Mexican fruits are delicious! From avocado to pitaya to xócotl there’s no shortage of variety.

Mexico’s desert regions and tropical jungle have a variety of climate zones that allow for a wide range of fruits to flourish.

Scroll ahead if you’re looking to try something new or and want to learn about the fruits of Mexico!

Mexican Fruits

If you really want to experience Mexican foods, you must try these fruits!

1. Jocote

Jocote are creamy when ripe and taste like a blend of a plum and a mango, with a hint of granny apple. Consider the flavors sweet and sour. They are tart if they are not ripe!

Jocotes were used for food and medicinal purposes by people in Central America thousands of years ago. The tree’s gum was used as glue and combined with sapote or pineapple to make a jaundice treatment.

Even a green jocote can occasionally be ripe, so squeeze it with your fingers. The sweeter the flavors, the softer the fruit. Jocotes are usually eaten raw, but you can also dry them or boil them to use them in other dishes.

2. Pitaya

Pitaya and pithaya (dragon fruit) are not the same. Pitaya grows in Jalisco, Mexico. This colorful, fleshy fruit has a sweet taste.

Pitayas are often confused with pithayas due to their similarly spelled names. Pitayas grow on very tall cacti.

Due to their high water content, they spoil quickly. This makes them very perishable and very expensive.

3. Avocado

Avocados are Mexico’s national fruit. They are characterized by a dark green exterior with green flesh and a smooth hole in the center.

Avocados originated in Mexico and Central America. However, they can be grown in many parts of the world, including North America.

They are used in dishes such as guacamole, salads, tacos, smoothies and many more dishes. Avocados are also a popular choice among keto enthusiasts as they are high in healthy fats and nutrients.

4. Icaco (Cocoplum)

The Icaco fruit is also known as “Cocoplum.”

This exotic fruit is small, round, and has a vibrant purple-ish red color.

Its juicy flesh offers a unique combination of sweet and tangy flavors.

The Icaco fruit is rich in vitamins and minerals, and it’s often used in jams, jellies, and beverages.

5. Guanabana (Sour Sop)

Guanabana is native to México, Central America, South America, and Cuba. Guanabana and Jackfruit are very similar, however, there is a difference in taste and texture.

Guanabana smells like pineapple and tastes like a mix of strawberries and apples with sour citrus notes. It has a thick, creamy texture that is similar to bananas.

The outside of the fruit looks like a big avocado, if the avocado had sharp spikes all over it. It has large black seeds in its smooth, creamy white pulp. Be careful not to eat the large black seeds (they are toxic).

To eat guanabana, cut it in half and scoop out the pulp. You can also eat it raw, or add it to a smoothie.

Guanabana is also known as graviola, custard apple, or sour sop.

6. Tejocote (Mexican Hawthorn)

Tejocote is native to Mexico’s highlands. The name comes from the Nahuatl word “texocotl,” which means stone fruit.

The cream-colored fruit tastes sweet and sour, similar to plum and apricot. Tejocote is typically peeled, seeded, cooked, and then preserved in a heavy syrup laced with cinnamon for use in desserts and baked goods.

Tejocote fruits are high in vitamin C, an antioxidant that helps to strengthen the immune system, increase collagen production, and reduce inflammation. The fruits are also high in pectin, a starch that thickens preserves and sauces, and have low levels of iron, calcium, and B vitamins.

7. Guayaba (Guava)

Guayaba is a tropical fruit that grows in Mexico, Central America, and South America. It comes in yellow, pink, red, green, and other colors.

Guayabas are small, roundish fruits that look like pears. Guayabas are also known as guava.

Many people consider it to taste like a cross between a strawberry and a pear. Depending on what kind of fruit you eat, its sweetness will vary.

8. Calabaza (Pumpkin)

Pumpkins have seeds and are technically considered a fruit. The fruit is native to northeastern Mexico and the southern United States.

The oldest pumpkin seeds have been found in Mexico and date back to 7000-5550 B.C.

Pumpkins (and other squash) were an important food staple among Native Americans.

9. Xócotl

Xócotl is also known as obo, jobo, or jocote. Xocotl is the generic Nahuatl language classification for sour or acidic plums.

Examples of these plums include flowing stream plum, deer plum, large plum ciruela, yellow or red hawberries, sand plum, and serpent fruit.

10. Jicama

Jicama is technically a root vegetable. Tastes like apple but not as sweet.

Among the fruit and taco vendors on Mexican streets, you’ll likely come across someone selling jicama in a cup with chili, salt, and lime, or stuck on a stick and sprinkled with sweet and salty candied powder.

