🥝 Tropical Fruit Vocab
Tropical fruit names can hint at the skin, seeds, texture, aroma, or even the way the fruit is eaten. Some are juicy and refreshing, while others are soft and custard-like. Some have one large pit, others are packed with seeds, and a few are famous for aromas that can fill an entire room. The names below explore the colorful and sometimes surprising world of tropical fruit.
🥭 Everyday Tropics
🥭 Mango
sweet juicy fruit with yellow-orange flesh and one large flat seed
Example: A ripe mango gives when you press it and smells sweet at the stem.
🇫🇷 French: Mangue
🇩🇪 German: Mango
🇮🇹 Italian: Mango
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Manga
💡 Nuance: One pit. Papaya is softer and full of small black seeds.
sweet juicy fruit with yellow-orange flesh and one large flat seed
Example: A ripe mango gives when you press it and smells sweet at the stem.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Mango🇫🇷 French: Mangue
🇩🇪 German: Mango
🇮🇹 Italian: Mango
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Manga
💡 Nuance: One pit. Papaya is softer and full of small black seeds.
🍍 Pineapple
sweet-tart flesh under a tough, spiny skin
Example: Fresh pineapple burns a little on the tongue. Canned pineapple does not.
🇫🇷 French: Ananas
🇩🇪 German: Ananas
🇮🇹 Italian: Ananas
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Abacaxi / ananás
💡 Nuance: Ripe monstera is often compared to pineapple. The two fruits do not look related.
sweet-tart flesh under a tough, spiny skin
Example: Fresh pineapple burns a little on the tongue. Canned pineapple does not.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Piña🇫🇷 French: Ananas
🇩🇪 German: Ananas
🇮🇹 Italian: Ananas
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Abacaxi / ananás
💡 Nuance: Ripe monstera is often compared to pineapple. The two fruits do not look related.
🧡 Papaya
soft orange flesh with many small black seeds in the center
Example: Green papaya is a salad vegetable. Ripe papaya is breakfast fruit.
🇫🇷 French: Papaye
🇩🇪 German: Papaya
🇮🇹 Italian: Papaia
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Mamão / papaia
💡 Nuance: Scoop the seeds out. Mango has one flat pit you cut around.
soft orange flesh with many small black seeds in the center
Example: Green papaya is a salad vegetable. Ripe papaya is breakfast fruit.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Papaya🇫🇷 French: Papaye
🇩🇪 German: Papaya
🇮🇹 Italian: Papaia
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Mamão / papaia
💡 Nuance: Scoop the seeds out. Mango has one flat pit you cut around.
🩷 Guava
fragrant fruit with edible skin and seeds - flesh white, pink, or red
Example: Pink guava paste is thicker and more perfume than the fresh fruit.
🇫🇷 French: Goyave
🇩🇪 German: Guave
🇮🇹 Italian: Guava
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Goiaba
💡 Nuance: Seeds stay in. Feijoa is a related perfume, different fruit.
fragrant fruit with edible skin and seeds - flesh white, pink, or red
Example: Pink guava paste is thicker and more perfume than the fresh fruit.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Guayaba🇫🇷 French: Goyave
🇩🇪 German: Guave
🇮🇹 Italian: Guava
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Goiaba
💡 Nuance: Seeds stay in. Feijoa is a related perfume, different fruit.
🟣 Passion Fruit
tough shell with a juicy, seed-filled inside
Example: A wrinkled passion fruit is usually riper than a smooth one.
🇫🇷 French: Fruit de la passion
🇩🇪 German: Passionsfrucht
🇮🇹 Italian: Frutto della passione
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Maracujá
💡 Nuance: Eat the pulp and seeds. The shell is a bowl, not a skin you bite.
tough shell with a juicy, seed-filled inside
Example: A wrinkled passion fruit is usually riper than a smooth one.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Maracuyá / parcha🇫🇷 French: Fruit de la passion
🇩🇪 German: Passionsfrucht
🇮🇹 Italian: Frutto della passione
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Maracujá
💡 Nuance: Eat the pulp and seeds. The shell is a bowl, not a skin you bite.
🐉 Dragon Fruit
bright skin, white or pink flesh dotted with tiny black seeds
Example: Pink-fleshed dragon fruit stains. White-fleshed does not.
