20 Amazing Fruits That Start With “I”

Do you think it’s difficult to name some of the fruits that start with “I”? Well, if you are having a hard time solving that quiz, this post will be your reliable solution.

I have tried to gather as many fruits that begin with “I” as I could. The list may be longer than what you think, and I hope my post is helpful to you.

Some fruits here are rather rare and extraordinary. Therefore, I will show you their looks, flavors, and some additional information about their usages.

Don’t hesitate anymore. Let’s check these fruits out together.

20 Tasty Fruits That Start With Letter “I”

In this post, I will categorize fruits that begin with the letter “I” into 2 separate parts: tropical and temperate fruits. Here is the complete list of this post:

Tropical Fruits:

African Tropical Fruits:

1. Imbe Fruit
2. Icacina
3. Ibopé/ Igopé
4. Icaco

Indian Tropical Fruits:

5. Indian Fig Fruit
6. Indian Jujube Fruit
7. Indian Almond Fruit
8. Indian Prune
9. Indian Sherbet Berry

Other Tropical Fruits:

10. Ice Apple
11. Indonesian Lime
12. Ilama
13. Ita Palm Fruit
14. Imbu Fruit
15. Incaberry
16. Ice Cream Bean Fruit

Temperate Fruits:

17. Ichigo
18. Illawarra Plum
19. Indian Gooseberry
20. Indian Persimmon

Some of the names might look intricate at first. Fruits from the above list come from many different parts of the world. Don’t worry because I will explain to you their names and the meanings later.

Top 16 Tropical Fruits With “I” As A Starter

A considerable number of fruits in this list are from tropical or subtropical regions. Let’s find out what these delightful fruits are.

Bizarre African Tropical Fruits Start With The Letter “I”

Africa is a land full of exciting and weird fruits. I can wait no more but to show you these exceptional African fruits.

1. Imbe Fruit

This is a rare tropical fruit from South Africa. Anyone who’s in love with yummy mangoes and oranges might not resist this one-of-a-kind fruit.

It’s also called African mangosteen. Fruits belonging to the mangosteen group often have an outstanding balance of sweet and sour. When ripe, Imbe fruits are fragrant with decent sweetness and citrusy taste. Someone says these fruits have a mildly bitter flavor.

People often eat them raw. One fantastic thing is that the skin is edible. You may also squeeze them out to get the liquid. Can you imagine how remarkable they smell when being juiced?

2. Icacina

This soft, bright red fruit has a sweet flavor that is very similar to a plum. Icacina is a favorite treat for children in Africa.

A single grown-up Icacina tree can contain up to several hundred kilos of fruits in a single day harvest. The fruit is loaded up with nutrients and energy. Therefore, it is considered as food and medical treatment for people.

People often eat Icacina fruits raw. What’s interesting is the seeds inside are also edible. The seeds themselves are extremely solid. They can’t be eaten right away. Through a lot of hard work, they are finally grounded into flour with very delicate flavors.

3. Ibopé/ Igopé

The Ibopé trees are grown in South America. They produce pods – called carob pods – which are edible. People often use them in powder form.

If you are unfamiliar with this species, please relate to the cocoa fruit so that you can imagine it much easier. Both of these fruits are in pod shapes, and they both contain seeds surrounded by pulp inside.

Ibopé fruits are toasted before becoming powdered. This powder is the main ingredient in sweet farina recipes, which can be used to make bread later.

Like cocoa, Ibopé is a high-protein fruit. People use Ibopé powder to enhance the chocolate flavor. In some places, they let this fruit ferment to get a special alcoholic liquid.

4. Icaco

Some of the Icaco fruits look like plums to me. Their skins are thin, dark red-purple with an oval shape. Icaco plants are mostly found in America and Africa.

I only stated “some of Icaco fruits” because their colors come in various colors. They can be white, pink, red as well as plum-like color. White ones are often the mature ones.

I can describe the fruits as sweet, juicy flesh with a quite soft texture. Their seeds are hard and surprisingly big.

Amazing Indian Tropical Fruits With “I” At The Beginning

India is where all the magnificent and exotic fruits come from. I can’t wait to show you these tropical fruits right now.

5. Indian Fig Fruit

Have you ever eaten a cactus before? In some places in the world, people actually serve cactus as fruit, such as in India and Mexico.

The Indian fig fruit itself is a cactus, but it’s also a hybrid of fig and pear. There are thorns all over the outer skin, so you may have to wear a pair of gloves before peeling it.

I would review this fruit as incredibly sweet and succulent. You can either eat it raw or in paste forms. Some people make alcohol from this unique fig fruit.

6. Indian Jujube Fruit

Not to be confused with jujube red date, a common ingredient in desserts in Chinese cuisines, Indian jujubes make me think of small-sized apples. Not only are they appetizing, but also rich sources of vitamins and minerals. Also, jujube can help reduce sleeplessness and anxiety.

