Though many Thai fruit get exported around the globe there’s nothing like consuming them right here.
I arrived in Thailand in October and I heard that it was “fruit season.” This stunned me as a result of often tropical fruits have a number of seasons in a yr. And lots of fruits will be harvested all yr spherical.
I didn’t query it as a result of I used to be consuming so many scrumptious, candy unique fruit and it did appear to be peak season!
Thai Fruit Season
Most Thailand fruits are in season Might-September.
I arrived in mid-October to search out a number of fruit nonetheless in season. In spite of everything fruit timber don’t shut up store simply because it’s October 1st.
However the fact is fruits in Thailand can be found all yr spherical, though not all can be found you’ll discover loads to eat.
33 Thai Fruits You’ll Love
If you happen to wish to plan your vacation round particular fruit to strive listed below are 33 of the most effective fruit in Thailand and when they’re in season.
Mangosteen – มังคุด (mang-kut)
The nationwide fruit of Thailand is Mangosteen and it is usually often called the Queen of Fruits.
It’s beloved around the globe and often called the mangostino fruit in Colombia.
This small, spherical fruit has a tough purple shell and a candy, tangy taste.
It may be intimidating for westerners as they don’t know methods to open the rugged exterior. However merely squash it between your arms and peel to disclose the pods.
However don’t chunk in as they’ve a seed. Like a lychee or rambutan put it in your mouth and suck off the flesh.
It’s well worth the effort. There’s a cause it’s the nationwide fruit.
Scientific Title: Garcinia mangostana
Dietary Advantages: Mangosteen is excessive in antioxidants, vitamin C, and fiber.
Mangosteen Season in Thailand: Might to September
Santol – กระท้อน (kra-thon)
Santol is named wild mangosteen and appears extra like a peach, however has the identical robust rind {that a} common mangosteen has.
This Thai fruit is spherical, yellow with a thick, fibrous rind and a candy, tangy inside.
It has a creamy candy taste that’s only a bit tart, virtually like a peach. It isn’t straightforward to search out this fruit in Thailand so if you happen to see it, seize it!
Scientific Title: Sandoricum koetjape
Different Frequent Names: Wild mangosteen
Dietary Advantages: Santol is excessive in vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.
Santol Season in Thailand: Might to September
Durian – ทุเรียน (thu-rian)
If we begin with the Queen we additionally should point out the King of Fruits in Thailand. Durian is a big, spiky fruit with a creamy texture and a robust, pungent odor.
The odor is so robust in lots of international locations in South East Asia there are indicators indicating you may’t enter the constructing with it.
I’ve tried durian many instances and discover the yellow ones are extra fruity than the white. And truly Thai durians are my favorite to date.
My recommendation is if you happen to don’t like one maintain making an attempt. There are a lot of types of durian, similar to apples. And each nation is a bit totally different.
Scientific Title: Durio zibethinus L
Dietary Advantages: Durian is excessive in vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.
Durian Season in Thailand: Might to September.
Rambutan – เงาะ (ngaw)
Rambutan is a small, pink fruit with a spiky exterior and a candy, juicy inside.
It’s eaten contemporary and often offered on branches. However as soon as reduce the Thai fruits not ripen so it’s finest to search for vibrant pink juicy fruit.
Yow will discover rambutan all around the world, even so far as Central America the place they’re a standard fruit in Guatemala recognized by the identical title.
Scientific Title: Nephelium lappaceum
Dietary Advantages: Rambutan is excessive in vitamin C, iron, and calcium.
Season in Thailand: Might to September
Longan – ลำไย (lam-yai)
Longan is a small, spherical fruit with a skinny, brown shell and a candy, juicy inside. It’s eaten contemporary and once more fruits in Thailand usually offered in markets on their branches.
Scientific Title: Dimocarpus longan
Different Frequent Names: Dragon’s Eye
Dietary Advantages: Longan is excessive in vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium.
Longan Season in Thailand: Might to September
Jackfruit – ขนุน (ka-nun)
Jackfruit is a big, inexperienced or yellow fruit with a spiky exterior and a candy, fleshy inside crammed with giant seeds.
It seems like an enormous durian. Often it will likely be reduce into manageable items on the market as it’s so giant,
It is vitally candy like a fruit cocktail when contemporary. However it is usually standard in savory dishes and customary replaces “pulled pork” in vegan dishes.
It’s so standard you may even get it in 7-11 however it’s inferior to when offered out there.