🇫🇷 French: Fruit du dragon / pitaya
🇩🇪 German: Drachenfrucht
🇮🇹 Italian: Frutto del drago
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pitaia
💡 Nuance: Looks louder than it tastes. Mild, not mango-sweet.
bright skin, white or pink flesh dotted with tiny black seeds
Example: Pink-fleshed dragon fruit stains. White-fleshed does not.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Pitahaya / fruta del dragón🇫🇷 French: Fruit du dragon / pitaya
🇩🇪 German: Drachenfrucht
🇮🇹 Italian: Frutto del drago
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pitaia
💡 Nuance: Looks louder than it tastes. Mild, not mango-sweet.
⭐ Star Fruit (Carambola)
crisp, juicy fruit that cuts into a star
Example: Ripe star fruit is yellow and sweet-tart. Green ones stay sour.
🇫🇷 French: Carambole
🇩🇪 German: Sternfrucht
🇮🇹 Italian: Carambola
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Carambola
💡 Nuance: Carambola is the plant name. Star fruit is the English shape name.
crisp, juicy fruit that cuts into a star
Example: Ripe star fruit is yellow and sweet-tart. Green ones stay sour.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Carambola🇫🇷 French: Carambole
🇩🇪 German: Sternfrucht
🇮🇹 Italian: Carambola
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Carambola
💡 Nuance: Carambola is the plant name. Star fruit is the English shape name.
🔴 Lychee Family
🔴 Lychee
small fruit with rough red skin and translucent flesh around one seed
Example: Peel a lychee like a grape with armor.
🇫🇷 French: Litchi
🇩🇪 German: Litschi
🇮🇹 Italian: Litchi
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Lichia
💡 Nuance: Floral and juicy. Rambutan is the hairy cousin. Longan is the brown, milder one.
small fruit with rough red skin and translucent flesh around one seed
Example: Peel a lychee like a grape with armor.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Lichi🇫🇷 French: Litchi
🇩🇪 German: Litschi
🇮🇹 Italian: Litchi
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Lichia
💡 Nuance: Floral and juicy. Rambutan is the hairy cousin. Longan is the brown, milder one.
🦔 Rambutan
lychee relative with soft, hair-like spines on the skin
Example: The rambutan looked fierce and peeled as easily as a lychee.
🇫🇷 French: Ramboutan
🇩🇪 German: Rambutan
🇮🇹 Italian: Rambutan
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Rambutã
💡 Nuance: The hairs are soft. Flavor sits next to lychee, often a little less floral.
lychee relative with soft, hair-like spines on the skin
Example: The rambutan looked fierce and peeled as easily as a lychee.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Rambután🇫🇷 French: Ramboutan
🇩🇪 German: Rambutan
🇮🇹 Italian: Rambutan
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Rambutã
💡 Nuance: The hairs are soft. Flavor sits next to lychee, often a little less floral.
⚪ Longan
small round lychee relative - thin brown skin, translucent flesh, dark seed
Example: Longan is milder and less perfume than lychee.
🇫🇷 French: Longane
🇩🇪 German: Longan
🇮🇹 Italian: Longan
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Longan
💡 Nuance: Name means dragon eye - the seed looks like a pupil. Same eating method as lychee.
small round lychee relative - thin brown skin, translucent flesh, dark seed
Example: Longan is milder and less perfume than lychee.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Longan🇫🇷 French: Longane
🇩🇪 German: Longan
🇮🇹 Italian: Longan
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Longan
💡 Nuance: Name means dragon eye - the seed looks like a pupil. Same eating method as lychee.
🦖 Big, Spiny & Strange
🦖 Durian
large thorn-covered fruit - strong smell, rich creamy flesh
Example: Some hotels ban durian. The flesh is custard if you can get past the odor.
🇫🇷 French: Durian
🇩🇪 German: Durian
🇮🇹 Italian: Durian
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Durião
💡 Nuance: Famous for smell. Jackfruit is the other giant, milder and sweeter in pods.
large thorn-covered fruit - strong smell, rich creamy flesh
Example: Some hotels ban durian. The flesh is custard if you can get past the odor.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Durián🇫🇷 French: Durian
🇩🇪 German: Durian
🇮🇹 Italian: Durian
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Durião
💡 Nuance: Famous for smell. Jackfruit is the other giant, milder and sweeter in pods.
