It’s fun to think of names of fruits that start with D. Dragon fruit would surely be the most straightforward answer, right?
You might think there might only be less than five fruits beginning with the letter D growing in some parts of the world. However, that’s not true at all. We can reveal more than a dozen of them, actually!
Just read on and learn the following:
- Get to know 13 fruits that start with D.
- Know what they are, their taste, benefits, and how they are eaten or prepared.
Are you ready to find out the answers?
Then, let’s get to it!
List of Fruits That Start With D
1. Dragon Fruit
The first one on our list of fruits that start with D is the dragon fruit, also known as pitahaya. It is a fruit of the cactus species that are indigenous to the American regions. (*)
These days, dragon fruits are now cultivated in different tropical regions.
In Asia, it is dubbed as the “strawberry pear.” In Central America, it is called pitaya.
The scientific name of dragon fruit is Hylocereus undatus.
This is a vine-like cactus species generally grown for its fruit or sold as a night-flowering ornamental plant.
Taste
The flesh of ripe dragon fruit has a mild sweetness, and it tastes like pear and kiwi when combined, while the texture is akin to a ripe kiwi.
The seeds of the dragon fruit are edible as well. It adds a nutty flavor to the fruit when you eat them.
On the other hand, the underripe dragon fruit is flavorless.
Benefits
Dragon fruits are good sources of fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, and magnesium. It also contains antioxidants that can protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals and fight conditions like premature aging and cancer.
How To Eat
Dragon fruits are best eaten raw.
Here are a few tips on what you can do before eating dragon fruit. Just choose which of our recommendations you prefer to do with your fruit.
- Peel the skin, then cut them into sections.
- Slice them in half and scoop out the flesh. It is like how you eat avocados – eat the flesh and discard the skin.
On the other hand, you can actually grill the dragon fruit. We suggest you try cooking them over the flames!
2. Double Coconut Fruit
Second, the double coconut fruit on our list of fruits that start with D.
The double coconut is under the palm family. Its scientific name is Lodoicea maldivica. (*)
Double coconuts get their name from their appearance – they look like a pair of buttocks!
They are considered one of the rarest coconuts in the world, which you can only find in the Seychelles Islands – Praslin and Curieuse.
The local names of double coconuts are Coco De Mer or the sea coconut.
Guess what? Doube coconuts take about 10 years for them to ripen! Now, it is classified as an endangered species.
Taste
The edible part of the double coconut is the endosperm. It is a succulent and delicious fruit!
A young double coconut contains a sweet jelly-like component that pleasantly melts in the mouth.
Benefits
A decoction of the double coconut’s husk and kernel shows that it can help reduce the quantity of sugar in the urine of diabetic people.
The kernel of the double coconut is used as a medicine to reduce fever. It can also help in the treatment of Vata and Kapha, acute diarrhea, colic, cholera, hyperdipsia, and edema.
How To Eat
You need to open the shell using a saw in order to get the kernel. Then, carefully remove the kernel from the shell and slice them.
3. Duku Fruit
The third on our list of fruits that start with D is the duku fruit.
Duku fruit is mainly cultivated in South East Asia. It is also known as langsat, dokong, longkang, or lanzones. (*)
Its scientific name is Lansium parasiticum under the Meliaceae family.
Taste
These tiny oval-shaped fruits are pretty sour when eaten unripe.
You need to give it more time to mature for you to enjoy its pleasantly sweet, juicy, and tangy taste.
The experience is pretty much like grapefruit.
Benefits
The duku fruit contains vitamin C, phosphorus, and iron.
It contains antioxidants that can help fight oxidative stress and support premature aging.
How To Eat
Duku fruit is usually eaten raw.
Open the fruit by squeezing it with your fingers to “break” it apart. Or, you can just simply peel the rind off.
You will see a few with fleshy and juicy segments with a seed inside each. Just take a bite of the flesh and put the seeds aside.
4. Desert Fig Fruit (Desert King Fig)
Another one on our list of fruits that start with D is the desert fig fruit or the desert king fig.
The scientific name of the desert fig is Ficus platypoda of the Moraceae family. (*)
Desert figs or Desert king figs are mainly found growing in Australia’s Northern and Central regions. They’re also grown in some parts of the USA.
Yes, the desert king fig grows well in highly elevated regions with colder climates.
This self-pollinating plant has a dark-green fruit with strawberry-red flesh.
Taste
The fruit has strawberry-red flesh that’s delicious and nutritious.
The taste of desert fig is akin to mulberries and strawberries. Plus, they’re sweeter than the breba fruit.
Benefits
Figs can give you fiber, potassium, magnesium, vitamin K, vitamin B6, and thiamin.
How To Eat
The best way to enjoy fig fruit is to eat them fresh. You can also try cooking the fig fruits by grilling, baking, or broiling.
5. Desert Lime Fruit
Fifth on our list of fruits that start with D is the desert lime.
Desert limes are classified as true citrus fruit and a thorny shrub species found in Australia.
Its scientific name is Citrus glauca.
In the past, desert lime fruits were only gathered in the wild by the Aboriginal groups. Now, it is considered a valuable and highly prized bush food.
Taste
It has a mild sweetness because of its low sugar content, but at the same time, it can be highly acidic if eaten raw.
Benefits
Desert lime is an excellent source of calcium, vitamin C, folate, Vitamin E, lutein, and potassium.
How To Eat
Desert lime is used for its ripe fruits or fruit pulp. They’re made into marmalades, lime beverages, and succade.
6. Date Palm Tree Fruit
The date palm tree is sixth on our list of fruits that start with D.
Date palms are sweet edible fruits that are used as staples and primary sources of wealth in the agricultural deserts of the Middle East and North Africa.
