There are a lot of different types of Asian fruits, and they’re all delicious! Some of my favorites are dragon fruit, mangosteen, and longan.
They’re all so sweet and juicy, and they’re perfect for a quick snack or a light dessert.
If you’ve never tried any Asian fruits before, I highly recommend giving them a try – you won’t be disappointed!
If you are interested in Asian culture and foods then make sure to check this post with Japanese spices or if you are looking for some new fruits to try check this one with Cuban fruits.
Jump to:
- Jackfruit
- Lychee
- Longan
- Mangosteen
- Dragonfruit
- Asian pomelo
- Snake fruit or salak
- Rambutan
- Chinese pear
- Chinese guava
- Pulasan
- Langsat
- Durian
- Sapodilla
- Kumquat
- Papaya
- Starfruit
- Chinese bayberry
- Breadfruit
- Santol
- Mango
- Soursop
- Passion fruit
- Japanese Persimmon
- Lotus fruit
- Tamarillo
- Mosambi or sweet lime
- Tamarind
- Sugar palm fruit
- Noni
- Yuzu
- Coconut
- Frequently asked questions about Asian fruits
Jackfruit
Jackfruit is one of my favorite Asian fruits, and it’s also healthy! It’s actually good for you because it’s low in calories but high in fiber. So if you’re looking for a fruit that has less sugar but still makes you feel full, jackfruit might be the perfect choice.
It tastes like a cross between banana and pineapple, and you can even use it to make ice cream!
Lychee
Lychee is another Asian fruit that you might not have heard of before. It’s really sweet, and it’s got a red exterior with white flesh on the inside.
You can find canned lychee as well as fresh lychee at most Asian grocery stores.
Lychee grows in the summer and autumn, so if you see it during those times, definitely try some!
Longan
Longan is a small fruit with a thin exterior. It almost looks like an eyeball when you cut into it.
Longan is really sweet, and you can even find it dried if you want to add a little extra sweetness to your tea!
Mangosteen
Mangosteen is similar to lychee because both of them have thick exteriors.
The flesh inside mangosteen is white and has a lot of small black seeds in it.
Some people like to add mangosteen juice to their smoothies, but it’s also really sweet on its own. If you’re looking for a new-to you Asian fruit, I would definitely recommend giving mangosteen a try!
Dragonfruit
Dragonfruit is one of my favorite fruits because it’s red on the outside and pink on the inside! It’s also got a lot of small black seeds in the flesh, but they’re really easy to eat around.
I love adding dragonfruit to my fruit salad because it makes it look a lot more exciting! The flesh inside isn’t that juicy, but it’s really sweet and has a rich flavor.
It’s also low in calories which is good if you’re trying to watch your weight, but it still makes a satisfying snack!
Asian pomelo
Asian pomelo is one of the largest pomelos in the world, and it’s also one of the sweetest!
The inside flesh is white with a lot of juice – you can even squeeze some extra juice out.
Snake fruit or salak
Snake fruit is also known as salak, and it has a spiky exterior. Inside there are five or six cream-colored segments of flesh.
Snake fruit is sweeter than most other Asian fruits, so if you’re looking for something different to try I would definitely recommend giving snake fruit a try!
Rambutan
Rambutan is pretty similar to lychee, and it’s one of my favorite fruits.
The flesh on the inside is white and milky. It’s also really sweet and tangy!
Rambutan is an Asian fruit that I recommend to everyone, because it’s delicious but also really fun to eat! You can just pop the flesh out with your fingers – no need for a fork or spoon.
Chinese pear
Chinese pear is also known as sand pears, and it’s really crunchy when you eat the flesh.
The flesh inside isn’t very sweet, but it makes an incredibly satisfying snack! It’s really low in calories, too, so it’s a good way to feel full without eating a ton of food.
Chinese guava
Chinese guava tastes honestly very similar to a traditional guava. It’s also known as strawberry guava or cherry guava because it has a deep pink color.
Pulasan
Pulasan is a little bit like rambutan, because it grows in the summer and autumn.
It has a thick exterior with spikes, just like rambutan, and inside there’s a lot of sticky flesh.
It’s sweeter than a rambutan tho and some people compare it to the taste of sweet grapes.
Langsat
Langsat is also one of those fruits that you might not have heard of before. The skin is thin and yellow and the flesh inside is milky white and really sweet!
It’s a great fruit to try if you’ve never had any sort of Asian fruit before! It’s tang and bittersweet kind of like a pomelo so it’s used in preserved and jams.
Durian
Durian is a fruit that many people either love or hate because it has such a strong smell.
This fruit is native to Malaysia and Indonesia, but you can also find it in Singapore.
The inside of the fruit is a milky white color with a rich flavor, and it’s really juicy! It has a thick exterior with spikes on it, but people say it’s worth trying because the taste makes up for how strange it looks.
Again the smell is really pungent and the flavor it’s also very different if you are not used to it.
Sapodilla
Sapodilla is also known as chico, and the inside of the fruit is really soft.
It’s got a brown color on the outside with white flesh inside. It also tastes kind of like caramel! I always feel full after eating sapodilla because it’s so sweet!