🟡 Jackfruit
huge fruit with many sweet yellow pods around seeds
Example: Ripe jackfruit is candy-sweet. Young jackfruit is a pulled-meat stand-in.
🇫🇷 French: Jacquier
🇩🇪 German: Jackfrucht
🇮🇹 Italian: Jackfruit
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Jaca
💡 Nuance: Two jobs: ripe dessert vs. unripe savory. Breadfruit is the starchy cousin you cook.
huge fruit with many sweet yellow pods around seeds
Example: Ripe jackfruit is candy-sweet. Young jackfruit is a pulled-meat stand-in.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Yaca / jaca🇫🇷 French: Jacquier
🇩🇪 German: Jackfrucht
🇮🇹 Italian: Jackfruit
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Jaca
💡 Nuance: Two jobs: ripe dessert vs. unripe savory. Breadfruit is the starchy cousin you cook.
🍞 Breadfruit
starchy tropical fruit, cooked like a vegetable when unripe
Example: Roasted breadfruit eats like a potato with a hint of bread.
🇫🇷 French: Fruit à pain
🇩🇪 German: Brotfrucht
🇮🇹 Italian: Frutto del pane
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Fruta-pão
💡 Nuance: Same family as jackfruit. This one is starch first, not a pile of sweet pods.
starchy tropical fruit, cooked like a vegetable when unripe
Example: Roasted breadfruit eats like a potato with a hint of bread.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Fruta del pan🇫🇷 French: Fruit à pain
🇩🇪 German: Brotfrucht
🇮🇹 Italian: Frutto del pane
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Fruta-pão
💡 Nuance: Same family as jackfruit. This one is starch first, not a pile of sweet pods.
🟢 Soursop
green spiny fruit with soft white flesh - sweet-tart
Example: Soursop juice tastes like pineapple-strawberry custard.
🇫🇷 French: Corossol
🇩🇪 German: Stachelannone / Soursop
🇮🇹 Italian: Graviola
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Graviola
💡 Nuance: Related to cherimoya. Soursop is bigger, spine-skinned, and more tart.
green spiny fruit with soft white flesh - sweet-tart
Example: Soursop juice tastes like pineapple-strawberry custard.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Guanábana🇫🇷 French: Corossol
🇩🇪 German: Stachelannone / Soursop
🇮🇹 Italian: Graviola
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Graviola
💡 Nuance: Related to cherimoya. Soursop is bigger, spine-skinned, and more tart.
🌿 Monstera Fruit
long scaled fruit - sweet and pineapple-like only when fully ripe
Example: Unripe monstera stings. Wait until the scales lift on their own.
🇫🇷 French: Fruit de monstera
🇩🇪 German: Monstera-Frucht
🇮🇹 Italian: Frutto di monstera
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Fruta da costela-de-adão
💡 Nuance: Same plant family as the houseplant. Ripe only. Green is a mouth irritant.
long scaled fruit - sweet and pineapple-like only when fully ripe
Example: Unripe monstera stings. Wait until the scales lift on their own.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Fruta de monstera / cerimán🇫🇷 French: Fruit de monstera
🇩🇪 German: Monstera-Frucht
🇮🇹 Italian: Frutto di monstera
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Fruta da costela-de-adão
💡 Nuance: Same plant family as the houseplant. Ripe only. Green is a mouth irritant.
💜 Mangosteen
thick purple shell, sweet white segments inside
Example: Crack the mangosteen like a soft nut and lift out the segments.
🇫🇷 French: Mangoustan
🇩🇪 German: Mangostan
🇮🇹 Italian: Mangostano
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Mangostão
💡 Nuance: Not a mango. Thick rind, clean white petals of flesh.
thick purple shell, sweet white segments inside
Example: Crack the mangosteen like a soft nut and lift out the segments.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Mangostán🇫🇷 French: Mangoustan
🇩🇪 German: Mangostan
🇮🇹 Italian: Mangostano
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Mangostão
💡 Nuance: Not a mango. Thick rind, clean white petals of flesh.
