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35 Fruits That Start With C: The Ultimate List From Nature

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You will be surprised to see how many types of fruits have a name with the first letter c. There are many types that you might have heard of, but there are also some less-known types that you will learn something about in this article.

In this article, I have also listed some basic characteristics of each fruit that starts with c and some interesting things so that the list is not just a mere enumeration, so you definitely won’t get bored.

So, let’s proceed!

35 Amazing Fruits That Start With C

Here is the list of fruits whose name starts with the letter c and some interesting facts about each of them:

1. Cacao

Cacao

Yes, cacao is a fruit. Maybe some of you are surprised to see the main ingredient of our all-favorite chocolate on this list, but here it is.

It is a fruit that grows on the so-called Theobroma cacao tree and contains about 20-60 cacao beans. Those cacao beans are surrounded by a sweet-tart white pulp that is very sticky.

Those beans are the main part of the fruit and are used for the production of all sorts of chocolate products.

Cacao powder is one of the most popular, and it is a great cocoa powder alternative if you don’t have any at hand. 

2. Caimito

Caimito, scientifically known as Chrysophyllum cainito, is a fruit that originates from the West Indies and Central America and is a member of the Sapotaceae family.

It is not commercially grown on a large scale and its tree is much more appreciated than the fruit. The fruit’s peel can be dark-purple, red-purple, or pale-purple and it is smooth, leathery, and glossy.

The inside of the purple fruit is dark purple, and in green fruits it is white.

3. Canistel Fruit

Another one from the list of fruits that start with c. This fruit, that is also known as egg fruit, originates from South America and is cultivated in Mexico, El Salvador, and India. When it comes to the scientific name, it is known as Poteria campechiana.

This fruit possesses yellow leather and orange flesh. It has a sweet flavor and can be eaten raw or made into milkshakes or custards.

4. Calabash Fruit

Calabash is a large spherical fruit that grows on the calabash tree in Africa, Central and South America, the West Indies, and southern Florida.

A whitish pulp and dark brown seeds are inside the fruit’s shell. That hard shell is used for making bowls, cups, and other containers.

5. Calamansi

Calamansi

Calamansi fruit is a citrus fruit that is very popular in the Philippines. It is a small fruit, round, green, and tart. It perfectly combines sweet and sour tastes and it is an excellent choice for many dishes.

It is also a great choice for fruit dishes and as a garnish for many dishes, especially those in Filipino cuisine.

SEE ALSO: 32 Fruits That Start With G (From Grapple To Grape!)

6. Calamondins

Calamondin or Citrofortunella mitis is a small citrus fruit that originates from southeast Asia. It is a hybrid of a kumquat and mandarin orange. Its skin color can vary from green to orange when ripe and it is sweet, soft, and tender.

They possess a tart and very intense flavor, and their juice is suitable for making beverages, for meat and fish, and flavoring cakes.

7. Camu Camu Berry

Camu camu berry is a sour berry predominantly found in swampy marshlands in the Amazon rainforest. Usually, it is not eaten raw or used for cooking. Rather it’s dried and then made into powder.

This powder is usually used as the main ingredient for many health supplements. The reason for this is the fact that camu camu berry possesses a lot of nutrients such as vitamin C and lots of antioxidants.

8. Canary Melon

Canary melons are bright yellow fruit that have a tough, thick, and hard rind with little brown markings on them. They are classified as Cucumis melo and they belong to the Cucurbitaceae family.

They can have white flesh but they can also develop an ivory color. That same flesh is full of tan oval seeds. The flavor is mild, sweet, and tangy. When it comes to nutritional value, they are an excellent source of fiber and vitamin C.

9. Cantaloupe

Cantaloupe is a fresh and sweet fruit and a member of the Cucurbitaceae family just like melons, watermelons, and cucumbers. It is full of water, so it is a very good refreshing option on hot summer days.

Because of that, freezing cantaloupe is the best method if you want to preserve its quality for longer.