Kumquat
Kumquat is really unique because unlike most other fruits, it’s really sour.
It has a bitter skin and an orangey-yellow flesh inside with teeny tiny seeds in the middle.
I like adding kumquats to salads because they add an extra sharp flavor! They’re also pretty low in calories.
Papaya
Papaya is also another fruit that you probably already know about! But it’s still worth writing about.
It tastes like a mix between melons, pineapple and bananas with the consistency of watermelon!
People eat papayas in salads or mixed into drinks. It can also be found in many different desserts.
Starfruit
Starfruit is probably the most well-known Asian fruit. It’s really easy to recognize because of its star shape – it also has a green color with white flesh inside!
The taste of a starfruit is super refreshing and really juicy!
If you’re looking for an Asian fruit that everyone knows about, I would definitely recommend giving starfruit a try!
Chinese bayberry
Chinese bayberry is also known as waxberry or Japanese boxberry.
It’s really sweet and tastes like a mix between mulberries and blueberries!
Bayberry is very low in sugar, too, so it makes a nice snack if you’re trying to cut down on sweets.
Breadfruit
Breadfruit is really starchy and crunchy, so it makes a great addition to salads.
It’s also sometimes called “jacket” because the flesh has a white skin on the outside that looks like one! Breadfruit can be served either boiled or fried.
Santol
Santol is native to Southeast Asia and it’s really sweet just like most of these fruits!
It also tastes kind of like a mix between watermelon and lychee, but with stronger flavors. The outside of the fruit has spiky bumps on it which make it look really unique.
Mango
Mango is a fruit that everyone knows about, but it also has its own special place in Southeast Asia because it’s so popular!
It’s very rich and creamy at the same time. It has a thin skin that can go from green to yellow or red.
Mango is great on its own or in smoothies and I also love mango salad!
Soursop
Soursop is another fruit that has a really distinctive flavor.
It’s got thin spikes all over the exterior, so it kind of looks like a dragon fruit! Most people describe the taste as tropical.
Passion fruit
Passion fruit is a popular drink in Southeast Asia, and it’s also really nice on its own.
It has a green exterior with slimy spikes that fade from yellow to pink towards the center. The taste is sweet, tangy and syrupy which makes passion fruit pretty unique! It can be used to make jams or flour
Japanese Persimmon
Japanese persimmon is also known as kaki, and its really popular in Japan.
It’s a really sweet fruit with a rich flavor that has been compared to maple syrup!
In Japan, people enjoy kakis in many different ways from baking it into pies or cakes to boiling it with rice for breakfast.
Lotus fruit
Lotus fruit is a really unique type of fruit that you can only find in Asia!
The exterior has big spiky leaves, but if you cut it open you’ll find a white flesh inside with black seeds.
Tamarillo
Tamarillo is also known as tree tomato, and it’s the only fruit in this list that I’ve never actually tried.
I know that it has a really creamy texture and kind of tastes like a mix between tomatoes and bananas!
The skin can be yellow or red depending on if it’s ripe or not.
Mosambi or sweet lime
Sweet lime is another fruit that has a really unique flavor!
It’s sour with hints of sweetness, and it can either taste like or remind you of oranges. It’s a popular fruit in India and Pakistan.
Tamarind
Tamarind is one of those fruits that you have to cook with because it’s really sour on its own.
It’s got a brown color and a woody texture on the outside, but the inside has a sticky consistency and a tangy taste!
Tamarind is delicious in juice or used in sweet confections and desserts.
Sugar palm fruit
Sugar palm fruit is the only fruit on this list that I’ve never seen in person!
It’s grown in Indonesia and it’s really sweet with an orange color inside.
Noni
Noni is a fruit that’s really popular in the South Pacific and it’s also known as “Indian mulberry.”
The exterior of the fruit has bumpy green skin and inside you’ll find white flesh mixed with black seeds.
Noni tastes like a mix between pineapple and papaya! It can be eaten on its own or used to make jams and juices.
Yuzu
Yuzus are really popular in Japan and it’s also a type of fruit that I haven’t tried before!
It has a yellow exterior with green tips… And the flesh inside is bright orange.
The taste is really tart and citrusy, but people add sugar to it when they eat it. Yuzu can be made into syrup or marmalade.
Coconut
Coconut is an obvious fruit that everyone already knows about, but it’s still a nice fruit to talk about!
It has three layers: the first layer is soft and jelly or water like and you eat this layer with a spoon or drink it with a straw. The second layer has hard white flesh that’s delicious. And finally, the third layer is made up of brown seed husks which are really tough.
Frequently asked questions about Asian fruits
What are the most popular fruits in Asia?
The most popular Asian fruits are dragon fruit, mangosteen, and longan. Mangoes are also incredibly common in Asia.
truth is, Asia is formed by different countries and climates so you’ll find different fruits depending on the country you are visiting.
How many fruits are there in Asia?
There are more than 400 edible fruits that are native to Asia! However only half of those fruits are commercially produced and cultivated. The other 200 can be picked up in the wild, in forests and bushes.