The scientific name of the date palm is Phoenix dactylifera.
Taste
They’re basically sweet and fleshy, with notes of caramel flavor. Eating them feels like you’re chewing on chocolate, with hints of butterscotch, toffee, and cinnamon.
Plus, it gets sweeter if they’re dried.
Benefits
The date palm fruit contains a high amount of antioxidants and fiber. It also includes minerals that support bone health.
How To Eat
You can eat the date palm fruits fresh or dried as if they are raisins or use them as a natural sweetener or syrup.
Or, you can add them to specific recipes such as stews, salads, smoothies, and energy balls.
7. Dead Man’s Fingers Fruit
The dead man’s fingers fruit is the seventh on our list of fruits that start with D.
True to its name, the dead man’s fingers fruit is a long blue bean plant that looks like a dead finger!
Other names of the dead man’s fingers fruit are blue bean plant or blue sausage fruit. Its scientific name is Decaisnea fargesii.
Taste
You’ll be surprised that this eerie-sounding fruit is not as bad as it appears.
It has a pleasant and subtle sweetness, just like you’ll get from eating melon or cucumber.
Benefits
The name of this fruit may give you a cringe, but it is primarily cultivated for its foliage and attractive-looking bright blue fruit in China.
How To Eat
Open the fruit and just eat the pulp. Don’t eat the seeds because they are hard.
8. Damson Fruit (Damson Plum)
Next, we have the damson fruit or the damson plum tree as the eighth on our list of fruits that start with D.
The damson fruit (Prunus domesticus insititia) is also known as damask plums or jambul.
The shape of the damson fruit is oval, and its skin is blue or indigo – some varieties have purple or red skin. On the inside, the plums have yellow flesh.
Taste
The damson fruit has a sweet, sour, or tarty taste.
Benefits
Damson fruits are found to have potential health benefits.
It can improve digestion, lower cholesterol levels, protect against heart-related diseases, and boost immunity.
How To Eat
You may eat them raw, but the taste must be too tarty for your palate. Damson fruit is best used for making jams, wines, and slivovitz.
9. Date Plum
Date plum in on the ninth on our list of fruits that start with D.
Date plums (Diospyros lotus) can also be referred to as Caucasian persimmon or lilac persimmon.
You can find date plum trees growing in subtropical southwest Asia and southeast Europe.
Taste
These small fruits have a taste that will remind you of plums and dates combined.
Benefits
Date plums contain potent antioxidants which can combat free radicals and serve as an anti-cancer agent.
How To Eat
You can eat date plum fruit raw and use them to make jams, cakes, and pies.
10. Dekopon Fruit
We have the dekopon fruit as the tenth on our list of fruits that start with D.
The dekopon fruit is an orange variety of the Kiyomi x ponkan (C. unshiu x Sinensis) x C. poonensis) hybrid parentage developed in Japan.
Dekopon is known for its distinct sweet taste and large size. They’re considered a very large-sized mandarin.
Taste
If you like sweet oranges, then the dekopon one must be the sweetest you’ll ever have, as if you are eating candy.
After all, dekopons are recognized as the most delicious citrus fruit as of this time.
Benefits
The dekopon fruit can meet 100 percent of your daily recommended intake for Vitamin C!
Furthermore, it’s a low-calorie that also contains dietary fiber, potassium, and Vitamin A.
How To Eat
Just peel and eat it like any kind of orange.
11. Dabai Fruit
The eleventh on our list of fruits that start with D is the dabai fruit.
The dabai fruit (Canarium odontophyllum) is a native of Borneo, Sabah, and Brunei.
The skin of the dabai fruit is black and glossy, while its flesh is yellow.
Taste
If seasoned with salt or soy sauce, the dabai fruit will remind you of the taste of avocados.
Benefits
The dabai fruit is rich in antioxidants, magnesium, calcium, and fatty acids.
How To Eat
You can eat the flesh and the seeds of the dabai fruit.
But first, you need to soak the ripe fruit in warm water for about 15 minutes to soften it.
Then, eat it with salt or soy sauce as a savory snack.
12. Discovery apple
We have the Discovery apple as the twelfth on our list of fruits that start with D.
The Discovery apple (Malus Domestica) is possibly from a Worcester Pearmain x Beauty of Bath hybrid parentage.
These are small-sized apples that have cream, pale yellow, or white flesh.
They’re commercially produced on a small scale in the United Kingdom.
Taste
Discovery apples are more acidic rather than sweet. The flesh gives off a hint of strawberry flavor too.
Benefits
Discovery apples are rich in vitamin C, dietary fiber, and iron.
How To Eat
You can eat them fresh like any ordinary apple. They can also be used for making juice or adding them to your baked goods.
13. Desert Quandong
Last but the least is the desert quandong!
Desert quandong (Santalum acuminatum) or native peach native to Australia’s arid and semi-arid areas. (*)
For thousands of years, the desert quandong fruit has served as a traditional staple food of the central Australian Aborigine people.
Taste
The flesh of the quandong fruit is a bit tart. But when the fruit has reached its full maturity, you’ll experience a pleasant taste of apricots, peaches, and rhubarb combined.
Benefits
The quandong fruit contains 2x more vitamin C than oranges!
How To Eat
You can eat the ripe ones raw or have them dried for future use.
Final Thoughts
There you have it. That’s more than a dozen fruits starting with the letter D! Maybe there are some of the fruits here that you want to add to your fruit bowl too!
Do you know other names of fruits beginning with the letter D besides the abovementioned ones?
Please do share them with us!
After checking a list of fruits with names starting with the letter D, you might also want to check another fruits name list:
A, B, C, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, R, Q, S, T, U, V, X, Y, Z.
