Quick - think of a fruit that starts with D that aren’t dates! It’s pretty hard to do right? You may be surprised to find out that there are over 15 fruits that start with D. The world is full of hidden fruits that are sweet, tart, and everything in between.
Let’s get started on this list of fruits that start with D!
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Fruits that start with D
When thinking of fruits that start with D, you'll probably say dates but they aren't the only fruit out there. Learn which other ones exist!
The fruit that most people think of when it comes to fruits that start with d are dates. They’re super sweet and work amazing in both sweet and savory dishes. Dates have a sweet caramel-like flavor and a chewy texture.
Dates originated from tropical areas, growing from the date palm tree. They’re mostly in season from August to March and are popular additions to many shopping carts.
The best way to use dates is to pit them, then blend them in a food processor. This paste can be used in brownies, cakes, chutney, sticky toffee pudding, stuff them, or in fruit smoothies.
Dragon fruit looks just as cool as its name suggests. It has a bright pink color with green scales that make it stand out from most other fruits at the grocery store. The dragon fruit grows mostly in warm countries in Asia, South America, and Central America.
The scaly skin can’t be eaten, but once the dragon fruit is split open you’ll find a white flesh speckled with black seeds. Its flesh is nice and soft, and is very similar to kiwi. It has a mildly sweet and refreshing flavor.
Dragon fruit grows mostly during the summer (June to September), so it’s the perfect summer snack.
You may have heard of durian before, but probably not for the best reason. The exotic fruit is often known for their incredibly strong smell that can be overpowering.
It is true that durian has a strong smell, but it has a unique taste that many people enjoy. It’s a popular fruit in many Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand.
Durian is an incredibly large fruit that has a spiky hard skin, but the flesh’s texture is similar to the texture of custard. It’s very creamy and has both sweet and savory flavor notes.
It’s mostly grown during the summer months, but durian sometimes grows in the winter. Don’t fear the smell and give durian a taste.
You’ve heard of coconuts, but what about a double coconut? If you haven’t, don’t worry. It’s one of the hardest fruits that start with d to find!
The double coconut is one of the more rare fruits on this list, because the double coconut fruit takes 10 years to grow and only grows in Seychelles. It can weigh over 50 pounds, and looks like two coconuts that have accidentally grown as one.
Though many people have not tried double coconuts, the few who have said it tastes like a coconut that has hints of citrus notes.
Its texture is very similar to brown coconuts, but on a much larger scale. You may not be able to try a double coconut, but it is a fun fact to know for your next party.
Dead Man’s Fingers fruit is a very spooky name for fruits starting with d, but it's also known as blue sausage fruit. The edible fruit looks kind of like tamarind pods, but has a dark blue color that gives it its eerie feel.
Once you open the pod, there are black seeds that are covered in a jelly-like flesh. This “jelly” is the only edible part of the dead man’s fingers fruit.
Grown mostly in China, dead man’s fingers have a mild sweet flavor. Many who have eaten the fruit, say it tastes like cucumbers. It may look a bit shocking at first glance, but it’s well worth a try.
The Desert King Fig, also known as desert fig fruit, is a delightful variety of figs that grows mostly in California. From the outside these look like your typical fig, but green. Once the desert fig is cut open, it has a bright red color that many compare to strawberries.
Desert king figs are an incredibly sweet fruit and can be enjoyed raw, but you will probably find it more in jams and baked goods. There are plenty of ways to use this Autumn fruit as it’s incredibly flexible. The desert fig can be used in any way regular figs are used.
Davidson’s Plum isn’t like a regular plum that you’ll get at the grocery store. They may look like plums and have the same texture, but a Davidson’s plum taste way different.
It’s very sour and tangy, so don’t expect a sweet fruit. If you’re going to eat it fresh and raw, add some sugar or honey to the slices of Davidson’s plum.
The plums grow in Australia and depending on where you are in the country, Davidson’s plums grow at different times. If you’re in North South Wales, then they grow in the summer. But, it grows during the winter in Queensland.
A close cousin of blackberries, dewberries have a lot in common with blackberries. Not only do they look alike, they have similar flavor and color. The main difference is in how they grow.
Blackberries grow upright on shrubs, while the dewberry grows along vines. You can mostly find dewberries in North America and northern parts of Europe.
