the only food of the silkworm.

Cranberry

The cranberry is a small, firm red berry with a tart, sour taste. It is usually made into juice, sauce or dried fruit.

💡 Did you know? Ripe cranberries are hollow inside and bounce: growers use this to test their freshness.

Pomelo

The pomelo is the largest citrus fruit, with thick peel and mild, slightly bitter flesh. It is an ancestor of the grapefruit.

💡 Did you know? Its especially thick, soft rind makes up a large part of its weight.

Rambutan

The rambutan is a tropical fruit with red, soft-haired skin and sweet, glassy flesh. It is closely related to the lychee.

💡 Did you know? Its name comes from the Malay word for 'hair', because of the soft spines on its skin.

Prickly pear

The prickly pear is the fruit of the opuntia cactus and has a spiny skin with sweet, seed-rich flesh. It grows in the Mediterranean and in Mexico.

💡 Did you know? The fine barbed spines (glochids) must be carefully removed before eating.