So picture this. You’re sitting in the car with your family on what may well be the most boring trip of the decade. When suddenly, your family member asks ‘how many fruits can you think of that begin with I?’
You’re a little bit stumped - after all, are there even many fruits that begin with I? As it turns out, there are quite a few! You may not be able to name many off the top of your head, but if you feel like cheating a little, we have a few answers that you can use to wow anyone on a boring family road trip!
Now, it’s easy enough to conjure up a couple of fruits that begin with A or B, or even C. Are you really going to impress people by listing ‘apple’ or ‘banana’ though? It’s a lot harder to figure out the names of fruits that are beginning with I. In fact, there are a few of them on this list that you may never have even heard from!
There’s one major reason that you may not be familiar with some of the fruits mentioned on this list. It’s because a lot of them are tropical fruits that have come from different locations across the globe. They’re very tasty though, and some of them are even superfoods, packed with a bunch of great nutritional benefits.
Without further ado, here are just a few delicious fruits that are beginning with the letter I - all ready for your next car ride or pub quiz!
Some Fruits Beginning With the Letter I
1. Ice Cream Bean Fruit
This may seem obvious, but ice cream bean fruit isn’t actually made of ice cream! The fruit is otherwise known as Inga Edulis, so it begins with an I no matter which way you look at it. This delicious fruit was born in Peru.
It has a rather obscure look, resembling a large runner bean. These fruits can get pretty large too. In fact, there are some people that have grown ice cream bean fruits measuring up to 2 meters long. Not something that you would see with your average banana, right?
You hardly need to take a long time to figure out what this fruit tastes like, either. Grab a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you have a pretty good indication of what this fruit tastes like. All you need to do is toss the outer husk to the side to reveal pulpy, soft and delectable seeds.
If you’ve ever wanted to eat ice cream but with a bunch of extra nutritional goodness, this is the fruit for you!
2. Ilama Fruit
No, this isn’t a little fuzzy creature that needs anger management counselling - it begins with an i, so it’s not a llama! The Ilama fruit comes from Central America.
In terms of appearance, it resembles a rather large lychee. Inside, you’ll have a delectable fruit - your mouth will be watering to have more after just one bite! There are a few different versions of this fruit, similar to a watermelon.
For instance, you can get a very sweet variation by trying the pale white ilama fruit, which is known as the ‘green’ llama. On the other hand, if you prefer to eat something bitter then you can try the pink ilama.
3. Illawarra Plum Fruit
This delicious, sweet fruit is usually located in Australia. It looks like a rather large blueberry, but it’s nothing like it in terms of flavor. You can probably guess what this fruit tastes like. If you choose a plum, then you’re right!
The taste of the illawarra plum fruit resembles that of a plum, and you can even use it in similar dishes . If you don’t want to cook it and turn it into jelly by adding a little bit of sugar, you can eat the delicious fruit completely raw!
It’s a wonderful, exotic fruit that can make a great snack if you can get your hands on it.
4. Imbe Fruit
This wonderful fruit comes from Africa. It looks a little like a strange combination between a mango and a cherry.
It is often somewhat difficult to find these fruits as they are a little fragile. It’s hard to transport them from one place to another since the skin is incredibly delicate. Recently, the fruit has started to be grown in Florida since the climate is fantastic for helping to ripen the fruit.
The plant is pretty hard wearing too. The fruit resembles plums in flavow, and the sweetness is somewhat watery. It makes a great snack!
5. Indian Fig Fruit
You may not think that a fruit that looks like a combination between a pear and a cactus would taste great, but it does! The Indian Fig Fruit is a great fruit, so long as you use a thick pair of gloves and have the patience of a saint to get the fruit out of the tough shell.
The fruit tastes similar to a strawberry in many respects, and you could even turn it into a gorgeous fruit preserve. If you’re fancying a fruity beverage, you can also turn the Indian Fig Fruit into a nice drink if you put it in grain alcohol.
6. The Indian Almond Fruit
Here’s one word of advice when it comes to this fruit - it is not a good idea to make it into any kind of jelly. This fruit is otherwise known as a sea almond. Why? Well, try to put this fruit into water and you’ll notice that it will start floating!
If you’re allergic to nuts but you still really want to experience a nutty flavor, then you should try the Indian Almond Fruit. The fruit inside is encased in a hardy pulp that helps to protect it from the elements as it is growing.
It needs to be hard wearing, since it is grown in places such as Florida that is often subject to things like monsoons and heavy amounts of rainfall.
7. Indian Gooseberry Fruit
As the name suggests, the Indian Gooseberry Fruit is essentially a slightly larger version of a gooseberry. It even has a similar taste.
It contains a bunch of health benefits too, including antioxidants, it’s high in vitamin C and you will also get lots of calcium and iron from it. It can be hard to acquire, but fear not - you can often get it as a juice and it will still have plenty of health benefits.
8. Indian Jujube Fruit
There are a number of different purposes for the Indian Jujube fruit. You can dry them up like raisins - it’s a popular way of eating them! Some people believe that when you eat this fruit, you are relieving your stress and anxiety levels.
Apparently, they can also be used as a natural way to cure insomnia. You’ll also get lots of minerals and vitamins from eating it, which is always a bonus.
9. Indian Prune Fruit
Prune juice is well known for its spectacular nutritional values. This particular fruit, however, originates from India and it’s super popular. It looks very little like what you would usually expect a prune to look like - instead, it’s more like a very large cranberry.
They are red in appearance at first, but they become more blue as they start to become ripe. They taste very sweet, and the texture is chewy and sticky so it’s enjoyable to eat. As anticipated, the fruit has an abundance of health benefits.
Be warned though, these fruits are natural laxatives. If you’re going to eat a lot of them, it’s a good idea to be near a bathroom!
Conclusion
That’s a pretty long list of fruits beginning with the letter I, wouldn’t you say? It can be hard to find some of them, but if you can, it’s certainly worthwhile to give them a try!
