Fruits in Chinese, Vocabulary and Infographic

Chinese Exotic Fruits

Most of the fruits we listed above are pretty common, but some are pretty unique that you rarely find in grocery stores in the States. For instance, “山竹 shānzhú, mangosteen,” “火龙果 huǒlóng guǒ, dragon fruit,” and “莲雾 lián wù, wax apple.” We list a few more Chinese exotic fruits and have a brief introduction for each of them. I hope one day you will have a chance to enjoy them. But in the meantime, let’s get to know some Chinese fruits!

龙眼 lóngyǎn, Longan

The Chinese name of longan literally means dragon eye. Longan is a tropical fruit. The skin color of the longan is brown and it is not edible. Since it is a tropical fruit, it is not easy to grow in the climate of most areas in the States. The fruit is sweet and juicy. The color of the fruit is white and slightly clear. The seed is in the middle and is round with a dark brown/black color. 

荔枝 lìzhī, Lychee

Lychee is similar to longan, and is really sweet. It is also a tropical fruit. The size is a bit bigger than a longan. The skin color is usually dark red, although if it is picked before it is ripe, its skin color might be a mix with a bit of green and red. Its seed is smaller than a longan, and its shape is not round but oval.

释迦 shì jiā, Sugar Apple 

释迦 shì jiā is literally the shortened name of Buddha. The reason they name this fruit “释迦 shì jiā” is because of this shape. Its shape looks like a Buddha’s head. See the picture below.

释迦 shì jiā is a high-carb fruit, as you can tell from its English name. It is a very sweet fruit. It contains many seeds in one fruit.

We made you a video to show you how 释迦 shì jiā looks like when you open it! Check out this video

There is another new kind of fruit called, Cherinoia “凤梨释迦 fènglí shì jiā.”  凤梨 fènglí is pineapple. It looks a bit different from the original one, and the bumps are not as big and round. The fun fact about this fruit is that it is not a mix of sugar apple and pineapple. The name is actually from the shape. The fruit is a cross between Annona cherimola and Annona squamosa. The taste is not as sweet as sugar apples. 

This is what Cherinoia “凤梨释迦 fènglí shì jiā” looks like. As you can see from the picture below, the shape is a bit different from 释迦 shì jiā.

杨桃 yángtáo, Star Fruit / Carambola

The tree of this fruit is cultivated throughout tropical areas. The fruit has distinctive ridges running down its sides. The entire fruit is edible and it is usually eaten out of your hand. Star fruit juice is a popular street drink in Taiwan. In the United States, carambolas are grown in tropical and semitropical areas, including Texas, South Carolina, Louisiana, California, Virginia, Florida, and Hawaii. The color of the fruit is usually yellow or green.

番石榴 fān shíliú / 芭乐 bā lè, Guava

Guavas usually have light green skin with either a white or red color inside. You can see the pictures below. The skin is edible, there is no need to peel it. There are seeds in the center, and the center is usually softer and sweeter. Some people do not like the seeds so they will cut and shape the guavas in a crescent-shape. The size of a guava fruit is about the size of a baseball. 

Guavas are not usually as sweet as longans and lychees. But Guavas are rich in dietary fiber and vitamin C, with moderate levels of folic acid, and low in calories for a typical serving. 

This is what guava looks like when you cut it open