It is best to describe these fruits as soft, squashy, and sugary. There is a popular type of jujube candy in India. These candies must be mouthwatering treats for children there.

You absolutely don’t want to miss these great recipes. Let’s find out how to make pickled jujube and jujube jam!

7. Indian Almond Fruit

You must be wondering: Almonds are nuts, but why do people think of Indian almonds as fruits?

The answer is because the outer pulps of Indian almond fruits are edible, aside from the seeds inside them. There are certain similarities in taste between Indian almond fruits and real almonds. People usually eat these Indian fruits raw and unripe.

8. Indian Prune

People also refer to this fruit as Indian plum or Osoberry. Therefore, Indian prunes have characteristics of both plums and berries.

First, these prunes are super delicious. They are sweet, and the texture is chewy. Secondly, consuming Indian prunes gives you a lot of health benefits.

They can be processed into many different forms. Whatever forms of Indian prunes you may eat, I guess you can still realize their unique tastiness. Should you be looking for heart-warming winter desserts, allow me to suggest that you try out the apple and prune brioche tart.

9. Indian Sherbet Berry

Here is the last berry fruit of this very list. What characteristics make these Indian berries different from the others?

About the appearance, they may not look very different from regular blueberries or cherries. However, their flavor is more special. I would regard them as beautifully sweet and sour but tartier than most berries.

About nutrition properties, they do have tons of vitamins and antioxidants like any fruits identified as berries.

It’s not hard to understand why there are so many people in love with this fruit. If you are a fan of berries, you must not miss this exotic fruit.

This is a very simple Indian sherbet berry squash recipe. Don’t hesitate to click this link and learn how to do it:

Other Exotic Tropical Fruits Whose Names Begin With Letter “I”

Other parts around the globe, aside from Africa and India, are also loaded with unique and amazing tropical fruits. Let’s find out more about them.

10. Ice Apple

This is an Asian fruit special for its transparent color and distinct flavor. At first glance, you may mistake it for an Indonesian kaong. They both look like mini ice cubes, and both are fruits from palm trees.

Ice apples are moist and fleshy. They resemble a coconut’s flavor and texture to me. However, there is some sort of bitter aftertaste.

People also produce sugar from these ice apples. This kind of sugar is believed to be better than regular sugar because of its benefits to human health.

11. Indonesian Lime

Lime is a citrus fruit. Fruits in the citrus group are often sour and high in vitamin C content.

As to any other limes, Indonesian limes are green and aromatic. Their leaves smell great and are also edible. People use these limes to add sourness to their foods. They are pretty much the same when compared to regular limes.

However, their appearance looks entirely distinct. Most limes are with shiny and smooth skins, while these Indonesian ones are lumpy.

12. Ilama

This one may be the strangest of the tropical fruits category. Ilama fruit’s exceptional features include its unique shape, the meaning of its name, and the fact that the riper it becomes, the tartier it gets.

My first impression of this fruit is the skin: it looks exactly like dragon’s scales. Their prominence is undeniable.

Ilama is about the size of an apple. People in South America refer to it as “old woman’s sapote” fruit.

Its taste does resemble that of a sapote. When the skin is still green, which means it is unripe, Ilama is sugary, soft, and tender. As it gets older, that sweetness disappears gradually. Once the skin becomes maroon or pinkish, it is tart with a custard consistency.

Are you curious about this Illama fruit? Find out the answer here. Watch this video:

13. Ita Palm Fruit

Here is another magnificent fruit from palm trees, aside from the ice apple mentioned earlier. Ita palm is a native species in tropical regions of South America.

This palm is also known as “the tree of life.” The name may be derived from its spectacular look with lots of great branches.

Ita palm fruits are considered sweet by the taste. The fruits have the shape of hazelnuts, with diameters somewhere between 5 and 7 centimeters. You can eat Ita fruits and buds as well as drink the tree’s sap.

Ita fruits are used for multiple purposes. You can either eat them raw or in dried/powdered form. Besides jams and ice cream, people process Ita palm into fruit pastes to create alcoholic beverages. 

You can also extract oil from the fruits, which is a rich source of vitamin C and vitamin A.

14. Imbu Fruit

Here is another unusual fruit. Imbu originated from Brazil. It is considered an essential food source for the local people due to its tastiness and large quantities. As imbu is also called umbu, you can say that it belongs to the group of veggies and fruits beginning with “U” as well.

These plants can grow so densely and yield so vigorously. People can collect up to 300 kilos of fruits from an Imbu tree. That’s a shocking amount to hear.

Their shapes are similar to limes, and so are the colors. They can be green or yellow. However, Imbu fruits turn red once they’ve become really ripe.

This fruit is rich in vitamin C. That’s why they taste like sweet oranges.

There are lots of recipes that can be done with this fruit. Some popular ones are Imbu ice cream, Imbu jam, Imbu cheese…

15. Incaberry

You must have come across many fruits in the berry family: strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, cranberry, raspberry,etc. But incaberry is not a well-known one.