Scientific Title: Artocarpus heterophyllus
Different Frequent Names: jak, jaca, khanun, khnor, maki mi, might mi, and mit, nangka, yaca
Dietary Advantages: Jackfruit is excessive in vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.
Jackfruit Season in Thailand: July to October
Pomelo – ส้มโอ (som-o)
Pomelo is a big, inexperienced fruit with a thick, spongy pores and skin and a candy, tangy taste.
It’s comparable, however not the identical as a grapefruit nor as bitter.. And it’s fairly giant, and will be the scale of a volleyball.
For that reason many fruit markets in Thailand will break it down into parts which are able to eat.
Scientific Title: Citrus maximus
Different Frequent Names: Citrus-maxima, citrus grandis, citrus decumana, shaddock, pummelo
Dietary Advantages: Pomelo is excessive in vitamin C, potassium and fiber.
Pomelo Season in Thailand: November to March
Thai White Guava – ฝรั่ง (farang)
Guava is a small, spherical fruit with a inexperienced or yellow pores and skin and a candy, juicy inside.
It’s eaten contemporary or utilized in desserts and drinks.
Though many individuals are accustomed to the gentle pink inside of guavas just like the Peruvian fruit selection.
However the white guava in Thailand is crunchy with a white or mild inexperienced inside.
Scientific Title: Psidium guajava
Different Frequent Names: Guayaba
Dietary Advantages: Guava is excessive in vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.
Guava Season in Thailand: Might to September
Sapodilla – ละมุด (lam-ud)
Sapodilla is a small, brown fruit with a candy, caramel-like taste and a fleshy inside. It’s eaten contemporary and is a typical fruit in Thailand but additionally Latin America.
It’s one among my favourites as a result of it doesn’t have a candy fruit style. I first had this Thailand fruit in Mexico and was blown away.
It’s like an apple pie cooked in brown sugar and molasses. It appears unusual at first however value making an attempt.
Scientific Title: Manilkara zapota
Different Frequent Names: chicozapote, chicoo, chicle, naseberry, nispero, sapodilla sapote, soapapple
Dietary Advantages: Might to September
Sapodilla Season in Thailand: Sapodilla is excessive in vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.
Black sapote – ลำไยดำ (lam-yai dam)
Black sapote is a inexperienced or brown fruit with a gentle, custard-like flesh and some giant seeds. These Thai fruits are eaten contemporary or utilized in desserts.
Just like sapodilla the style is shocking and so is the feel. They are often fairly gentle when ripe and style like a candy caramel pudding.
Scientific Title: Diospyros nigra
Different Frequent Names: Black persimmon, chocolate pudding fruit
Dietary Advantages: Black sapote is excessive in vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants.
Black Sapote Season in Thailand: October to December
Makok or Mombins – มะกอก (ma-gok)
Makok is a small, spherical fruit with a tough, inexperienced shell and a candy, juicy inside.
They’re bitter to allow them to be eaten uncooked however usually become jams and jellies. And they’re additionally fed to pigs in lots of international locations which is why they’re additionally referred to as hog plums.
Scientific Title: Spondias pinnata
Different Frequent Names: Hog plum, Java plum, kedondong in Indonesia
Dietary Advantages: Makok is excessive in vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.
Makok Season in Thailand: Might to September
Mangaba – มังคะบาว (mang-kabaow)
Mangaba is a spherical, yellow fruit with a thick, fibrous rind and a candy, juicy inside crammed with seeds. It’s eaten contemporary.
Mangaba shouldn’t be a local fruit of Thailand. These are standard Brazilian fruits, the place they’re extensively grown and consumed.
It’s grown in Thailand as a tropical fruit, however it’s not as extensively obtainable as it’s troublesome to develop.
The tree can be used for a sort of latex in Brazil and so to make sure the fruit doesn’t have any rubbery type of flavour it must be so ripe it virtually falls to the bottom.
Scientific Title: Hancornia speciosa
Dietary Advantages: Mangaba is excessive in vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.
Mangaba Season in Thailand: June to August
Starfruit – มะเฟือง (ma-feuang)
Starfruit is a small, yellow fruit with a star-shaped cross-section and a candy, tangy taste.
It’s eaten contemporary and in drinks however could be very tart so usually mixed with sugar. It’s one of the crucial standard fruits in Costa Rica, a rustic with an analogous tropical local weather.
Scientific Title: Averrhoa carambola
Different Frequent Names: Carambola
Dietary Advantages: Star fruit is excessive in vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.
