Mexico’s fruit traditions tell a story thousands of years old.
Some fruits are native to this land. Indigenous peoples cultivated them long before Spanish colonizers arrived. Others came on ships from across the Atlantic, brought by colonizers who changed the food landscape forever.
A few more arrived through trade routes connecting Indigenous groups across Latin America. This mix created something uniquely Mexican.
Walk through any local market today and you’ll see this history on display. Ancient fruits sit beside colonial imports. Each one carries flavors you won’t find anywhere else.
1. Xoconostle | Sour Prickly Pear
Think regular prickly pear but flip the script.
Xoconostle brings sour instead of sweet. The flavor hits like citrus with its own twist. You’ll find it mainly in Central Mexico, where cooks have used it for over 5,000 years.
The fruit looks like its sweeter cousin from the outside. Cut it open and you’ll see the difference. All the seeds cluster together in a pink ball instead of spreading throughout.
People roast it for salsas. They add it to mole de olla, a beef stew from Hidalgo. The tartness balances rich, heavy dishes.
Some markets sell it dried now. It keeps for months that way.
Scientific Name: Opuntia matudae
Common Name in other Countries: Tuna agria (Mexico), sour tuna (US), joconostle (various regions)
Season in Mexico: Winter through early spring
2. Jilotilla
Small round fruits that grow wild in the mountains.
Jilotilla appears in Sierra Madre regions during summer months. The fruit measures about two inches across with thin skin that turns yellow when ripe.
Indigenous communities have gathered it for generations. The flesh tastes mildly sweet with notes you might compare to pear.
Most people outside mountain communities have never seen it. Markets rarely carry jilotilla because it doesn’t travel well.
Scientific Name: Halesia mexicana
Common Name in other Countries: Jocotillo, campanilla silvestre
Season in Mexico: Summer
3. Mamey Sapote | Red Mamey
Cut this fruit open and the color stops you.
Deep orange to salmon pink flesh that looks almost too bright to be real. The texture feels creamy like an avocado. The taste reminds people of sweet potato mixed with pumpkin pie, with hints of vanilla and caramel.
You’ll find mamey throughout tropical and subtropical Mexico. It grows especially well along both coasts and in the Yucatan. The Aztecs and Maya prized this fruit centuries before colonization.
Look for fruits that give slightly when pressed. A hard mamey tastes bitter and starchy. The skin looks rough like sandpaper and turns from brown to a deeper shade when ready.
Mexicans blend it into smoothies called batidos. Street vendors sell mamey ice cream and paletas. Some cooks even bake it like sweet potato.
Scientific Name: Pouteria sapota
Common Name in other Countries: Zapote colorado (Costa Rica), zapote rojo (South America), mamey colorado (Cuba), red mamey (US), mammee (Caribbean)
Season in Mexico: May through July, some varieties year round
4. Aguacate Criollo | Wild Avocado
Not the big Hass avocados you know.
These grow smaller and wilder. The skin stays thinner and the pit takes up more space. But the flavor hits different. More intense. Some say grassier and more complex than commercial types.
Criollo avocados grow throughout Mexico’s mountain regions. Indigenous peoples never stopped cultivating the original varieties even as commercial farms took over.
You’ll find them in local markets, especially in Oaxaca and Michoacan. Locals prefer them for guacamole because the stronger flavor stands up to chile and lime.
Scientific Name: Persea americana var. drymifolia
Common Name in other Countries: Aguacate de monte, aguacate silvestre, wild avocado (US)
Season in Mexico: Varies by region, typically summer through fall
5. Sapote Negro | Black Sapote
People call this the chocolate pudding fruit.
Open a ripe one and the flesh looks like dark chocolate mousse. The texture matches too. Soft and creamy with sweetness that tastes more like honey and molasses than actual chocolate.
Black sapote grows in tropical regions along both coasts. You’ll find it especially in Veracruz, Chiapas, Campeche and Yucatan. The Maya called it tauch and valued it for over 2,000 years.
The fruit must get very soft before eating. Pick it too early and the bitterness will shock you. Unripe black sapote is so astringent people once used it as fish poison.
Wait until the skin turns from olive to deep yellow green. Then it becomes one of the sweetest fruits you’ll taste.
