From your supermarket to rare corners of the world, we’ve compiled a list of the 25 fruits that start with T.
In the mix, you’ll find fruit used in day-to-day cooking, for special events, or for non-edible purposes. If you think you’ve seen all of the fruit there is, you’ll probably still find yourself surprised by at least one fruit off this list!
1. Tropical Almond
The Tropical Almond, sometimes called the West Indian Almond, isn’t an almond at all. This large fruit encompasses a nutty flavor, which is where it gets its name.
With trees growing up to 90 feet tall, you’ll find the tropical almond flourishing along tropical beaches with plenty of sun and water. From India to most tropical countries, the tropical almond can be cultivated and eaten for its medicinal properties, especially its anti-diabetic activity.
2. Tomatillo
This 1-3” fruit looks like a mini-tomato, but with a greenish color. Tomatillos can ripen to be yellow or purple, offering a slightly more acidic flavor than regular tomatoes.
You can grow the tomatillo in the same environment as the regular tomato, although it prefers warmer weather.
Tomatillos contain plenty of antioxidant vitamins like vitamin A, C, and E.
3. Tzimbalo
This rare fruit comes from the Solanum caripense shrub in South America.
It looks like the pepino melon, growing as a 1” round fruit that becomes cream-colored with purple stripes as it matures.
The flavor of the Tzimbalo is melon-like, with some tartness.
4. Tropical Apricot
The tropical apricot is tiny, only growing to be about 1” in diameter. The flavor is similar to a regular apricot, as is its color.
Native to East Africa, this thorned, shrubby tree has been hybridized with the ketembilla plant. Hybrid fruits are also called tropical apricots.
5. Tachibana Orange
The Tachibana orange stems from the mandarin orange; however, their extremely bitter taste makes them less than a pleasant choice for a snack.
Growing only to 3 cm in diameter in Japan, the Tachibana orange is instead used to make marmalades.
6. Tangor
The tangor is a large fruit seed born as a hybrid of the mandarin orange and the sweet orange – note its name, “tang-or”. This flavorful fruit is easily peeled and enjoyed by those in warm, temperate regions like Florida, the Caribbean islands, southern Japan, South Africa, and Malaysia.
7. Tamarillo
This fruit is also referred to as the tree tomato. With tons of vitamins, niacin, thiamine, and riboflavin, the tamarillo is packed with nutrients. Used for anti-aging and treating skin problems, you can easily eat tree tomatoes as you would an average tomato.
8. Totapuri Mango
This mango hails from India and has flesh that is less sweet than your average mango. It makes a great addition to salads or a mix of salt and chilies.
Totapuri mangos are rich in potassium and help regulate sodium levels in the body.
9. Taylor’s Gold Pear
A ripe Taylor’s gold pear will leave your mouth full of sweet, rich flavor. With their golden-brown skin, Taylor’s gold pear is similar to the Bosc pear, but its taste is more resonant with the Comice.
Primarily cultivated in New Zealand, this fruit is full of fiber, calcium, potassium, and vitamin C.
10. Tomato
While many swear it is a vegetable, the tomato is botanically a fruit. Native to South America but now grown around the world, you can find tomatoes in all sorts of colors and sizes.
11. Terap
The terap is native to Borneo, and it is referred to as Marang in the Philippines. This unusual-looking fruit resembles the Jackfruit and is the size of an American football. It is covered in soft spines.
A ripe terap might give off a pungent smell, but the juicy flesh will reveal a very sweet taste that can be eaten for dessert.
12. Tourist Pineapple
Although it looks like a pineapple, the tourist pineapple is a clustered fruit. They are common in the Pacific islands.
Also called screw pine, tourist pineapple has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that come in coconut or walnut-like taste.
13. Topaz Apple
This dessert apple is a fruit created by an institute in the Czech Republic. With high disease resistance, you can enjoy the sharp flavor of this apple straight from the tree. Some compare the sweet flavor to that of Honeycrisp apples.
14. Tamarind
Native to Africa but grown across tropical regions, the tamarind is used for cooking, medicine, and as a metal polish. Talk about versatility!
Tamarinds grow in pods with a wide range of flavors. Depending on when and where they’re picked, they could taste anywhere from sweet to tart.
15. Tassel Berry
Tassel berries grow in grape-like clusters. Native to Africa, Indochina, and China, this fruit’s flowers produce an unpleasant smell, but the tassel berries themselves are sweet and eaten by both humans and animals.
16. Trifoliate Orange
This funny-looking fruit appears to have wrinkled yellow skin. It gives off a very sour flavor that is not often eaten, although it is edible.
The tree of the trifoliate orange is often used for barrier planting or rootstock for other citrus plants.
17. Tampoi Belimbing
This extremely rare fruit is multi-lobed, resembling a red star fruit. Another native to Borneo, this fruit is excellent for fresh consumption. You can peel and consume the pulp, only eating the skin if it is pickled or processed.
18. Tayberry
The Tayberry is a cross between a raspberry and a blackberry. It is sweet, large, and eaten both cooked and raw.
Collecting the tayberry is difficult, which is why it is a domestic crop and not grown commercially.
19. Thimbleberry
The thimbleberry is used for fresh eating or to make jam. Grown in North America, it is similar to the raspberry but with a more delicate structure. Like the tayberry, it’s too fragile to commercially produce, so it’s used as a decorative plant or to eat in homes.
20. Tangelo
The tangelo is a hybrid between the mandarin and the grapefruit. These large fruits are the size of a fist, with a tart and tangy flavor.
While they look like an orange, they peel easier and are distinguishable by the protruding flesh at the stem.
21. Tart Cherry
Tart cherries are often consumed frozen, dried, or juiced. The tree is native to Europe and southwest Asia.
In addition to being rich in nutrients, the tart cherry is associated with reduced muscle soreness, better sleep, and reduced symptoms of arthritis.
22. Tompkins King Apple
This species of apple is said to have originated in New Jersey, USA. It is large and used for both dessert and cooking.
Tompkins king apples are mostly red with some yellow stripes, and they should be eaten soon after picking.
23. Tommy Atkins Mango
The Tommy Atkins mango makes up for its lack of sweetness by being one of the toughest and most durable mangos. Great for handling and transportation, this mango has a long shelf life.
Because of this, Tommy Atkins mangos make up more than 80% of mangos sold in the UK and US.
24. Texas Persimmon
The Texas Persimmon is native to North America, as its name suggests. It sports a mild, sweet taste, somewhat like a sugary prune.
Texas persimmons are green while growing and 1” and black when ripe.
25. Tangerine
Tangerines are sweeter and smaller than oranges, often preferred for snacking. This popular fruit is grown around the world, but they’re at their full ripeness from late autumn to mid-winter.