Starfruit Season in Thailand: Might to September
Kaffir lime – มะกรูด (ma-krut)
Kaffir lime is a small, inexperienced fruit with a tart, tangy taste and a aromatic peel. It’s utilized in savory dishes and is obtainable year-round.
The time period “kaffir” is taken into account a derogatory and offensive time period in lots of components of the world, particularly in South Africa, the place it was used as a racial slur towards black individuals throughout the apartheid period.
In Thailand, the time period “kaffir lime” remains to be used to check with the fruit, however you will need to notice that the time period shouldn’t be used as a racial slur in Thai language or tradition.
Nevertheless, as a result of unfavorable connotations related to the time period in different components of the world, some individuals choose to make use of different names for the fruit, equivalent to “makrut lime” or “Thai lime.”
Scientific Title: Citrus hystrix
Different Frequent Names: Makrut lime, Ok Lime,
Dietary Advantages: Kaffir lime is excessive in vitamin C, calcium, and potassium.
Kaffir Lime Season in Thailand: All yr spherical.
Dragon fruit – แก้วมังกร (kaew-mang-kon)
Dragon fruit is a big, pink or yellow fruit with a white, juicy inside and black seeds.
It’s eaten contemporary and customary in juices in Thailand.
I have to admit I by no means preferred dragonfruit till consuming it in South East Asia. In Canada it tastes so bland and so I believed it was a reasonably fruit with no style.
Though it was additionally one among my favorite Ecuadorian fruits, so possibly the issue is exporting it to Canada.
Dragonfruit from Thailand tastes like a contemporary kiwi pear combine and undoubtedly value consuming.
Scientific Title: Selenicereus undatus
Different Frequent Names: Pitaya or pitahaya
Dietary Advantages: Dragon fruit is excessive in vitamin C, iron, and fiber.
Dragonfruit Season in Thailand: Might to September
Rose apple – ชมพู่ (chom-phu)
Rose apple is a small, spherical fruit with a pink or inexperienced pores and skin and a crisp, juicy inside.
I first found rose apple on a Jamaican fruits tour the place they name it Otaheite (pronounced O-Tahiti) apple or Malay rose apple, mountain apple, coco plum and Ethiopia apple.
It seems like an apple however feels extra like a spongy fleshed pear and is filled with refreshing fruit juice.
Scientific Title: Syzygium jambos
Different Frequent Names: ,Jambu air mawar, jambu mawar, jambu kraton, jambu kelampok, jambu mawer, malabar plum
Dietary Advantages: Rose apple is excessive in vitamin C, potassium, and calcium.
Rose Apple Season in Thailand: Might to September
Tamarind – มะขาม (ma-kham)
Tamarind is a small, brown fruit with a bitter, tangy taste and a sticky pulp.
It’s utilized in savory dishes and standard in fish dishes within the south influenced by Malaysia and Indonesian delicacies.
Tamarind can be a well-liked ingredient in Latin American delicacies and is a generally used Nicaraguan fruit.
Scientific Title: Tamarindus indica
Different Frequent Names: asam, asam jawa, Indian date, tamarindo
Dietary Advantages: Tamarind is excessive in vitamin C, potassium, and iron.
Tamarind Season in Thailand: Might to September
Snakefruit – สละ (sa-lar)
Salak is a small, brown fruit with a scaly exterior and a candy, tangy taste. It’s eaten contemporary and tastes like a mixture of strawberry, kiwi, banana.
To eat merely choose of the scaly pores and skin and chunk across the pit.
Scientific Title: Salacca zalacca
Different Frequent Names: luk rakam, rakum palm fruit, ridan, salak
Dietary Advantages: Snakefruit is excessive in vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.
Snakefruit Season in Thailand: Might to September
Longkong – ลองกอง (long-gong)
Longkong is a small, spherical fruit with a skinny, yellow pores and skin and a candy, juicy inside.
It’s distinctive to South East Asia and customary in Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and is without doubt one of the hottest Indonesian fruits.
If it’s an excellent ripe langsat the flavour is sort of a grape lychee.
Just like a lychee or rambutan you take away the pores and skin and suck the candy flesh off the pit.
Scientific Title: Lansium domesticum
Different Frequent Names: duku, langsat, lanzones
Dietary Advantages: Langsat is excessive in vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.
Longkong Season in Thailand: Might to September
Mango – มะม่วง (ma-muang)
Mango is a big, yellow fruit with a candy, juicy inside and a big, flat seed.
In Thailand you’ll discover mangos used as each candy fruit and in bitter, unripe preparations.
