Food

18 Caribbean Fruits to Know and Love

You know about pineapple and mango, but what about mamey and sapodilla?

By SAVEUR Editors

February 26, 2016

Ackee — Known as Jamaica's national fruit, ackee looks like a cross between a brain and scrambled eggs, and doesn't taste too far off: it's buttery, nutty, and even scrambles with saltfish, just like you would eggs, for a traditional breakfast dish. Just don't eat it unripe or else you'll likely catch Jamaican vomiting sickness; the unripe fruit is toxic, and while ackee is good, it's not something to die over.Todd Coleman

Breadfruit — Bite into a crispy fried piece of breadfruit and you may mistake it for a potato. This starchy fruit is often boiled or fried, served simply with just salt and pepper, and is a filling staple food around the islands.John Loo via Flickr

Chayote — A member of the squash family, this fruit has a mild flavor with a texture somewhere between a potato and a cucumber. It basically sops up the flavor of whatever you prepare it with, so it's a relatively unoffensive fruit, given you know how to make a good sauce or stew; try it in this spicy Jamaican chicken curry.Miwok via Flickr

Cherimoya — With a texture between that of a mushy pear and a sugar apple (which you'll learn about below), and a taste between pineapple and bananas, cherimoyas are regarded as one of the best tropical fruits. Mark Twain once referred to it as "the most delicious fruit known to men," and while his verification is somewhat meaningless, we happen to agree. Eat this raw like you would a watermelon—just watch out for the seeds.Robert Couse-Baker via Flickr

Coconut — You know what a coconut is. Here's how to crack one open so you can make all these delicious dishes.Ingalls Photography

Noni — Typically served in liquid form as a juice, noni supposedly gives you a boost of energy and can heal what ails you. Naturally, it has a strong, bitter flavor, which is why you'll often see it as juice.Scot Nelson via Flickr

Green Bananas — These are figs. No, really! On certain islands, like St. Lucia and Trinidad, green bananas are known as figs (another interesting name swap to note: avocados are often referred to as "pears.") In Puerto Rico, you'll see these sold as guineos; try them in a garlicky escabeche alongside roast meats.Image Catalog via Flickr

Passion Fruit — Once relatively unheard of stateside, passion fruit has become a more popular fruit, probably because yogurt companies advertise it as a mix-in and Australian fitness gurus love instagramming them (they are beautiful, we get it). The bright orange pulp is delicious when eaten raw right out of the fruit, or spooned over a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a pop of texture and tang. Try it in a yogurt bundt cake.James Oseland

Mamey — Especially popular in Cuba, mamey has a custardy texture with a flavor reminiscent of sweet potato, mango, and papaya, and it makes great milkshakes. If you see mamey juice, buy it. You won't regret it, and it's hard to find.Daniel Murguía via Flickr

Jackfruit — Like ackee, jackfruit takes well to savory preparations—so well that when it's unripe, it's used in savory dishes like you'd use meat (some say it's a better meat substitute than tofu or setian). If you want to stick to dessert, though, seek out ripe jackfruit to use in cakes, custards, or ice cream.Jake Cohen

Guava — By itself, guava is pretty tart; when it's made into juice or sorbet or paste (read: when you mix a lot of sugar with it), it tastes like tropical strawberry. It's delicious. Look for pastes or jams at the grocery store, and pair it with mild white cheese or cream cheese. Perhaps the best way to enjoy guava is in the form of a pastelito, a Cuban guava and cream cheese pastry.momo via Flickr

Gooseberries — Small and highly acidic, gooseberries are most often stewed with sugar, ginger, and spices as a popular West Indian dessert.jenly via Flickr

Genips — Also known as Spanish limes, genips are tiny fruits that you just eat as is. To eat a one, break the skin, pop the fleshy seed out of the shell, and eat the flesh off of the seed.david schiller via Flickr

Sapodilla — Eat this by itself. It tastes like an extra sugary pear—why would you need anything else?Wikimedia Commons

Sour Orange — Self explanatory: an extra-sour variety of orange with a bitter bite that makes it better for cooking than eating out of hand. It's ideal for garlicky mojo sauce.jespahjoy via Flickr

Soursop — This spiky fruit is often prescribed to treat physical ailments, but we like it best as juice (it's sour, creamy, and unlike any other juice we've had).Ken Bosma via Flickr

Star Apple — Once you break through the inedible skin, the inside of this vibrant fruit is milky and Jello-like, similar to a persimmon. In Jamaica, it is often prepared with sour orange juice, a combination called "matrimony."Forest and Kim Starr via Flickr

Starfruit — Cut this fruit horizontally and you'll understand its name. Starfruit is typically eaten alone, and in the Virgin Islands, you'll likely hear it called carambola.DeusXFlorida via Flickr

Sugar Apple — The name says it all—this fruit is extra sugary, with the flavor of banana and pineapple, and the texture of custard. Break one of these open (which you can do with your hands) when the fruit is literally falling apart, suck out the creamy flesh, and spit the seeds out as you go.Rogerio da Silva via Flickr

Ugli Fruit — This fruit comes from Jamaica, as in it's the island's form of tangelo (a hybrid of grapefruit, orange, and tangerine). Ugly outside, sweet inside.Herb Neufeld via Flickr

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