Fruits that start with E

Seeing eggplant on this list of fruits that start with e probably shocked you! But, it is true that eggplant is actually a fruit and not a vegetable.

The oblong purple fruit is actually a type of berry, but it is often used in savory dishes which is why so many people think of eggplant as a vegetable.

Grown from July to October, eggplants are a great addition to many different dishes. Except for the little green cap on the top, the whole eggplant is edible.

It has a mild taste on its own, but it has the ability to soak up sauces easily (check out Miso Eggplant), making eggplant popular in many cuisines. They are simply a must in Greek moussaka.

Though eggplant originated in southeast Asia, it now grows in multiple regions. Eggplants are popular in many cuisines, but most people probably don’t realize it’s a berry!

You can use them grilled, in salad, Greek dips, Middle Eastern dips, Indian side dishes and curry. Eggplant is an essential component in caponata, pasta alla norma and Baba Ghanoush.

More commonly known as Indian gooseberry, emblica is a small green berry that is mostly grown in India during the fall season. The small fruits that start with e have smooth green skin and a flesh that is a bit fibrous.

They are slightly sour in taste, which is why they’re not usually eaten fresh. Emblica is often cooked into various recipes, or candied. 

Two common dishes where you may see Emblica are in daal and amle ka murabbah. Daal is a typical Indian lentil dish, where emblica is used to add a bit of sourness to the dish.

On the other hand, emblica can be turned into the sweet dessert amle ka murabbah. The gooseberries are soaked in syrup for a period of time, then enjoyed as a sweet treat after a meal.

Etrog is a citrus fruit that grows predominantly in Israel and India. It looks like a big lemon, but with a bumpier skin.

The inside of etrogs have a large pith and lots of seed, rather than a lot of edible flesh. It’s not usually eaten straight from the tree, and is more commonly used as a part of Sukkot rituals.

Sukkot is a Jewish tradition with a long history, and these fruits that start with e are a large part of these celebrations. This fruit beginning with e is most commonly enjoyed candied or in jam form as there isn’t much pulp to eat.

Once it’s sweetened, etrog tastes similar to a lemon. Many in the Jewish community also give etrog jam to pregnant women in hopes that it will help them during childbirth.

The first image that might pop into your head with elephant apple fruits is an incredibly large apple. But, these fruits don’t look anything like apples!

They even have a pit instead of seeds! Grown mostly in China and India, elephant apples are called that, because they are a fruit that is well loved by elephants. 

Then why isn’t it simply called elephant fruit? Well, many who have tried elephant apples say that the flavor and texture are akin to apples, but a bit more bitter. If eating raw, it’s best to eat this fruit with a bit of sugar to make it more palatable.

They are quite crunchy, but can get slippery when you’re cutting them open. So, make sure to be careful when opening and chopping up elephant apples. 

Depending on where the elephant apple grows, the growing season can differ. In most regions, it grows in the fall, but in India the growing season is longer lasting until March.

At first glance, these fruits that start with e look and taste like very small apples but are actually berries. During the summer months of June and July, Eastern hawthorn grows from the white flowers of trees in parts of the United Kingdom.

The texture of the eastern hawthorn fruit is crispy and crunchy, but they are definitely a one bite kind of fruit. You can eat this tiny red fruit raw, but many people don’t. It’s a lot of work to just get a small bite! Especially since they are surrounded by thorns.

Those who do harvest and enjoy Eastern hawthorn fruits make them into jams instead. That way they can enjoy its mild sweet flavor for a longer period of time.

Grown in Australia, the emu apple fruit is one that you should be careful with. For starters, the fruits grow on incredibly tall trees, so harvesting them is no easy feat!

Though they are berries, they also have a similar look to apples, but are a bit larger than the Eastern hawthorn fruit. Emu apple fruit is sour and a bit spicy in taste, so they are more often used in cooking.

That being said, emu apple fruit can be eaten raw…if you bury them first. This sounds strange, but an emu apple should be buried and left in the ground for a few days first before eating.

This will help strengthen their flavors and prevent any side effects. Some have noted emu apples causing hallucinations, so make sure to eat buried emu apples!

Emu apples are berries, but there is also the emu berry fruit. Another Australian fruit! These berries actually look like berries though, and don’t have to be buried.

The emu berry fruit has a mild sweet taste but isn't typically eaten by locals. If you see emu berry plants, they are probably being used more as decoration.

The reason many Australians don’t eat emu berries is that they don’t have a consistent harvesting season. Their peak season should be from April to September, but sometimes emu berries won’t grow for years!

It’s tough to rely on such an inconsistent fruit. When they do grow, the emu berry is often used in medicines or herbal teas to aid the common cold.