Whereas there are various sorts of mangoes they’re often types of two distinct genetic populations often called both Indian or South East Asian.
Scientific Title: Mangifera indica
Dietary Advantages: Mango is excessive in vitamin C, vitamin A, and fiber.
Mango Season in Thailand: February to finish of July
Custard apple – น้อยหน่า (noi-na)
Custard apple is a big, inexperienced fruit with a candy, creamy inside and huge black seeds.
Mark Twain as soon as stated it’s the most scrumptious fruit recognized to man. It tastes like a mixture of pineapple and banana. It’s implausible eaten uncooked, as slices or in a smoothie.
Many cultures imagine in its therapeutic properties. These fruits in Thailand have cytotoxins many individuals suppose fight every thing from malaria to most cancers.
Outdoors South East Asia it’s widespread all through Latin America and a beloved Cuban fruit and Chilean fruit.
Scientific Title: Annona squamosa
Different Frequent Names: Atis, cherimoya, sweetsop, sugar apple
Dietary Advantages: Custard apple is excessive in vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.
Custard Apple Season in Thailand: Might to September
Watermelon – แตงโม (taeng-mo)
Thai watermelon are one of the crucial refreshing methods to chill down on a sizzling day.
Road distributors have loads on ice and if you happen to’re fortunate you may select between the standard pink and the unique yellow selection.
Scientific Title: Citrullus lanatus
Dietary Advantages: Watermelon is excessive in vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.
Watermelon Season in Thailand: All yr spherical.
Buddha’s hand – มะกรูดฝรั่ง (ma-krut farang)
Buddha’s hand is a aromatic, finger-like fruit with a yellow pores and skin and no pulp or juice. The rind or fruit zest is mostly used.
Pure drugs docs in Thailand have used the peel of the Thai fruit for a wide range of functions and far of its medical properties have been confirmed by formal analysis.
A enjoyable reality is that it is without doubt one of the hottest Vietnam fruits though nobody ever eats it.
It could be thought-about disrespectful to Buddha so as an alternative it’s an providing on the alter.
Scientific Title: Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis
Different Frequent Names: Fingered citron
Dietary Advantages: Buddha’s hand is excessive in vitamin C, antioxidants, and fiber.
Buddha’s Fingers Season in Thailand: October to December.
Coconut – มะพร้าว (ma-prao)
Coconut is a big, brown fruit with a tough, fibrous exterior and a white, juicy inside. It’s eaten contemporary or utilized in savory dishes and is obtainable year-round.
In southern Thailand coconuts are an effective way to beat the warmth and replenish electrolytes.
Coconut milk can be a typical ingredient in curries right here as delicacies has been influenced by neighbouring Malaysia and Indonesia.
Scientific Title: Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis
Dietary Advantages: Coconut is excessive in fiber, iron, and potassium.
Coconut Season in Thailand: All yr spherical.
Soursop – ทุเรียนไทย (thu-rian thai)
Soursop is a inexperienced, spiky fruit with a creamy, white inside crammed with black seeds. It’s eaten contemporary or utilized in desserts.
It type of seems like durian however isn’t smelly in any respect. As an alternative soursop tastes like a fruit cocktail of pear, banana and strawberry.
Many individuals around the globe imagine it’s a tremendous fruit with most cancers curing properties
It’s initially from Central America and is a typical all through Latin America and it’s a well-liked fruit within the Philippines.
Scientific Title: Annona muricata
Different Frequent Names: Guanabana, guayabano, graviola, Brazilian paw paw
Dietary Advantages: Soursop is excessive in vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants.
Soursop Season in Thailand: June to August
Lychee – ลิ้นจี่ (lin-chi)
Lychee is a small, spherical fruit with a tough, pink exterior and a candy, juicy inside.
To eat simply pinch the fruit to interrupt the pores and skin and pop it into your mouth. Suck the candy fruit off the pit, which is concerning the dimension of an almond.
Lychees have a vibrant flavour virtually like strawberry and pear, which is why they’re so widespread in desserts and even cocktails.
Scientific Title: Litchi chinensis
Dietary Advantages: Lychee is excessive in vitamin C, potassium and fiber.
Lychee Season in Thailand: March to Might
Breadfruit – ปลาร้า (pla-ra)
Breadfruit is a big, inexperienced fruit with a starchy, bread-like inside. It’s a wholesome starch different and may develop effectively in locations near the equator.
I first found breadfruit on Maui the place it is named ulu.
