In addition to the well-known tropical options of banana, pineapple, papaya, and mango, there are a great many other exotic fruits that grow in Thailand, such as durian, mangosteen, sapodilla, rambutan, longan, jackfruit, and rose apple.
Thailand’s sapa-rot, or pineapple as it is known in the rest of the world, is rightly considered the world’s most delicious, which is high praise considering there are more than 80 different varieties of this fruit. It has a rich balanced sweet and tart taste that smells as good as it tastes. When choosing a pineapple, ensure that it is neither too soft nor too hard.
Pitaya or dragon fruit is a bright pink fruit that grows as big as an apple with slightly elongated bright green scales on its outer core. The Thai people call this fruit the geow mangon, whose inside is white with small black seeds and has a mild taste like a melon.
The guava is not originally a Thai fruit, but is native to Mexico, Central and South America. Having taken root in Thailand, however, it is now one of the more popular fruits in the country, where it is eaten before it is ripe when the flesh is green and hard with salt, sugar, and various spices. Known as the farang, they are in season, and therefore eaten, all year round.
The jackfruit or bread tree comes into season from January to May, where tall trees producing this unique fruit grow mainly in southern Thailand. Producing large heavy fruit that can grow as big as a watermelon, you’ll need a large knife to penetrate the outer core, which then reveals big yellow lobules with a strong aroma and a unique taste similar to a combination of pear, apple, mango, and banana. The Thai name for this tree-borne fruit is kha nun, whose ripe pulp is eaten fresh, while the unripe pulp is often pre-cooked.
Durian is both the English and Thai name for this fruit, which is often called king for its surplus of vitamins and minerals. From May to August, Thai markets are filled with this pungent-smelling fruit, whose odor is so intense certain hotels have banned its presence, giving out fines to those who do not pay heed to the signs bearing its crossed-out image. Its taste however has been likened to rich custard flavored with almonds, and is certainly worth a try.
The coconut, known as ma phrao in Thai, is in season all year round, whose addition to Thai cookery is what differentiates it from Chinese or Indian gastronomy. Added to rice, used as a base in soups, and turned into syrup for desserts, it is a very versatile fruit, whose milk is also sold in the nut itself right in the market.
While the longan, or lang sat in Thai, is very popular in Thailand, especially from July to October, it is almost unknown outside of the country. Belonging to the soapberry family, the fruit is sweet, juicy, and succulent, with bitter seeds which are discarded along with the shell.
The lychee was originally brought to Thailand from China, and so has often come with quite a high price tag. Though still more expensive than other fruits in the area, this subtropical fruit known as linchi in Thai now grows in many farms in the north of the country. The fresh fruit ranging in color from pink to purple, has a delicate whiteish pulp with a floral smell and a fragrant sweet flavor, similar to that of a grape.
The longan, whose Thai name is lamyai, also came to Thailand from China, where it is known there as lóng yǎn, or dragon eye. Growing in the north of the country from June to August, it is usually eaten fresh or served with ice cream in restaurants.
The longkong can be found in the south of Thailand from May to November, when it produces bunches of small round fruit with a thin pale yellow peel and a sweet white pulp, rich in calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, and vitamins B1, B2, and C. Eaten fresh, its taste is a cross between sweet and tart, similar to a grape, whose seeds are bitter-tasting.
The Thai mango, known as mamuang, is very different to mangos grown in other parts of the world, especially the US. Grown from March to June, the Thai variety has won such popularity in neighboring countries that their export is now estimated in the millions of kilograms.
During the entire rainy period, April to September, markets across Thailand – most especially in the south, are full of the mangosteen or mangkhud as they are known in Thailand. Under a thick dark red peel, you'll find a soft cream-colored pulp, which has a sweet and slightly tart flavor, best eaten with a fork.
The papaya’s Thai name is malakor. Native to Central and Southern America, it first appeared in Indochina around the 16th century, where it continues to grow year-round. It is typically used in Thai cuisine to make spicy Som Tam salad made of the shredded unripe fruit, along with lime, hot chili, and dried shrimp.
The pomelo looks and tastes like a grapefruit, just bigger and with a sweeter flavor, and whose pulp can range from red, to pale yellow to orange. Known as som oh in Thai, it grows from August to November.
The rambutan grows year-round, peaking from May to September, in the central and southern provinces of Chanthaburi, Pattaya district, and Surat Thani. As one of Thailand’s most interesting-looking fruits, known in the local language as ngaw, its bright red shell with pale green fibers peels back to reveal a single-seeded berry with a taste reminiscent of grapes but sweeter.