I Can Actually EAT That? Top 10 Weird Fruits from Around the World You Didn’t Know Existed

Did you know that mango is the most consumed fruit worldwide? Many people in North America consider it to be a tropical rare fruit but in reality, it’s not.

There are strange fruits that might not look like the fruit you’re used to, but you can actually eat them!

Keep reading to learn more about these 10 weird fruits from around the world.

Top 10 Weird Fruits from Around the World You Didn’t Know Existed

Lots of people eat fruits as either part of a healthier diet or they just love them. If you’re tired of only eating apples and bananas and want to know what other fruits are out there this list of weird fruits perfect for you.

1. Kiwano

This is a strange fruit related to the melon family. It is native to Sub-Saharan Africa.

On the outside, the fruit has bright orange spikes. The inside kiwano is bright green with yellow and green seeds. The inside flesh tastes like cucumber with lemon.

2. Durian

Durian is a spiky fruit that’s native to Southeast Asia and very popular there. The smell is like fried onions and it’s so strong some people call it the smelliest fruit they’ve ever smelled.

They smell so strong they’re banned in a few different places in Singapore. You might find this fruit in an Asian market either fresh or frozen.

3. Jackfruit

This weird fruit is native to Southeast Asia. There have been Jackfruits that have grown as large as 80 lbs. Jackfruit is the largest fruit from a tree in the entire world.

This fruit can be cooked and when it is it takes on the flavor of the other ingredients you cook it with. It shreds apart as pulled pork does. This fruit has become popular in vegan restaurants and for vegans and vegetarians to use as a meat substitute.

You can find this in Asian grocery stores by the slice, whole, or fresh.

4. Soursop

Soursop tastes like tropical fruit. Some people say it tastes like a combination of strawberry and pineapple others say mangoes and pineapples. Meanwhile, others say it tastes like papaya, pineapple, and banana combined.

It does have a sour hint but still a sweet fruit overall. Depends on your taste buds you might not notice any hint of sour when you try it.

You can learn more about soursop and what Mark Twain thought about it.

5. Cherimoya

This weird fruit is grown worldwide and it’s native to South America. It has a sweet and sour taste similar to a combination of pineapples, bananas, and strawberries. The inside it a custard white flesh which is where its nickname custard apple came from.

This fruit can be scary when you’re eating it if you’re not careful. The seeds are poisonous when crushed. If the bark is injected it can induce paralysis.

Who ever would’ve thought that there can be such a dangerous fruit out there?

6. Atemoya

This fruit is a mix that came from Cherimoya and Sugar Apples that was originally done in Miami in 1908. They taste like a piña colada mixed with vanilla and it looks like a heart.

They also have a dangerous side to them because it’s a hybrid from a cherimoya fruit after all. The seeds are poisonous and you can’t eat them. They also have a strange characteristic between 2-4 pm they are female and the following day between 3-5 pm they go to their male stage.

7. Physalis

Physalis is also known as golden berries. It’s a small orange berry related to tomatoes and tomatillos. This weird fruit is native to the Americas but it’s most common in South America.

Its taste is a sweet and sour combination. You can find physalis in specialty food stores and well-stocked grocery stores.

8. Feijoa

This weird fruit is also known as pineapple guava. It’s native to Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. It’s a small fruit that’s green on the outside and tart inside.

You can scoop out its gritty flesh with a spoon to eat it. It has become a common garden tree in California. You can find feijoa in specialty food stores and well-stocked grocery stores too.

9. Akebia Quinata

Akebia quinata looks like a purple sausage and it grows with three or four clusters. The inside has goo and a ton of black seeds. This fruit is unique because it comes from chocolate scented flowers.

The pulp inside is sweet and resembles the white dragonfruit. It’s mainly eaten in Japan as a seasonal delicacy. The fruit rind is used as a vegetable or sometimes its stuffed with ground meat and deep fried.

10. Rambutan

This weird fruit comes from Southeast Asia and it looks like small red hairy balls. The hair looking spikes have green tips at the end of them. The tree itself grows up to 80 feet in height and does great in a tropical climate.

Inside they’re white and they have mildly poisonous seeds that are safe to eat when they are roasted. Rambutan is used for making jams and jelly. Parts of Central America and Australia have planted this fruit there because of their warm climate.

Feeling Like a Weird Fruit Pro?

How many of these have you tried yourself? How many have you never heard of? Quite interesting to learn about some of these including the man-made atemoya fruit and dangerous fruits where you can;t eat the seeds.

Looking for more fun foods or fun places to eat? Check out our eats & drinks section.