Can’t think of other fruits that start with J aside from jackfruit and juniper berries?
There are not only five, not even ten.
You’ll be surprised that there are more of them cultivated around the world. Let’s improve your fruit vocabulary and find out where you can find these fruits.
Now, let’s add more color to your fruit bowl.
Read on!
1. Jackfruit
First on our list is the famous exotic Asian fruit is, jackfruit.
Jackfruit or jack tree (Artocarpus heterophyllus), also known as the largest fruit of all trees, is native to India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Jackfruit has a strong, sweet, and kinda funny fragrance. The young flesh of the jackfruit is often pickled or cooked in soups when unripe. The ripe yellow flesh can be eaten raw or made into jams when it has ripened.
Guess what? A piece of this heavy fruit can weigh up to 120 pounds (55kg).
Jackfruits are rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants which help our bodies fight off diseases.
Once you slice the jackfruit in several slices, use your hands or a knife to remove the segments of fruit then just eat the fleshy parts that embrace the seeds.
The next fruit is a native to the Brazil region called jaboticaba.
2. Jaboticaba Fruit
It is also called jabuticaba, or the Brazilian grape tree, as the shape and size of the fruit are akin to grapes. The scientific name of the jaboticaba fruit is Plinia cauliflora.
The jaboticaba has a thick and purple outer dark skin (thicker than grapes), and it has a juicy gelatinous flesh that is somewhat similar to the sweetness of lychees.
The jaboticaba is rich in calcium, iron, and potassium. These are important minerals that our body needs to function normally.
You can eat jaboticaba fruit raw or extract the juice!
3. Jamaican Fruit
The renowned national Jamaican fruit is called ackee (Blighia sapida), ankye, achee, or ayee. In fact, ackee is cousins with lychee and longan belonging to the soapberry family.
The flesh of this bright red pear-shaped fruit has a nutty flavor, with a creamy and spongy texture that is similar to scrambled eggs!
It is found that the Jamaican fruit has the potential to lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, boost energy levels, support digestion, and improve immunity
However, you need to make sure to eat them ripe! Why? It contains poisonous substances that can cause potential fatalities if still unripe.
One of the fruits starting with J is the jambul fruit.
4. Jamun
Jamun or jambul fruit (Syzygium cumini) is a sweet and acidic purple berry and a popular summer fruit in India, Indonesia, and Pakistan.
To enjoy the best taste of the Jamun fruit, season it with salt before eating them. Don’t be surprised that it will leave a purple stain on your tongue!
The Jamun is rich in antioxidants, B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium, and potassium.
5. Japanese Persimmon Fruit
The Japanese persimmon variety does not only grow in Japan, but you can also find them in China and in the Himalayas region.
In Brazil, they call it the Brazilian cherry. Today, you can also find them cultivated on the shores of California.
The taste of Japanese persimmon fruit has a rich, creamy honey-like flavor with a texture that’s similar to the ordinary peach.
Japanese persimmons are used to cure headaches and body pains for thousands of years. contain vitamins A and C, and manganese.
Just slice and eat it like an apple. Yes, the Japanese persimmon is edible.
6. Japanese Plum
Japanese plums are pretty bitter when eaten before they are perfectly ripe. The smooth-skinned fruit is firm, and it turns to a dusky yellow color when it fully matures.
The Japanese plum can be likened to a combination of peach and apricot. This fruit contains a lot of pectins which makes them great for making jam.
Japanese plums are rich in fiber, potassium, and manganese. It helps treat certain digestive issues like dyspepsia and bloating.
Japanese plums are usually eaten fresh. Just peel off the skin then just bite into its flesh.
7. Jatoba Fruit
Jatoba fruit (Hymenaea courbaril) or Brazilian cherry is an oblong-shaped stinky-smelling fruit that looks the size of a toe. Yes, that’s how it gets its nickname: the stinking toe fruit. However, those who eat it are the ones who are not bothered by its stinkiness.
The stinking toe fruit or jatoba fruit has a dry and delicious edible sweet pulp encased in a hard brown shell.
Interestingly, the dried and powdered jatoba pulp is used in making cookies, crackers, and soups in the Caribbean, Central, and South American regions.
You need to break the outer shell of the Jatoba fruit using rocks or a hammer to remove the fruit. Remember to keep some water beside you since the texture of this fruit is very dry.