People call this fruit by various names, including cape gooseberry or golden berry. In my opinion, there is the word “cape” in its name because of the special leave’s position.

Incaberries turn golden bronze when they’re mature. Their smell is as delicate as any other berries. Their taste is sweet and sour at the same time.

Incaberries are mostly sold either in fresh or dried form. People also turn them into fruit pastes: sauces, jam, pudding, and so on. Not only are these fruits delicious, but their benefits to your health are also numerous.

16. Ice Cream Bean Fruit

These exotic species come from South America. Just take a look at the picture below so you can easily guess why they’re called bean fruits.

But why is the word ice cream attached to their names? What would you think of when someone mentions this dessert? To me, it is a heavenly milky cream with a vanilla note.

Right, these beans do smell like incredible vanilla beans! And they also do taste like ice cream. People and (other animals) enjoy eating ice cream bean fruits raw.

There are different varieties of ice cream bean fruits in the world. Some of them taste a bit like cinnamon. But no matter what variety, all of them are extraordinary.

One single ice cream bean contains about a dozen seeds inside. They’re covered by seed coats that look like cotton candies. The pulps are sweet, creamy, and mouth watery.

Discover how people eat the miraculous ice cream bean fruit. You may marvel at its size. Watch this video:

“I”- Something Temperate Fruits For Your Consideration

Below are fruits classified as temperate. They require a colder climate to grow in comparison with tropical fruits.

17. Ichigo

Ichigo is a Japanese word that means “strawberry” in English. What’s unique about these strawberries is their wonderful taste and smell.

Ichigo fruits are slightly brighter than normal strawberries. They do smell awesome. The first time I bought it, I even thought someone must have added some artificial flavors. Other strawberries can never smell that excellent, to be honest.

The most common dessert that features ichigo is ichigo mochi, which also makes for a fantastic sweet treat during the spring. And similar to most sweet mochis, this Japanese snack will taste even better if served with some green tea.

I also highly appreciate the great taste of Ichigo. These fruits are super sugary and juicy. No wonder why their costs are so high, even in their hometown Japan.

Do you want to make Ichigo mochi from scratch? Check this video out to learn the method:

18. Illawarra Plum

Illawarra plums are native fruits of the kangaroo’s hometown – Australia. They remind me of blueberries due to the purple skins and equivalent sizes.

They’re also regarded as plum pine. That may explain why there’s a hint of pine flavor in these fruits. The pulps are thick and juicy with the texture of grapes.

You can eat Illawarra plums directly from the trees. They are also commonly made into jams, cakes, ice cream… There are just so many desserts made with plum for you to discover. You can also make fruity liquor with plums. Sometimes people put them in savory dishes.

19. Indian Gooseberry

Do you think these gooseberries are related to the incaberries (cape gooseberries) that I mentioned above? Yes, indeed they are. You can tell by the look of these two.

They do have similar tastes: a combination of sweet and sour. Just like any other relatives in the berry family, these fruits are loaded up with vitamins and antioxidants. Women love them, and so do men.

20. Indian Persimmon

My first wonder about these persimmons is: Are they related to tomatoes? After eating them multiple times, I guess the answer is no.

A persimmon’s texture may resemble a tomato, but their flavors are vastly different from each other. Eating Indian persimmons gave me the feeling of something with tender sweetness and a flowery taste. The flesh is red, juicy, and sticky.

Just because this fruit is called “Indian persimmons” doesn’t mean it’s not prevalent here in America. In fact, one of the most prevalent American desserts is persimmon pudding. Anyone who’s a fan of fruity cakes needs to try out this buttery dessert with a strong hint of persimmon.

You must try eating this fascinating Indian fruit someday. It may go beyond your expectation.

Expand Your Knowledge With These Fruits That Start With “I”

A majority of fruits from this list are relatively weird and exotic. However, you may find some fruits here available in your places so that you can easily enjoy them.

I have tried my best to gather all the fruits that begin with “I”. I hope the list is useful to you. If someone challenges you with this quiz, you won’t have to end up losing to them after reading my post.

Do you have any other fruits that start with “I”? What fruits do you want to know more about in the list? Please comment down below and share my post with your friends and family.

Fruits by The Alphabet

• Fruits That Start with A
• Fruits That Start with B
• Fruits That Start with C
• Fruits That Start with D
• Fruits That Start with E
• Fruits That Start with F
• Fruits That Start with G
• Fruits That Start with H
• Fruits That Start with I (You are here)
• Fruits That Start with J
• Fruits That Start with K
• Fruits That Start with L
• Fruits That Start with M
• Fruits That Start with N
• Fruits That Start with O
• Fruits That Start with P
• Fruits That Start with Q
• Fruits That Start with R
• Fruits That Start with S
• Fruits That Start with T
• Fruits That Start with U
• Fruits That Start with V
• Fruits That Start with W
• Fruits That Start with X
• Fruits That Start with Y
• Fruits That Start with Z