🍮 Custard & Sapote
🍮 Cherimoya
creamy fruit often compared to vanilla custard
Example: Eat cherimoya with a spoon and spit the seeds.
🇫🇷 French: Chérimole
🇩🇪 German: Cherimoya
🇮🇹 Italian: Cherimoya
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Cherimoia
💡 Nuance: Close to custard apple. Names get swapped in markets. Soursop is the tart, spiny relative.
creamy fruit often compared to vanilla custard
Example: Eat cherimoya with a spoon and spit the seeds.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Chirimoya🇫🇷 French: Chérimole
🇩🇪 German: Cherimoya
🇮🇹 Italian: Cherimoya
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Cherimoia
💡 Nuance: Close to custard apple. Names get swapped in markets. Soursop is the tart, spiny relative.
🤍 Custard Apple
sweet fruit with soft creamy flesh in segments
Example: The custard apple broke into knobby lobes in her hand.
🇫🇷 French: Attier / pomme-cannelle
🇩🇪 German: Zimtapfel
🇮🇹 Italian: Custard apple
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Fruta-pinha / ata
💡 Nuance: Loose English name for several annona fruits. If the skin is scaly-green knobs, this is the usual picture.
sweet fruit with soft creamy flesh in segments
Example: The custard apple broke into knobby lobes in her hand.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Anón / chirimoya🇫🇷 French: Attier / pomme-cannelle
🇩🇪 German: Zimtapfel
🇮🇹 Italian: Custard apple
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Fruta-pinha / ata
💡 Nuance: Loose English name for several annona fruits. If the skin is scaly-green knobs, this is the usual picture.
🥚 Canistel
yellow flesh, dense and dry, often compared to egg yolk
Example: Ripe canistel mashes like cooked yolk, not like mango juice.
🇫🇷 French: Canistel
🇩🇪 German: Canistel
🇮🇹 Italian: Canistel
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Canistel
💡 Nuance: Dry-sweet, not watery. Egg-fruit is the other English name.
yellow flesh, dense and dry, often compared to egg yolk
Example: Ripe canistel mashes like cooked yolk, not like mango juice.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Canistel / huevo vegetal🇫🇷 French: Canistel
🇩🇪 German: Canistel
🇮🇹 Italian: Canistel
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Canistel
💡 Nuance: Dry-sweet, not watery. Egg-fruit is the other English name.
🍫 Black Sapote
ripe dark flesh with a soft pudding texture
Example: Ripe black sapote looks like chocolate pudding. It tastes milder than it looks.
🇫🇷 French: Sapote noire
🇩🇪 German: Schwarze Sapote
🇮🇹 Italian: Sapote nero
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Sapota-preta
💡 Nuance: Chocolate pudding fruit is the nickname. Not cacao. Must be fully soft.
ripe dark flesh with a soft pudding texture
Example: Ripe black sapote looks like chocolate pudding. It tastes milder than it looks.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Zapote negro🇫🇷 French: Sapote noire
🇩🇪 German: Schwarze Sapote
🇮🇹 Italian: Sapote nero
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Sapota-preta
💡 Nuance: Chocolate pudding fruit is the nickname. Not cacao. Must be fully soft.
🤍 White Sapote
soft tropical fruit with creamy sweet flesh
Example: White sapote bruises like a peach and eats like mild custard.
🇫🇷 French: Sapote blanche
🇩🇪 German: Weiße Sapote
🇮🇹 Italian: Sapote bianco
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Sapota-branca
💡 Nuance: Not the same plant as black sapote or mamey. Shared nickname, different trees.
soft tropical fruit with creamy sweet flesh
Example: White sapote bruises like a peach and eats like mild custard.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Zapote blanco🇫🇷 French: Sapote blanche
🇩🇪 German: Weiße Sapote
🇮🇹 Italian: Sapote bianco
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Sapota-branca
💡 Nuance: Not the same plant as black sapote or mamey. Shared nickname, different trees.
🧡 Mamey Sapote
large fruit with salmon flesh and a rich sweet flavor
Example: Mamey milkshakes are a Miami classic.