Elderberries look and feel a lot like blackberries but are much more bitter in flavor. That is why they probably aren’t the most popular berry. The dark elderberry grows all over the world, but mostly in warmer regions.

Due to their bitter taste, many don’t eat elderberry raw, but it is a common ingredient in many traditional medicines.

Grown mostly in the summer months, Elderberry is often dried or juiced and used as medicine. It is believed that elderberry has many benefits that aid in treating the common cold. That being said, it’s best not to eat a bunch of elderberries when you have a cold.

These claims come from traditional and native backgrounds but are not necessarily backed by scientific studies. If you like their taste though, feel free to enjoy elderberries!

Check out this elderberry gin recipe!

The bright yellow egg fruit is a wonderful tropical fruit that is grown mostly in Latin America during the fall months. Egg fruits have a peculiar shape that is round at the top, but thins out to a point at the bottom.

Some say that this edible fruit is heart shaped, which is a pretty accurate description! Egg fruit has a very sweet taste, and is often eaten raw. 

Its bright hard boiled egg yolk-like color isn’t the only reason it’s called egg fruit. The flesh of egg fruit is dense and has a texture that is very similar to the yolks of hard-boiled eggs.

It isn’t a juicy fruit, so it’s mostly eaten in its natural form. But, egg fruit can be blended into smoothies for a creamy and sweet drink.

Entawak is a spiky fruit that looks a lot like jackfruit and durian, but with a much different flavor. Once you break open the spiky shell, you will find juicy, bright orange seed pods.

The best way to eat entawak is to eat the fibrous part that surrounds the seeds, suck the juice from the pods, or roast the seeds. Roasting entawak seeds and adding a bit of salt makes for a delicious and crunchy snack.

The spiky fruit grows mostly in Borneo and Sumatra, so you probably won’t find it at your local grocery store. Entawak is harvested from February to July, but it can differ depending on where it’s grown.

Many say that entawak tastes similar to pumpkin, but a little sweeter. It may be difficult to find entawak locally, but jackfruit is relatively similar and can be eaten as a substitute.

Evergreen Huckleberry is a North American berry that will grow in pretty much every kind of weather condition. It has a shiny purple skin, and a juicy soft flesh.

The evergreen huckleberry grows in bunches and tastes a lot like blueberries. Its sweet flavors make huckleberries a great choice for a delicious fruit jam.  

It is possible to eat evergreen huckleberries raw, but it is more commonly used in jam or jelly. Top some yogurt or toast with a lovely dollop of sweet huckleberry jam.

You’ll surely enjoy this combination. If you want to go huckleberry picking, they are in peak season during August and September.

Mangoes are a popular fruit all over the world, but they traditionally have a short harvesting season lasting just two months. That’s where the early gold mango comes into play.

Scientists in Florida worked hard to create a mango that could grow for a longer period of time. What they came up with was the early gold mango.

These mangoes have a sweeter taste than regular mangoes, and are much smaller. They have a light-yellow skin, and a soft and fibrous flesh.

Early gold mangoes are on the smaller side, but they don’t skip out on flavor! Thanks to the early gold mango, we are able to eat mangoes more often.

Enterprise apples are a type of honey crisp apple, but have a bright red skin. Just like honey crisp apples, the enterprise apple has a crunchy texture and are super sweet taste.

They are commercially available, but the enterprise apple tends to be grown more by home gardeners. This is because they are disease-resistant and have a long shelf life. 

They mostly grow during the fall, but an enterprise apple can last on your counter for a month! Some say that their flavor grows over time, but they taste just as yummy fresh. Enjoy enterprise apples as is, or in any delicious recipes.

European pears have garnered the nickname of “common pear,” since they are so popular. Most of the pears you find in your local grocery store are likely a European pear.

They have a soft green skin and pale grainy flesh. European pear can be eaten raw, in baking, or cooked in wine! Their sweet flavor makes them a great choice for baked goods.

To get the best tasting European pears, enjoy them during the fall months. This is when they are at their peak harvest season, so they’ll taste exquisite. European pears are a classic fruit that starts with “e.”

Elands sour fig only really grows in South Africa, so it’s not a well-known fruit. The interesting fruits come from a beautiful pink-ish flower that grows in the Western Cape.

The leaves of the flour are used in natural remedies to help those with sore throats, sunburns, and other ailments. The sour fig is, well, sour! It can be eaten raw, but it’s more often made into jams or dried fruit. 

To eat the dried elands sour fig, you have to bite the bottom of the fig then suck out the pulp inside. The pulp has a lot of seeds, so the texture is very similar to a more traditional fig. The flower of the elands sour fig grows in the summer, but the fruit ripens in the fall.