Mexicans mix the flesh with orange juice for a cold drink. They make it into ice cream and paletas. Some blend it into smoothies.
Scientific Name: Diospyros nigra
Common Name in other Countries: Chocolate pudding fruit (US, international), zapote prieto (Mexico), tauch (Maya), chocolate persimmon (US)
Season in Mexico: December through February in most regions
6. Paterna or Cushin | Ice Cream Bean
Long green pods that look like giant pea pods.
Inside you’ll find white fluffy pulp surrounding black seeds. The pulp tastes sweet with a texture like cotton candy that melts on your tongue. Some compare it to vanilla ice cream.
These grow in tropical and subtropical regions, especially southern Mexico. Trees produce heavily in coastal areas and lowland forests.
Kids love eating it straight from the pod. You suck the sweet pulp off each seed. The pods can grow over a foot long.
Scientific Name: Inga paterno
Common Name in other Countries: Ice cream bean (US, international), guaba (Central America), guama (South America), pacay (Peru), cuaniquil (Mexico)
Season in Mexico: Year round in tropical areas, peak in summer
7. Huayas or Guayas | Spanish Lime
Don’t let the name fool you.
These small green fruits have nothing to do with limes. They grow in clusters like grapes. Pop the thin skin and you’ll find orange flesh around a large seed.
The taste leans sweet and tart. Some describe it as a mix between lychee and lime. You’ll find vendors selling bags of huayas throughout coastal Mexico and the Yucatan.
Eating them becomes addictive. You crack the skin with your teeth, suck the flesh off the seed and move to the next one. Kids stain their hands and mouths orange eating these by the dozen.
Scientific Name: Melicoccus bijugatus
Common Name in other Countries: Mamoncillo (Caribbean, Central America), quenepa (Puerto Rico), Spanish lime (US), limoncillo (Colombia), genip (Jamaica)
Season in Mexico: Spring through early summer
8. Papausa | Ilama
This fruit splits wide open when ripe.
Papausa grows mainly in southern Mexico, especially in Chiapas, Oaxaca and Guerrero. The fruit looks bumpy on the outside with triangular scales. Inside you’ll find sweet creamy flesh surrounding large black seeds.
Two types exist. White fleshed ones taste sweeter. Pink fleshed ones have a tart edge. The flavor mixes notes of pear with tropical fruit hints.
You must eat it quickly once it splits open. The fruit won’t last more than a day or two after opening. Ask vendors for one that just cracked.
Scientific Name: Annona macroprophyllata
Common Name in other Countries: Ilama (international), papausa blanca (white variety), papausa rosa (pink variety)
Season in Mexico: Late July through September
9. Noni
This one divides people.
Noni smells strong. Really strong. Some say like cheese that’s gone off. The bumpy white fruit turns yellow when ripe and the flesh gets soft.
Pacific Islanders brought noni to Mexico. It grows along both coasts now. People value it more for medicine than eating. Traditional healers use it for everything from pain to inflammation.
You can eat it but most people juice it or take it as a supplement. The taste is bitter and earthy. Mix it with sweeter fruits if you’re brave enough to try it.
Scientific Name: Morinda citrifolia
Common Name in other Countries: Indian mulberry (international), mora de la India (Spanish), cheese fruit (Australia), nonu (Polynesia), mengkudu (Malaysia)
Season in Mexico: Year round in tropical climates
10. Chicozapote | Sapodilla
The fruit that changed chewing gum forever.
Chicozapote trees produce white latex called chicle. For centuries, Maya people and later chicleros tapped the trees. That latex became the base for chewing gum. Now most gum comes from synthetic materials but you can still find traditional chicle gum.
The fruit itself tastes incredible. Sweet like brown sugar and caramel mixed with pear. The flesh ranges from pale yellow to dark brown with a grainy texture.
You’ll find chicozapote throughout Mexico, especially in Campeche, Veracruz, Yucatan and Chiapas. The fruit must get very soft before eating. Firm ones taste terrible.
Wait until the skin gives easily to pressure. Then cut it open and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Watch out for the hard black seeds.
Mexicans make it into sorbet and ice cream. They blend it into smoothies. Some eat it straight from the skin.
Scientific Name: Manilkara zapota
Common Name in other Countries: Sapodilla (international), chico (Philippines), chiku (India), naseberry (Caribbean), nispero (Puerto Rico)
Season in Mexico: Year round with peaks in spring and fall
11. Banana Passionfruit | Curuba
Long yellow fruits that look like small curved bananas.
These grow in highland regions of Mexico, especially in mountain areas of Chiapas and Oaxaca. The fruit belongs to the passionfruit family but the flavor is milder and sweeter.
Cut it open and scoop out the orange pulp and seeds. The taste combines tropical sweetness with gentle tartness. People juice it, blend it into smoothies or eat it fresh.
The plants like cool mountain climates. You won’t find this one at sea level.
Scientific Name: Passiflora tripartita
Common Name in other Countries: Curuba (Colombia), tumbo (Peru), taxo (Ecuador), banana granadilla (international), parcha (some regions)
Season in Mexico: Year round in highland regions
12. Guayabas | Guavas
Everyone knows guavas but Mexican varieties tell their own story.
Small wild guayabas grow throughout the country. Some are white fleshed, others pink or red. Each region has its own type. The ones from Calvillo, Aguascalientes earn special fame.
The smell hits you before you see them. That perfume fills markets. The flesh can be gritty from tiny seeds or smooth depending on variety.
Mexicans eat them fresh with salt and chile. They make ate, a thick fruit paste sold in slabs. Guava agua fresca is a classic. Some regions make cheese with them.
Scientific Name: Psidium guajava
Common Name in other Countries: Guayaba (Spanish), goiaba (Portuguese), amrood (India), bayabas (Philippines), jambu batu (Malaysia)
Season in Mexico: Fall through winter, some varieties year round
13. Cherimoya | Custard Apple
Mark Twain called it the most delicious fruit known to man.
Cherimoya’s bumpy green skin hides white flesh that tastes like a blend of banana, pineapple and strawberry with notes of vanilla. The texture feels like soft custard.
The fruit grows in temperate highland areas. You’ll find it in markets throughout Central Mexico, especially in states like Michoacan. The trees need cool nights and warm days.
Cut it in half and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Spit out the black seeds. They contain toxins so don’t eat them.
Chill cherimoya before serving. It tastes best cold.
Scientific Name: Annona cherimola
Common Name in other Countries: Chirimoya (Spanish), custard apple (US), sherbet fruit (some regions), chirimuya (Peru)
Season in Mexico: Fall through spring
14. Guanabana | Soursop
Huge green fruits covered in soft spines.
Guanabana can weigh several pounds. The white flesh inside tastes like a tropical mix of strawberry, pineapple and citrus with creamy texture. It grows throughout tropical regions of Mexico.
The fruit is popular for juices and ice cream. Almost every neveria in Mexico offers guanabana flavor. The taste is unmistakable.
You’ll also find it in aguas frescas at markets. Some people eat the flesh straight but most prefer it blended because of the many seeds.
Scientific Name: Annona muricata
Common Name in other Countries: Soursop (English), graviola (Portuguese), guyabano (Philippines), Brazilian paw paw (international), guanavana (some regions)
Season in Mexico: Year round with peak in summer
15. Ciruela | Hog Plum
Small yellow fruits that grow on trees throughout tropical Mexico.
The taste runs sweet and sour with tropical notes. Some compare it to mango but more acidic. You eat the thin flesh around the large seed.
Street vendors sell them in bags with salt and chile powder. Kids suck on the seeds long after the flesh is gone. The fruit stains everything yellow.
You’ll find ciruelas in markets along both coasts. Some regions make them into preserves or cook them in savory dishes.
Scientific Name: Spondias mombin
Common Name in other Countries: Yellow mombin (international), jobo (Central America), jocote (Central America), hog plum (English), Spanish plum (some regions)
Season in Mexico: Summer through fall
16. Nance
Tiny yellow fruits that smell like aged cheese.
The strong aroma puts some people off. But bite past that and you’ll find sweet flesh with hints of tropical fruit. The texture feels slightly oily.
Nance grows wild and cultivated throughout southern and coastal Mexico. People ferment it into a drink called chicha in some regions. Others preserve it in syrup.
You’ll see it in markets during summer. Some vendors sell it mixed with other fruits. It’s an acquired taste.
Scientific Name: Byrsonima crassifolia
Common Name in other Countries: Nanche (Mexico), golden spoon (US), kraabu (Belize), changunga (El Salvador), wild cherry (some English speaking regions)
Season in Mexico: Summer
17. Tuna | Prickly Pear
The sweet version of xoconostle.
Tunas come in multiple colors. Red, green, yellow and white. Each color tastes slightly different. The red ones are sweetest. The flavor is mild and refreshing with melon notes.
You’ll find these everywhere in Mexico. The season starts in late spring and runs through fall. Markets pile them high with the spines already removed.
Cut off both ends and slice down the side to peel the thick skin. Inside you’ll find sweet flesh full of hard seeds. Some people eat the seeds. Others spit them out.
Vendors juice tunas for agua fresca. They make paletas and candies. Some regions produce tuna cheese, a thick fruit paste.
Scientific Name: Opuntia ficus-indica
Common Name in other Countries: Prickly pear (US), cactus fruit (US), nopal fruit (some regions), Indian fig (international), barbary fig (international)
Season in Mexico: Late spring through fall
18. Tamarindo | Tamarind
Long brown pods that look like dried bean pods.
Inside you’ll find sticky brown pulp around seeds. The taste is intensely sour with sweetness underneath. It makes your mouth pucker.
Tamarind came from Africa via colonizers. Mexico adopted it completely. Now tamarind agua fresca is a classic. Candy makers coat it in chile and sugar. Kids eat tamarind pulp rolled in chile powder from plastic tubes.
You’ll see tamarind trees throughout warm regions of Mexico. The pods hang in clusters. People use the pulp in cooking, drinks and candy.
Scientific Name: Tamarindus indica
Common Name in other Countries: Tamarindo (Spanish), imli (Hindi), asam (Malay), makham (Thai), tamarinde (French)
Season in Mexico: Winter through spring
19. Membrillo | Quince
Hard yellow fruits that smell like perfume.
You can’t eat membrillo raw. It’s too hard and astringent. But cook it and magic happens. The flesh turns pink and sweet. The texture becomes jammy.
Membrillo came from Europe with Spanish colonizers. It grows in temperate regions of Central Mexico. People make it into a thick paste called ate de membrillo. Slice it and serve with cheese.
The fruit looks like a bumpy yellow pear. The fragrance fills your kitchen when you cook it.
Scientific Name: Cydonia oblonga
Common Name in other Countries: Quince (English), coing (French), marmelo (Portuguese), ayva (Turkish), codone (Italian)
Season in Mexico: Fall
20. Rambutan
Hairy red fruits that look like sea creatures.
Rambutan came from Southeast Asia. Now small farms in tropical Mexico grow it, especially in Chiapas and along the coast. The fruit’s popularity keeps growing.
Peel the soft spiny skin to find white flesh inside. It tastes sweet like a grape mixed with lychee. The texture is slippery and juicy.
Watch out for the seed in the middle. Some varieties have seeds that stick to the flesh. Others release easily.
Scientific Name: Nephelium lappaceum
Common Name in other Countries: Rambutan (international, from Malay), chôm chôm (Vietnamese), shaozi (Mandarin), bulala (Costa Rica)
Season in Mexico: Summer through fall where grown in Mexico
21. Pitahaya | Dragonfruit
Pink fruits with green scales like dragon skin.
Most people know white fleshed dragonfruit. Mexico grows that plus the red fleshed type called pitaya roja. The red variety tastes sweeter and more intense.
Cactus plants produce dragonfruit in dry regions throughout Mexico. The plants bloom at night with huge white flowers. By morning, tiny fruits start forming.
Cut it in half and scoop out the flesh. It’s dotted with tiny black seeds like kiwi. The taste is mildly sweet with melon and kiwi notes.
Restaurants serve it in fruit bowls. Juice bars blend it into smoothies. The red type stains everything magenta.
Scientific Name: Hylocereus undatus (white flesh), Hylocereus costaricensis (red flesh)
Common Name in other Countries: Pitahaya (Spanish), dragon fruit (English), dragon pearl fruit (international), strawberry pear (US), thanh long (Vietnamese)
Season in Mexico: Summer through fall
22. Marañon | Cashew Fruit
Everyone knows cashew nuts but the fruit is the secret.
A fleshy apple grows at the end of the cashew nut. It’s shaped like a bell pepper. The color ranges from yellow to red. The flesh tastes sweet and astringent with tropical notes.
The texture feels spongy. Bite it and juice floods your mouth. The flavor is intense and tannic.
Cashew apples grow in hot coastal areas. They don’t travel well so you’ll only find them where they grow. The season is short.
People juice them or ferment them into drinks. Some make preserves. Most prefer the nut over the fruit but locals know what they’re missing.
Scientific Name: Anacardium occidentale
Common Name in other Countries: Cashew apple (English), cajuil (Dominican Republic), acajou (French), caju (Portuguese), kasoy (Philippines)
Season in Mexico: Spring
23. Tejocote | Mexican Hawthorn
Small yellow fruits that look like tiny apples.
Tejocote grows throughout Central Mexico’s highlands. The fruit measures about an inch across. The taste is apple like but more tart and dry.
Nobody eats these raw. The flavor is too astringent. Instead, people cook them in syrup for ponche, a hot fruit punch served at Christmas. The fruits bob in the spiced liquid alongside sugarcane and guavas.
You’ll also find tejocote candied in markets. Some regions use it for preserves. The season is short and tied to winter holidays.
Scientific Name: Crataegus mexicana
Common Name in other Countries: Mexican hawthorn (English), manzanita (diminutive in Mexico), tejocotera fruit
Season in Mexico: Fall through winter
24. Pitaya de Mayo
Not the same as dragonfruit despite sharing a name.
This pitaya grows on different cactus species. The fruit is smaller and rounder. The flesh ranges from white to dark red. The season runs shorter, hence the name.
You’ll find it in arid regions of Northern and Central Mexico. The taste is similar to dragonfruit but more intense. The season peaks in late spring, right around May.
Local markets sell it fresh. Some people make it into agua fresca. The fruit doesn’t store well so eat it quickly.
Scientific Name: Stenocereus pruinosus
Common Name in other Countries: Pitaya dulce (sweet pitaya), jiotilla (some regions)
Season in Mexico: Late spring, especially May
25. Zapote Amarillo | Canistel
Bright yellow flesh that looks like an egg yolk.
The texture feels dry and mealy like cooked egg yolk too. That’s why some call it eggfruit. The taste is sweet with notes of sweet potato and pumpkin.
Canistel grows in tropical regions along both coasts. The fruit must get very soft before eating. Pick it firm and the texture will paste up your mouth.
Wait until it gives to pressure like a ripe avocado. Then the flesh becomes creamy and sweet. People blend it into smoothies or eat it with lime juice.
Scientific Name: Pouteria campechiana
Common Name in other Countries: Eggfruit (US), canistel (international), ti-es (Maya), zapote borracho (some Mexican regions), yellow sapote (English)
Season in Mexico: Fall through winter
26. Caimito | Star Apple
Cut this fruit crosswise and you’ll see a star pattern.
The flesh can be white or purple depending on the variety. It’s sweet with a texture like soft jelly. The taste reminds people of lychee and persimmon.
Caimito grows in tropical regions. You’ll find it in markets in southern Mexico and along the coasts. The fruit must ripen fully on the tree or it stays bitter.
Eat it by cutting in half and scooping out the flesh. Don’t eat the skin or the white latex will stick to your lips.
Scientific Name: Chrysophyllum cainito
Common Name in other Countries: Star apple (English), caimito morado (purple star apple), milk fruit (some regions), estrella (some Spanish regions), cainito (Philippines)
Season in Mexico: Spring through summer
27. Capulin | Mexican Wild Cherry
Small dark fruits that grow on tall trees.
Capulin tastes like a cherry but more astringent. The flesh is thin around a large pit. The color is so dark it’s almost black.
These fruits grow throughout highland regions of Central Mexico. You’ll see vendors selling them by the bag in markets throughout Puebla, Mexico State and Michoacan. Kids eat them fresh despite the tartness.
Some people make capulin into preserves or wine. The trees grow wild in many areas. Birds love the fruits as much as people do.
The season is short. When you see them, buy them.
Scientific Name: Prunus salicifolia
Common Name in other Countries: Mexican black cherry (US), cerezo (some Mexican regions), capulincillo, trompillo (northern Mexico)
Season in Mexico: Late spring through early summer