While the white meat of the vegetable has little to no flavor (it’s mostly water and starch), its apple-like texture makes it a satisfying bite to eat when covered in lime and spices.

The fruit looks like a giant brown turnip and must be peeled to reveal the white edible pulp underneath.

11. Lima (Mexican Lime)

Mexican lime is also known as Key lime, Bartender’s lime, and West Indian lime.

The lima’s rind turns yellow as it matures. It has tart and acidic profile. Lima’s are sweeter than lime with a distinctly different aroma.

Most Mexican limes are produced in the states of Guerrero, Colima, Oaxaca, Michoacán, Jalisco, Tabasco and Veracruz.

Related: 30 Best Aguas Frescas Recipes

12. Mamey

Mamey is a variety of sapote native to Mexico, Costa Rica, and Cuba. It is popular throughout Latin America.

Mamey has an oval in shape with a rough brown skin. The flesh is smooth and bright orange.

Some people compare the taste to pumpkin pie. It is a combination of the flavor of pumpkin and apricot with notes of vanilla and nutmeg.

To eat it, cut the mamey in half, remove the seeds and scoop out the pulp with a spoon. It can be eaten fresh and is also very good in ice cream and desserts.

13. Dragon Fruit

Dragon Fruit is native to southern Mexico and Central America. It is widely grown in Southeast Asia, the United States, the Caribbean and Australia.

Dragon fruit has a brightly colored skin, and sweet-tasting white flesh with tiny black seeds.

14. Nanche

In Central and South America, Nance can be found growing from the southern tip of Mexico through the Pacific side of Central America and into Peru and Brazil.

Nanche ripens from green to orange-yellow. The fruit has a thin skin that can be easily peeled.

The Nance fruit has an oily white pulp that surrounds 1 to 3 small white inedible seeds.

15. Naranjilla

It is a tropical fruit native to South America, and can be found in the southern region of Mexico. It is a round orange-yellow fruit with tomato-like pulp, but green in color. It is highly appreciated for its sweet and slightly acidic juice.

It can be eaten raw or cooked, and is often used to make cakes, jellies, jams, drinks, ice cream, and can even be fermented to make wine.

To eat it, cut the fruit in half and squeeze out the pulp. Sweet naranjilla juice is perfect to quench the summer heat with this refreshing naranjilla or lulada drink.

16. Chiltepin

Chiltepin is a small and spicy chili pepper that is commonly used in Mexican cuisine. Some chili enthusiasts argue chiltepin is hotter than habanero pepper.

It has a fruity and smoky flavor and is often used as a seasoning in salsas, soups, and stews.

17. Papaya

Papaya originated in Mesoamerica, likely in southern Mexico. It is a popular fruit for breakfast in Mexico and sometimes weigh up to 10 pounds each!

To eat a papaya, cut the fruit in half lengthwise and scoop out the small black seeds. Remove the skin and eat the flesh.

Papaya is also considered a native southern Florida fruit. It was introduced by predecessors of the Calusa before 300 CE.

18. Tomatillo

Generally known as the green tomato in Mexico, the tomatillo is a staple in Mexico’s famous sauces, both cooked and raw.

Bursting with water and flavor, tomatillos can be blended without adding any liquid and then dressed with chiles, salt, garlic, and sometimes avocado.

Their flavor is decidedly spicier than a regular tomato, probably due to the fact that while they are part of the nightshade family, they are not actually tomatoes.

Tomatillos come with small, pale green husks on the outside that need to be removed before eating, and the fruit underneath is often sticky with sap.

19. Chili Pepper

Popular Mexican chili peppers include Poblano (Ancho), jalapeño, serrano, and habanero among others.

Chili peppers are thought to have originated in Central or South America. and were first grown in Mexico.

There are many different varieties of chili peppers, ranging in size, color, and heat. Chili peppers can be used in a variety of dishes, both cooked and raw.

They are a popular ingredient in salsa and other Mexican sauces. Chili peppers can also be dried and ground into powder, which is used as a spice in many cuisines.

20. Huaya

Huaya (or guaya) is a Mexican fruit that belongs to the Sapotaceae family.

It is also known as sapote and is native to Central America, specifically in the countries of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

The fruit has a brown or black skin with a white or yellowish flesh. It has a sweet taste and is often used in desserts.

21. Xoconostle

The xoconostle is a type of prickly pear cactus that is native to Mexico.

It has a sour and tangy taste, making it a popular ingredient in many Mexican dishes.

The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked, and is often used in sauces, salsas, and marmalades.

22. Tuna (Prickly Pear)

They taste similar to a sweet and extra tasty watermelon and are preferably eaten cold.

They are found in a range of colors and sweetness levels, depending on the specific variety and when in the season they are harvested.