🇫🇷 French: Sapote mamey
🇩🇪 German: Mamey-Sapote
🇮🇹 Italian: Mamey
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Mamey
💡 Nuance: One big shiny seed. Flesh is orange-salmon, not black pudding and not white custard.
large fruit with salmon flesh and a rich sweet flavor
Example: Mamey milkshakes are a Miami classic.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Mamey🇫🇷 French: Sapote mamey
🇩🇪 German: Mamey-Sapote
🇮🇹 Italian: Mamey
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Mamey
💡 Nuance: One big shiny seed. Flesh is orange-salmon, not black pudding and not white custard.
🤎 Sapodilla
soft sweet fruit with brown skin - caramel or brown-sugar flavor
Example: A ripe sapodilla feels like a kiwi and tastes like brown sugar.
🇫🇷 French: Sapotille
🇩🇪 German: Breiapfel / Sapodilla
🇮🇹 Italian: Sapodilla
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Sapoti
💡 Nuance: Gritty if underripe. Same tree family that once gave chicle for chewing gum.
soft sweet fruit with brown skin - caramel or brown-sugar flavor
Example: A ripe sapodilla feels like a kiwi and tastes like brown sugar.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Níspero / chicozapote🇫🇷 French: Sapotille
🇩🇪 German: Breiapfel / Sapodilla
🇮🇹 Italian: Sapodilla
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Sapoti
💡 Nuance: Gritty if underripe. Same tree family that once gave chicle for chewing gum.
🌈 Market Oddities
🟤 Tamarind
brown pod with sticky sour-sweet pulp, used in food and drinks
Example: Tamarind candy is sour first. Ripe pulp in a stew is sour-sweet.
🇫🇷 French: Tamarin
🇩🇪 German: Tamarinde
🇮🇹 Italian: Tamarindo
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Tamarindo
💡 Nuance: More ingredient than hand fruit. The pod is the package.
brown pod with sticky sour-sweet pulp, used in food and drinks
Example: Tamarind candy is sour first. Ripe pulp in a stew is sour-sweet.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Tamarindo🇫🇷 French: Tamarin
🇩🇪 German: Tamarinde
🇮🇹 Italian: Tamarindo
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Tamarindo
💡 Nuance: More ingredient than hand fruit. The pod is the package.
🔴 Acerola
small bright-red fruit - tart, very high in vitamin C
Example: Fresh acerola is closer to a sour cherry than to a sweet mango.
🇫🇷 French: Acérola
🇩🇪 German: Acerola
🇮🇹 Italian: Acerola
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Acerola
💡 Nuance: Also called Barbados cherry. Juice and powder are more common than a bowl of them.
small bright-red fruit - tart, very high in vitamin C
Example: Fresh acerola is closer to a sour cherry than to a sweet mango.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Acerola🇫🇷 French: Acérola
🇩🇪 German: Acerola
🇮🇹 Italian: Acerola
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Acerola
💡 Nuance: Also called Barbados cherry. Juice and powder are more common than a bowl of them.
🟣 Jabuticaba
dark purple fruit that grows on the trunk and branches
Example: Jabuticaba looks like grapes glued to bark.
🇫🇷 French: Jabuticaba
🇩🇪 German: Jabuticaba
🇮🇹 Italian: Jabuticaba
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Jabuticaba
💡 Nuance: Thick skin, grape-like pulp. The trunk-growing habit is the giveaway.
dark purple fruit that grows on the trunk and branches
Example: Jabuticaba looks like grapes glued to bark.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Jabuticaba🇫🇷 French: Jabuticaba
🇩🇪 German: Jabuticaba
🇮🇹 Italian: Jabuticaba
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Jabuticaba
💡 Nuance: Thick skin, grape-like pulp. The trunk-growing habit is the giveaway.
🐍 Salak
Southeast Asian fruit with reddish-brown scale skin - snake fruit
Example: Peel salak like a clove of garlic. The lobes are crisp and faintly sour.
🇫🇷 French: Salak
🇩🇪 German: Schlangenfrucht
🇮🇹 Italian: Salak
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Salak
💡 Nuance: Snake fruit is the English nickname for the skin, not the taste.