When overripe it is sort of a scrumptious fruit pudding, however when ripe it may be used to interchange starch for a low glycemic alterative.
You possibly can bake, fry and cook dinner this Thailand fruit. It may be used as an alternative choice to potatoes, yuca and different tubers.
Scientific Title: Artocarpus altilis
Different Frequent Names: buen pan, jeev kadge phodi, kadachakka varuthath, kamansi, masapan, kamansi, panapén, pana
Dietary Advantages: Breadfruit is excessive in fiber, vitamin C, and potassium.
Breadfruit Season in Thailand: June to August
Star Gooseberry – มะยม (ma yohm)
Star gooseberry is a small, inexperienced fruit with a tart, tangy taste and a juicy inside.
Though the title is gooseberry it doesn’t really style like one. Nevertheless it’s tart and a bit bitter.
Due to these flavors it’s utilized in som tam, ma-yom chuam and infrequently picked or boiled.
That is additionally a typical fruit in Trinidad and Tobago, often called bitter cherry and infrequently cooked with ginger and sugar in a stew.
Scientific Title: Phyllanthus acidus
Different Frequent Names: arbari, grosella, Malay gooseberry, Otaheite gooseberry, starberry, Tahitian gooseberry, West India gooseberry
Dietary Advantages: Star gooseberry is excessive in vitamin C, iron, and calcium.
Star Gooseberry Season in Thailand: January
Papaya – มะละกอ (ma-la-gor)
Papaya is a big, orange fruit with a candy, juicy inside and black seeds. It’s eaten contemporary and infrequently the primary ingredient in Thai salads equivalent to som tum.
Papaya is present in most tropical climates from South East Asia all the way in which to Central America the place it’s a standard fruit in Panama.
Scientific Title: Carica papaya
Different Frequent Names: Fruta bomba
Dietary Advantages: Papaya is excessive in vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.
Season in Thailand: All yr spherical.
Banana – กล้วย (kluai)
Vacationers usually snub their nostril on the banana as a result of they’ll eat it at dwelling.
However there’s nothing like consuming a banana within the nation it was grown. And these Thailand fruits are proof of it.
The plain Cavendish selection you’ve at dwelling can have a lot extra taste. However step it up and in addition strive the child bananas which are sometimes too fragile to be exported.
They may make you rethink the lowly banana standing.
Scientific Title: Musa
Dietary Advantages: Banana is excessive in vitamin C, potassium and fiber.
Banana Season in Thailand: All Yr Spherical
Golden berry – โทงเทงฝรั่ง
Golden berry is a small, yellow fruit with a papery husk and a candy, tart taste.
It’s eaten contemporary and utilized in desserts. It’s unique from South America and infrequently referred to as Peruvian floor cherry or aguaymanto fruit in Argentina.
Scientific Title: Physalis peruviana
Different Frequent Names: Peruvian floor cherry
Dietary Advantages: Golden berry is excessive in vitamin C, antioxidants, and fiber.
Golden Berry Season in Thailand: Might to August
21 AWESOME: South American Fruits
Tangerine – ส้มเขียวหวาน (som-khiew-wan)
Tangerine is a small, orange fruit with a skinny, easy-to-peel pores and skin and a candy, juicy inside. It’s standard as a result of it’s straightforward to peel and smaller than an everyday orange.
Scientific Title: Citrus reticulata
Different Frequent Names: Mandarin orange
Dietary Advantages: Tangerine is excessive in vitamin C, folate, and fiber.
Tangerine Season in Thailand: November to January
Phuket pineapple – สัปปะรดภูเก็ต (sap-parot-phuket)
Phuket pineapple, or “สัปปะรดภูเก็ต” in Thai, is a sort of pineapple that’s native to the Phuket province in southern Thailand.
This Southern Thailand fruit is small, yellow with a candy, juicy inside and a aromatic aroma.
In comparison with common pineapple, Phuket pineapple is smaller in dimension and has a rounder form.
The pores and skin of Phuket pineapple can be thinner and smoother than common pineapple, and the flesh is extra yellow in colour.
Phuket pineapple is mostly thought-about to be sweeter and fewer acidic than common pineapple, and it’s usually utilized in desserts and smoothies in Thailand.
Though Hawaii is known for pineapple, if you happen to just like the sweetness of this fruit in Hawaii you’ll additionally just like the fruits from Thailand.
Scientific Title: Ananas comosus
Dietary Advantages: Phuket pineapple is excessive in vitamin C, manganese, and fiber.
Pineapple Season in Thailand: Might to September