Unlike most berries, dewberries grow more during the spring than the summer. You can find dewberries from April to May, so they aren’t in season very long. Dewberries are very similar to blackberries, so eat them as is, in pastries, or turn them into a jam.
This fun-named fruit has quite the long name, but Dodder-Laurel is a popular fruit in many Caribbean countries. Grown in the Caribbean, Dodder-Laurel kind of look like green grapes, but they grow from vines that hang from local trees.
Dodder-Laurels grow during the dry season and are mostly eaten by birds. They can be eaten by people as well, but they aren’t often eaten raw.
Their natural texture is very hard, so it’s more commonly juiced or dried into a powder. The dodder-laurel is actually mostly used in “love potion”-like concoctions rather than for its flavor.
Dekopon fruit, more commonly known as sumo citrus, is a Japanese citrus fruit that grows from the winter to the spring.
The citrus fruit is easily identifiable by its large size and big bump on the top. Dekopon may look like a strangely shaped orange, but it’s actually a type of mandarin.
If you get the chance to try Dekopon, please do! Dekopons are seedless, juicy, and incredibly sweet. It is likely one of the sweetest fruits that start with d on this list!
Eat them fresh and raw or juice them. Dekopon fruit can be eaten in the same way as regular mandarins.
Damson fruit, or damson plum, are edible fruits that start with d that are mostly found in Great Britain. The damson plum looks like a typical plum, but with a more oblong shape.
When eating damson plums, make sure it is fully ripe. If it's underripe the delicious fruit will be very sour! You can eat a damson as is, but they're more commonly found in cooking or as a natural sweetener.
These fruits beginning with the letter d are in season during August and September, and are quite nutritious fruits. Try adding them to a fruit bowl!
Despite the name date plum, these fruits that start with d are actually part of the persimmon family. The date plum grows mostly in Asia and southeast Europe. The edible fruit is is incredibly popular for its flavor.
The date plums start off firm but become soft when ripe. Their flavor is often compared to plums or dry dates. Though the date plum can be eaten raw, date plums are also dried and enjoyed as a healthy snack.
Darwin’s barberry fruit looks kind of like blueberries, but with a much smoother surface. Mostly grown in Chile and Argentina, Darwin’s barberries are small fruits that start with d that grow primarily on shrubs.
The small fruit is protected by the spiky leaves of the shrubs, so many people don’t eat them. They’re more often used as a decorative shrub.
The barberry fruit is quite sour in taste, so they’re not usually enjoyed raw. It’s best to use Darwin’s barberry to make jams or tart pastries.
Grown mostly in Australia, the desert lime is a popular citrus fruit that has a bumpy skin and almost pear-like shape. The wild lime is sometimes referred to as a bush lime as the desert lime grows on thorny shrubs throughout the country.
Like most limes, the desert lime is used more for cooking and chutneys than for eating fresh. It is one of the most sour fruits that start with d, so you may not want to eat it right off the shrub! The thick skin lime grows mostly in May and June.
Also hailing from Australia, desert quandong is a bright red fruit that is difficult to find outside of the country. They have a red wrinkly skin, a thin pale flesh and a large seed in the middle.
The sweet, peach-like flavor and texture of desert quandong has made it a popular fruit in Australia.
When it’s ripe, quandong can be eaten raw and has a lovely, sweet flavor. Desert quandong can also be dried and cooked into local Australian cuisines.
Discovery apples are more popular in the UK than in the US, but they are an awesome apple to try. This type of apple is small and has a flatter shape than other apple varieties. It has a bright red skin and white flesh reminiscent of most apples.
The discovery apple has a crunchy texture and a sweet but slightly tart taste. Many people enjoy growing the discovery apple, because they have a longer shelf-life than other types of apples.
Like other apples, discovery apples grow mostly in the fall. If you see them in the grocery store, try them out. They’re a delicious type of apple!
Duku fruit is a Southeast Asian winter fruit beginning with the letter d. The round duku fruit has a tough pale outer skin, and a jelly-like interior.
On the inside, duku fruit looks similar to lychee. The flesh is the only part that is edible and it is usually eaten raw.
To eat duku, simply peel off the skin and eat the gelatinous flesh (and spit out the seed of course). It has a mild, but sweet taste that many compare to a mild grapefruit.
It’s a lovely fruit, so break open a couple of duku fruits and eat them up.
Which fruits that start with D do you want to try?
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