List of culinary fruits

This list contains the names of fruits that are considered edible either raw or cooked in various cuisines. The word fruit is used in several different ways. The definition of fruit for this list is a culinary fruit, defined as "Any edible and palatable part of a plant that resembles fruit, even if it does not develop from a floral ovary; also used in a technically imprecise sense for some sweet or semi-sweet vegetables, some of which may resemble a true fruit or are used in cookery as if they were a fruit, for example rhubarb."^[a][1]

Many edible plant parts that are considered fruits in the botanical sense are culinarily classified as vegetables (for example: the tomato, zucchini, and so on), and thus do not appear on this list. Similarly, some botanical fruits are classified as nuts (e.g. brazil nut) and do not appear here either. This list is otherwise organized botanically.

Pomes include any crunchy accessory fruit that surrounds the fruit's inedible "core" (composed of the plant's endocarp) and typically has its seeds arranged in a star-like pattern.

Drupes represent any fruit that has only one seed (or "stone") or one hard capsule containing seeds.

Botanical berries represent any fruit that has a relatively thin exterior, with mostly flesh and more than one seed inside.

Pepos represent any fruit that is covered by a hard, thick rind with soft flesh inside, and seeds filling each locule. Melons are good examples of this.

Also known as citruses, Hesperidiums possess thick and leathery rinds. These fruits are generally sour and acidic to some extent and have a wagon wheel-like cross section.

Aggregate fruits are a cluster of many fruits produced from a single flower.

Multiple fruits are a cluster of many fruits produced from multiple flowers.

Capsules represent a pod fruit with multiple carpels.

Legumes represent a pod fruit with one carpel.

Follicles represent a single ovary that splits along a single seam.

Plants with edible fruit-like structures are not technically fruit, but are used culinarily as such.

• "Center for New Crops". Purdue University.
• "Fruits of Warm Climates". Purdue University.
• Rare Fruit Growers of California with Common fruit names Archived 2020-02-19 at the Wayback Machine
• Fruits of the world. Directory of fruits in French