Southeast Asian fruit with reddish-brown scale skin - snake fruit
Example: Peel salak like a clove of garlic. The lobes are crisp and faintly sour.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Salak / fruta serpiente🇫🇷 French: Salak
🇩🇪 German: Schlangenfrucht
🇮🇹 Italian: Salak
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Salak
💡 Nuance: Snake fruit is the English nickname for the skin, not the taste.
🟠 Kiwano
spiky orange fruit with green jelly flesh and edible seeds
Example: Cut a kiwano in half and spoon the jelly. The spikes are the bowl.
🇫🇷 French: Kiwano
🇩🇪 German: Hornmelone / Kiwano
🇮🇹 Italian: Kiwano
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Kiwano
💡 Nuance: Horned melon. Looks tropical-loud. Flavor is mild cucumber-kiwi.
spiky orange fruit with green jelly flesh and edible seeds
Example: Cut a kiwano in half and spoon the jelly. The spikes are the bowl.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Kiwano / pepino africano🇫🇷 French: Kiwano
🇩🇪 German: Hornmelone / Kiwano
🇮🇹 Italian: Kiwano
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Kiwano
💡 Nuance: Horned melon. Looks tropical-loud. Flavor is mild cucumber-kiwi.
🟢 Feijoa
oval green fruit - fragrant, slightly gritty flesh
Example: Cut a feijoa and scoop it like a kiwi. The perfume fills the kitchen.
🇫🇷 French: Feijoa
🇩🇪 German: Feijoa
🇮🇹 Italian: Feijoa
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Feijoa / goiaba-serrana
💡 Nuance: Also called pineapple guava. Related to guava, not to kiwi.
oval green fruit - fragrant, slightly gritty flesh
Example: Cut a feijoa and scoop it like a kiwi. The perfume fills the kitchen.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Feijoa🇫🇷 French: Feijoa
🇩🇪 German: Feijoa
🇮🇹 Italian: Feijoa
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Feijoa / goiaba-serrana
💡 Nuance: Also called pineapple guava. Related to guava, not to kiwi.
🍅 Tamarillo
egg-shaped fruit with tangy flesh and small edible seeds - tree tomato
Example: A tamarillo is sharper than a tomato and sits on a tree.
🇫🇷 French: Tamarillo
🇩🇪 German: Tamarillo
🇮🇹 Italian: Tamarillo
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Tamarillo / tomate-de-árvore
💡 Nuance: Nightshade cousin of tomato. Peel if the skin is bitter.
egg-shaped fruit with tangy flesh and small edible seeds - tree tomato
Example: A tamarillo is sharper than a tomato and sits on a tree.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Tomate de árbol / tamarillo🇫🇷 French: Tamarillo
🇩🇪 German: Tamarillo
🇮🇹 Italian: Tamarillo
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Tamarillo / tomate-de-árvore
💡 Nuance: Nightshade cousin of tomato. Peel if the skin is bitter.
🧠 Useful Distinctions
🥭 Mango vs. 🧡 Papaya
Mango has one flat pit. Papaya is softer and packed with small black seeds. Green papaya is a vegetable; green mango is still a fruit, just sour.
Mango has one flat pit. Papaya is softer and packed with small black seeds. Green papaya is a vegetable; green mango is still a fruit, just sour.
🔴 Lychee vs. 🦔 Rambutan vs. ⚪ Longan
Same eating method. Lychee is floral and red. Rambutan wears soft spines. Longan is brown-skinned and milder.
Same eating method. Lychee is floral and red. Rambutan wears soft spines. Longan is brown-skinned and milder.
🦖 Durian vs. 🟡 Jackfruit vs. 🍞 Breadfruit
All large. Durian is creamy and infamous for smell. Ripe jackfruit is sweet pods; young jackfruit is savory. Breadfruit is starch you cook.
All large. Durian is creamy and infamous for smell. Ripe jackfruit is sweet pods; young jackfruit is savory. Breadfruit is starch you cook.
🍮 Cherimoya vs. Custard apple vs. 🟢 Soursop
Related family. Cherimoya is vanilla-custard. Custard apple is the knobby-lobed name. Soursop is larger, spiny, and more tart.
Related family. Cherimoya is vanilla-custard. Custard apple is the knobby-lobed name. Soursop is larger, spiny, and more tart.