8. Jazz Apple
Jazz apples, a Scifresh cultivar variety, is a patented domesticated apple grown by approved US farmers. (*)
The Jazz apple is a popular fruit that has a delicious and firm flesh that does not soften when cooked.
This apple variety is the best option for making apple-flavored baked goods.
Eat it just like how you eat a fresh and crispy apple.
9. Jelly Palm Fruit
Jelly palm fruit (Butia capitata) from the Butia palm tree, is called pindo palm, coquinho-azedo or butiá in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Some countries call it palm date, wine palm, or yatay. (*)
The yellow-red cherry-shaped edible fruit of the pindo palm has a unique tart and sweet taste. It’s like combining apricot, pineapple, coconut, and banana.
The jelly palm fruit is best made into jellies or jams.
Scrub the jelly palm fruit clean before taking a bite.
10. Jitomate
If you think of tomatoes, just say jitomate! In southern Mexico, juicy tomatoes are called jitomate. In a botanical sense, tomatoes actually fall under the fruit category.
It provides a savory flavor to many types of dishes.
Jitomates are rich in lycopene which helps reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.
In the culinary world, jitomates are eaten raw or it is used as a vegetable ingredient for different dishes.
11. Jocote Fruit
Jocote of the cashew family is a yellow/purple-red thin-skinned fruit native to Central America and the Caribbean. The scientific name of the jocote fruit is Spondias purpurea.
It has juicy and sweet flesh and they are popularly used in Scandinavian cuisines. And, the taste of an unripe jocote fruit is tart and a little bit bitter.
The jocote fruit is rich in protein, fat, and fiber.
You can eat them fresh even if it is still unripe with added salt. The ripe ones are eaten like mangoes.
12. Johannisberre
Johannisberre is the German name for red or black currant fruit.
The taste of johannisnerre is akin to passion fruit with a dark berry flavor.
They’re rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, and anthocyanins that can help strengthen the immune system, soothe and treat flu symptoms.
They’re not usually eaten raw, but you can make this lemony-tasting fruit into jellies or bake with other sweet fruits.
13. Jostaberry Fruit
Blackcurrant x gooseberry is equal to jostaberry. The scientific name of the jostaberry fruit is Ribes × nidigrolaria and they are cultivated in places with cooler climates.
This cross-bred sweet, juicy, and tangy fruit is native to Germany.
Jostaberries contain rich amount of vitamin C, antioxidants, and anti-fungal properties.
You can eat them raw or use them for making jams, jellies, and pie fillings.
14. Jujube Fruit
Jujube fruit, also known as the Chinese date, is mainly cultivated in some parts of Southern Asia. The scientific name of jujube is Ziziphus jujuba.
The jujube fruit turns dark red or purple and wrinkly when it ripens.
In Chinese medicine, jujube fruit has a couple of potential health benefits. It is used to help decrease anxiety and even cure insomnia. It contains antioxidants phytochemicals that can provide sedative effects.
Fresh jujube fruits taste somewhat like sweet apples. When dried, it has a taste and chewy texture similar to dates.
15. Junglesop Fruit
Next in our list of fruits beginning with J is the junglesop fruit. This fruit grows in the tropical regions of Central Africa.
Junglesop (Anonidium mannii) is a large fruit that can weigh from 5 kg to 15 kg!
The junglesop fruit has a thick leathery brown skin with a soft yellow-orange sour to a peach-sweet pulp.
The bark part of the junglesop tree is traditionally used to treat gastrointestinal infections.
The tropical African fruit is usually eaten fresh.
16. Juniper Berry Fruit
Juniper berry (Juniperus communis) may look like a kind of fruit but is technically a strong and aromatic herb. They’re not berries at all.
The juniper berry fruit can also give a classic peppery taste to gin drinks.
Juniper berry is often used as a natural preservative since it has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. These tiny Juniper berries are also used as diuretics and antiseptics.
As a herb, juniper berry is used to flavor marinades, meat rubs, or other meat preparation.
Final Thoughts
Which of these fruits have you tasted so far? And you might also come up with a fresh fruit salad that contains all fruits that start with J.
Why not try out which of these fruits works combines well in a J-fruit bowl.
After checking a list of fruits with names starting with the letter J, you might also want to check another fruits name list:
