If you find yourself picking up the same fruits at the grocery store week after week, consider this list your inspiration. There are plenty of delicious, nutritious, and vitamin-packed foods that start with C. Eat them whole, blend them into a smoothie, or even cook some of them.
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30 Fruits That Start With The Letter C
Let’s take a closer look at 30 fruits that start with the letter C below.
Cabernet Sauvignon Grape
Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are the small fruits winemakers use to make those bold, beautiful red wines. It’s easily the most popular red wine grape on the planet, and you can grow it just about anywhere.
Cagaita
The cagaita is Brazil’s equivalent to apples but looks very different. It is light yellow and is flatter, and much smaller than your standard apple. Brazilians use cagiata as an additive in drinks and desserts. You can also juice it, churn it into ice cream, and even eat it raw.
Caimito
Caimitos are also known as star apples, thanks to the decorative pattern that you see when you cut them open. You’ll know that your caimito is ripe because it will be yielding to the touch and purple. Caimitos have a pleasant, fruity taste that many people say reminds them of pineapple. They also have a distinct caramel undertone, which makes them ideal for sweet dishes.
Calabash Nutmeg
Calabash nutmeg comes from certain parts of Africa. Although they’re technically considered a fruit, they have a beautiful, aromatic spice that tastes a lot like nutmeg. You rarely eat calabash nutmeg whole or raw. Instead, people dry it, grind it up, and put it into their spice rack. Calabash nutmeg has a gorgeous depth of flavor that goes well in soups, sauces, and other savory dishes.
Cambuca
Brazil’s cambuca is a tomato-shaped gem that is usually yellow or bright orange when ripe. Green cambuca is delicious but lacks the depth of flavor that you get from ripe ones. Its flavor is akin to ripe mango, and it’s a specialty in parts of South America. Cambuca trees tend to go very slowly, making these fruits more challenging to find. If you get one, consider yourself lucky!
Camu-Camu Berry
These Amazon River berries are exceptionally high in Vitamin C and look a lot like little cherries. All parts of the camu-camu plant are valuable. You can eat the fruit for a generous nutritional boost, and the leaves make a fabulous medicine. Camu-camu leaves are fantastic for curing colds, cataracts, chronic fatigue syndrome, and even atherosclerosis.
Canary Melon
Canary melons get their name from their beautiful, bright yellow rind. You can see these beauties all over Southeast Asia, where they’re famous for their delicious, soft fruit and delicate flavor. Canary melons taste a lot like a cross between honeydew, pear, and cantaloupe. As a result, they tend to work well with other types of fruits and even savory dishes.
Canistel
Canistel also goes by the name “egg fruit,” thanks to its deep yellow-orange color. This vibrant fruit comes from El Salvador and Mexico and is cultivated in India too. Canistel might not be on everyone’s radar, but it should be because it’s incredibly healthy for you.
Canistel can help reduce the symptoms of diabetes, regulate liver health, and help your skin glow. It’s very high in beta carotene, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C.
Canistel is exceptionally sugary, with familiar notes laced throughout it. Expect to pick up sweet potato, mango, and pumpkin notes in every bite.
Cantaloupe
Most people are very familiar with cantaloupe. This breakfast-time favorite has a delicious, tropical taste. With its tan skin and vibrant orange flesh, cantaloupe is an undoubtedly pretty fruit that packs a heck of a punch nutrition-wise.
Carambola
If you haven’t heard of carambola, you might know it by its other name; star fruit. As the name might suggest, carambola looks just like a star. It is a fabulous dish to serve at brunches or when you want to impress company. Each slice of carambola looks like a perfect star, and this tart and tasty fruit is sure to elevate your dish.
Chayote
Chayote is a bright green fruit that tastes a bit like cucumber. It is native to Central America and flourishes predominately in Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico, and they are part of the Cucurbitaceae family and are normally cooked before eating.
Cherry
Cherries are excellent sources of minerals, nutrients, and fiber. They’re also a decent source of Vitamin K, which many fruits don’t have. Dip into a bowl of cherries, and you’ll be getting a heavy dose of calcium, magnesium, and potassium. They also have beta-carotene and choline, making cherries a nutritional heavyweight.
Clementine
Clementines are the perfect combination of mandarins and sweet oranges. They’re sugary and delicious without the acidic bite that you typically get from regular oranges. People who have heartburn issues usually find clementines a lot easier on their stomachs.
Cloudberry
This whimsically named berry is occasionally called bakeberry, baked apple berry, salmonberry, or yellowberry, and it has a gorgeous deep orange hue and tastes very similar to a raspberry. You won’t find cloudberries in most parts of the world. These orange gems predominately grow in very northern climates.
Coconut
Fresh coconut is one of the most delicious things in the world. Aside from the sweet, snowy flesh, it’s full of delicious, hydrating coconut water. Although you can buy boxed or canned coconut water, there’s nothing quite like the real deal, which is why coconut trees are also called The Tree of Life.
Crabapple
Crabapple trees are full of stunning pink blossoms and small crabapples. They resemble miniature versions of apples and are sour but zesty. Although you can eat crabapples right off the tree, many people like to turn them into jams or relishes.
Cranberry
Cranberries are native to Chile, Canada, and the United States. These tart little berries might be most popular around Thanksgiving, but they deserve a place at your table throughout the whole year. Cranberries can help you seriously reduce or even eliminate urinary tract infections.
They can also ward off liver disease, keep your eyesight healthy, improve heart health, and regulate your blood pressure. Technically, it’s possible to eat raw cranberries, but most people toss them into smoothies to cut back on the tartness.
You can also make them into a delicious relish by adding a touch of sugar and some orange.
Custard Apple
Custard apples are a bit of an acquired taste, but if you get a good one, you could be in for the best vanilla custard that you’ve ever tasted. This fascinating fruit comes in many shapes and sizes and grows predominantly in the western hemisphere, specifically the Andean Valley. In these regions, custard apples are known as cherimoya.
Custard apples are usually bumpy and green on the outside. The inside is cream-colored and very soft, sweet, and smooth. For the best taste, make sure that the custard apple you’re eating is fully ripe. You can tell by simply pressing down on the rind.
Calamansi Fruit
Calamansi fruit, which also goes by the name of Calamondin, is a compact citrus fruit that is native to the Philippines. This small fruit packs a punch, and though the peel is sweet, the inner flesh of the fruit itself is sour. Because of this, it is often used to flavor foods or beverages.
Cape Gooseberry
This beautiful bright berry hides safely behind nearly translucent leaves, making it a great fruit for adding an elegant touch to any dessert. Known as the ground cherry, Cape Gooseberry has a sweet but tart flavor and is popular for decoration, chutneys, jams, ice creams, and pies.
Carob Fruit
The Carob fruit is a unique-looking pod that grows from the Ceratonia siliqua tree. This fruit resembles a dark brown pea pod and can be toasted and used as a healthy substitute for Cocoa. It is native to the Mediterranean and the Middle East, bringing along a list of incredible health benefits.
Cashew Apple Fruit
Many of us are familiar with the cashew nut, but did you know it grows attached to a larger fruit called the Cashew apple?
The highly aromatic fruit is often overlooked and left on the ground because it is highly perishable. In recent years, the sweet tropical flavors of the fruit have become popular, and many countries such as Africa, Brazil, and India have started producing juice from the fruit to cut back on food waste.
Cempedak Fruit
The Cempedak fruit is in the same family as breadfruit and jackfruit, and the pungent smell is often relatable to the durian fruit. Native to Southeast Asia, the Cempedak fruit is a sweet, soft, spongy delight used in many ways. Its seeds are also edible, adding to the versatility of the Cempedak Fruit.
Charichuelo
Native to the rainforest of central and South America, the Charichuelo resembles a lemon in shape, color, and size. The fruit grows on a medium-sized tree, and the yellow rind houses a soft white and squishy flesh. The flesh of the Charichuelo fruit is comparable to a sweet yet slightly tart lemon.
Chokeberry
This semi-sweet tart berry is native to the wet and swampy woodlands of Eastern North America. It grows on hardy shrubs and therefore is great for varying climates.
The Chokeberry has many antioxidants and other beneficial components that may help protect the heart and blood vessels. Because of this, it is commonly consumed in Eastern Europe and Russia and has been used in traditional folk medicine by the Native Americans to combat the common cold.
Citrofortunella Fruit
The Citrofortunella fruit is a unique hybrid of the mandarin orange and kumquat. The result is a small fruit resembling a kumquat in size and an orange in color. The taste of the Citrofortunella fruit is incredibly sour, and therefore best reserved for cooking.
Coco Plum
The Coco Plum is a beautiful light pink fruit that grows wild in tropical areas near sea beaches such as the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Tropical Africa. The Coco Plum is considered to be one of the best fruits for preventing cancer.
You can eat the sweet Coco Plum raw from a tree or make it into a preserve. Its seed is also edible and has a bland nutty taste.
Conkerberry Fruit
The Conkerberry fruit, commonly known as the bush currant, stems from Australia. The tangled shrub often grows in rocky, warm climates, and the flowers occur shortly after rainfall. Once the fruit ripens, it turns a shade of black and has a short lifespan of only a few days on the plant.
The dried berries can be collected after they’ve fallen from the plant, soaked in water to rehydrate, and then eaten. The fruit is sweet, but it may promote thirst when consumed in large quantities, so have some water handy if you plan on indulging in this sweet treat!
Crowberry Fruit
This beautiful dark purple berry grows through the summer and ripens in the fall, making it perfect as a winter treat. The shrub can withstand dry climates and is often used for ornamental purposes.
However, the fruit is not to be overlooked! These pea-sized berries taste better after a heavy frost and are often used in pies, preserves, and even wines. They are a great source of fiber and antioxidants, even coming ahead of their blueberry counterparts!
Cupuacu Fruit
You may often see Cupuacu spelled in various ways, but this fruit is one of a kind. Naturally cultivated in the jungles of Bolivia, Peru, and Northern Brazil, this fruit is widely consumed in Central and South America.
This tropical rainforest tree is a relative of the cocoa plant and substitute for many of the same purposes, such as ice creams, candy or snack bars, and other sweet treats. The national fruit of Brazil can also be pressed and made into juice, or the nutrient-rich fats can be extracted and used for beauty products and cooking purposes.
Now that you know some unique fruits that start with C, you can start checking them off of your list. How many of these C fruits have you tried?