🍫 Black vs. 🤍 White vs. 🧡 Mamey sapote
Shared nickname, different trees. Black is pudding-dark. White is pale custard. Mamey is salmon-orange and rich.
Shared nickname, different trees. Black is pudding-dark. White is pale custard. Mamey is salmon-orange and rich.
🐉 Dragon fruit vs. 🥭 flavor
Dragon fruit is mild. Do not expect mango intensity from the neon skin.
Dragon fruit is mild. Do not expect mango intensity from the neon skin.
🌿 Monstera
Only when the scales lift. Unripe flesh irritates the mouth. Ripe flavor leans pineapple.
Only when the scales lift. Unripe flesh irritates the mouth. Ripe flavor leans pineapple.
💬 Everyday Fruit Phrases
🥭 Is the mango ripe, or is it still a cutting mango?
soft-sweet vs. firm-sour
🇫🇷 La mangue est mûre, ou c’est encore une mangue à couper ?
🇩🇪 Ist die Mango reif oder noch eine Schneide-Mango?
🇮🇹 Il mango è maturo o è ancora da tagliare verde?
🇵🇹 A manga está madura ou ainda é de cortar verde?
soft-sweet vs. firm-sour
Show translations
🇪🇸 ¿El mango está maduro o todavía es para cortar verde?🇫🇷 La mangue est mûre, ou c’est encore une mangue à couper ?
🇩🇪 Ist die Mango reif oder noch eine Schneide-Mango?
🇮🇹 Il mango è maturo o è ancora da tagliare verde?
🇵🇹 A manga está madura ou ainda é de cortar verde?
🦖 That smell is durian. It is supposed to do that.
famous aroma, not a fault
🇫🇷 Cette odeur, c’est le durian. C’est normal.
🇩🇪 Der Geruch ist Durian. Das soll so sein.
🇮🇹 Quell’odore è durian. Deve fare così.
🇵🇹 Esse cheiro é durião. É para ser assim.
famous aroma, not a fault
Show translations
🇪🇸 Ese olor es durián. Se supone que huela así.🇫🇷 Cette odeur, c’est le durian. C’est normal.
🇩🇪 Der Geruch ist Durian. Das soll so sein.
🇮🇹 Quell’odore è durian. Deve fare così.
🇵🇹 Esse cheiro é durião. É para ser assim.
🌿 Do not eat the monstera until the scales lift.
unripe stings
🇫🇷 Ne mange pas la monstera avant que les écailles se soulèvent.
🇩🇪 Iss die Monstera nicht, bevor sich die Schuppen heben.
🇮🇹 Non mangiare la monstera finché le squame non si alzano.
🇵🇹 Não coma a monstera até as escamas se soltarem.
unripe stings
Show translations
🇪🇸 No comas la monstera hasta que se levanten las escamas.🇫🇷 Ne mange pas la monstera avant que les écailles se soulèvent.
🇩🇪 Iss die Monstera nicht, bevor sich die Schuppen heben.
🇮🇹 Non mangiare la monstera finché le squame non si alzano.
🇵🇹 Não coma a monstera até as escamas se soltarem.
🟡 Ripe jackfruit is dessert. Young jackfruit is dinner.
two jobs, one fruit
🇫🇷 Le jacquier mûr est un dessert. Le jeune est un plat.
🇩🇪 Reife Jackfrucht ist Nachtisch. Junge ist Abendessen.
🇮🇹 Il jackfruit maturo è dessert. Quello giovane è cena.
🇵🇹 Jaca madura é sobremesa. Jaca verde é jantar.
two jobs, one fruit
Show translations
🇪🇸 La yaca madura es postre. La joven es cena.🇫🇷 Le jacquier mûr est un dessert. Le jeune est un plat.
🇩🇪 Reife Jackfrucht ist Nachtisch. Junge ist Abendessen.
🇮🇹 Il jackfruit maturo è dessert. Quello giovane è cena.
🇵🇹 Jaca madura é sobremesa. Jaca verde é jantar.
🏆 Final Practice
English in the Real World:
Read the situation. Choose the more precise fruit word.
Read the situation. Choose the more precise fruit word.
Question 1 of 8
✅ Correct: 0
❓ Questions: 0
🎯 Accuracy: 0%