It has a similar texture to pitaya or kiwi, and has a mild, watery sweetness that is ideal for use in jams, sauces, juices, and desserts, or on its own.

The fruit is harvested from the aforementioned prickly pear cactus that grows in the Mexican desert.

23. Chayote

It’s common to see chayote in Mexican dishes, whether it’s cooked as a side dish or used as an ingredient in soups and stews.

This cucumber-like vegetable is actually a fruit, and it has a crisp texture with a mildly sweet flavor.

Chayote is native to Mexico and Central America, and it’s also known as chocho, christophine, and pear squash.

24. Sapodilla

Sapodilla is also called naseberry or chicle and is native to Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Belize, and possibly El Salvador. In coastal Yucatán, it can be found in the wild.

Sapodilla has a taste all its own, which makes it a great way to get to know other sapote fruits. This one is very sweet and tastes like brown sugar, sweet potatoes, and pears. They also have a texture like pearls and a rich molasses taste that is often called “malty”.

To find out if a Sapodilla is ripe, gently scratch off some of its brown fuzz. If the skin underneath is green, it isn’t ripe. If it’s brown and slightly soft, it’s ready. Most of the time, you cut a sapodilla fruit in half and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh.

25. Yellow Sapote

Yellow sapote is native to Mexico and Central America. It has a round or oval shape and a smooth, yellow skin.

When ripe, the flesh of the yellow sapote is creamy and custard-like, with a sweet, slightly nutty flavor.

Yellow sapotes are often eaten fresh or used in desserts, such as pies, puddings, and smoothies.

26. Mamey Sapote

Mamey sapote is native to southern Mexico. It has a round or oval shape and a smooth, brown skin. When ripe, the flesh of the mamey sapote is creamy and custard-like, with a sweet, caramel-like flavor.

Mamey sapotes are often eaten fresh or used in desserts, such as pies, puddings, and smoothies.

27. Green Sapote

Green sapote is native to lowland southern Mexico. It has a round or oval shape and a smooth, green skin.

When ripe, the flesh of the green sapote is creamy and custard-like, with a sweet, pear-like flavor.

Green sapotes are often eaten fresh or used in desserts, such as pies, puddings, and smoothies.

28. Black Sapote

Black sapote is native to eastern Mexico. It has a round or oval shape and a smooth, dark brown skin.

When ripe, the flesh of the black sapote is creamy and custard-like, with a sweet, chocolate-like flavor.

Black sapotes are often eaten fresh or used in desserts, such as pies, puddings, and smoothies.

29. Chapote

Chapote is native to the lower Rio Grande valley region in Mexico. It has a round or oval shape and a smooth, brown skin.

When ripe, the flesh of the chapote is creamy and custard-like, with a sweet, vanilla-like flavor.

Chapotes are often eaten fresh or used in desserts, such as pies, puddings, and smoothies.

30. White Sapote

White sapoteis native to northern and central Mexico.

It has a round or oval shape and a smooth, green skin. When ripe, the flesh of the white sapote is creamy and custard-like, with a sweet, banana-like flavor.

White sapotes are often eaten fresh or used in desserts, such as pies, puddings, and smoothies.

31. Sun Sapote

Sun sapote is native to southern Mexico and Central America. It has a round or oval shape and a smooth, yellow skin.

When ripe, the flesh of the sun sapote is creamy and custard-like, with a sweet, peach-like flavor.

Sun sapotes are often eaten fresh or used in desserts, such as pies, puddings, and smoothies.

32. Capulin

The capulín is a very small, round, reddish black, fleshy fruit with a small seed inside. The capulin cherry is native to Mexico from Sonora to Chiapas and Veracruz.

Capulin fruit belongs to the cherry family. It’s flavor is astringent, that is, it causes a bitter and dry sensation on the tongue.

33. Jalapeno Pepper

Jalapeno peppers are a type of chili pepper that is commonly used in Mexican cuisine. They can be used fresh, canned, or pickled. Jalapeno peppers are typically green, but they can also be red, yellow, or orange.

Jalapeno peppers have a strong, spicy flavor that is perfect for adding some heat to dishes.

When shopping for jalapeno peppers, look for ones that are bright in color and have smooth skin. Avoid peppers that are wrinkled or have blemishes.

34. Cuchinito

Cuchinito is a small, round fruit that grows on trees in Mexico. Cuchinitos are also known as exploding cucumber. It is often eaten as a vegetable.

Cuchinitos are light green and have long, soft spines all over them. When the fruit is ready, it breaks open and small seeds fly out.

The skin of the fruit is thin and smooth, and the flesh is pale yellow or white. Cuchinito has a sweet taste and a soft texture.