Cantaloupe is also popular for its health benefits since it is full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

10. Cape Gooseberry

Cape Gooseberry

Cape gooseberries are also called golden berries or ground berries. They are tart and sour in taste and have a flavor more like olives than berries. They are ideal for relishes and salads.

They are also nutritionally rich because they possess a high level of vitamin A which is very beneficial for your eyes.

11. Capulin Cherry Fruit

Capulin cherry, scientifically known as Prunus salicifolia, belongs to the Rosaceae family. It is a sweet-tart fruit that is small in size and has a round shape.

It has smooth skin with red to golden yellow flesh that has a firm, crisp, and succulent consistency. When it comes to nutritional value, capulin cherries are a great source of vitamins A and C, and they can also provide fiber and some minerals like zinc and iron.

12. Carob Fruit

Carob fruit grows on the carob tree which is native to the Mediterranean. Carobs come from the pods of the same tree. Sweet pulp is removed when the pods are ripe. After that, it is roasted and ground into fine powder.

That powder is often used as a substitute for chocolate in baking recipes. That powder is dark, rich, and has a nutty flavor. It is an excellent choice for chocolate cookies.

13. Cempedak

This is a specific fruit that is very popular in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. Its scientific name is Artocarpus integer and it belongs to the Moraceae family, along with jackfruit and breadfruit.

It is one strange, spiky fruit that has an intense flavor. Inside of this unusual fruit is orange or yellow flesh that can be used in cakes or ice creams.

14. Cashew apple

The cashew apple is a fruit that grows on the cashew tree and its scientific name is Anacardium occidentals. It is more a pseudo fruit just like some others including strawberries, apples, pears, and pineapples.

Its taste is similar to that of some apples – sweet with a touch of sourness. The cashew apple is mostly used in drinks and in fruit spreads like jellies and jams.

15. Cedar Bay Cherry

Cedar Bay Cherry

Next on my list of fruits that start with c is cedar bay cherry fruit also known by its scientific name Eugenia carossoides. It is native to Australia and it is known as “bushfood” or “bush tucker”.

Its skin is smooth and shiny with a bright orange-red color. It has soft flesh that is juicy and has a sweet flavor with grape and berry notes.

16. Ceylon Gooseberry

Ceylon gooseberry, also known as Kitambilla or, scientifically, Dovyalis hebecarpa, originates from south India and Sri Lanka.

It is mostly used in the production of jellies and jams. It has tight skin that is orange when unripe and a deep purple when mature. The flesh, on the other hand, is a lush purplish red. The flavor is sour, akin to cranberry or acidic apricot.

17. Chayote Fruit

This fruit is a type of summer squash. Chayote fruit is similar to pear in shape and size and it has bright green skin.

It is not something that you want to eat raw, but it is more suitable for cooking. It has a mild taste and crunchy texture.

Chayote fruit is packed with nutrients, so it has some health benefits that are important to mention. It may improve heart health, blood sugar control, liver function, healthy weight loss, and much much more.

18. Charichuelo

Number 18 on the list of fruits that start with c is Charichuelo fruit, scientifically known as Garcinia Madruno. It is native to Central and South America.

This fruit is an edible, sweet fruit that looks like little sweet lemons with its yellow skin and it even tastes like lemon or lemony cotton candy. It can be eaten raw or used as an ingredient in juice or ice cream.

19. Cherry Fruit

Another one on the list of fruits that starts with c is the well-known cherry fruit. It grows on a tree that belongs to the genus Prunus in the Rosacea family.

There can be sweet cherries and sour cherries, which are mostly eaten fresh or can be used as an ingredient in liqueur, juice, cake, and many other remedies.

They are very healthy since they possess a vast amount of vitamin A, calcium, and phosphorus. They also contain a certain amount of potassium.

20. Chokeberry Fruit

Chokeberry

Chokeberry is a fruit that is popular in Russia and other parts of eastern Europe. When it comes to the US, these berries are considered North American fruit. They are primarily found in colder regions.

These berries are also known by the name “Aronia berries”. They can be eaten raw, but they can also be used in pies, juices, and teas. Their health benefits are too numerous to count due to their extremely high nutritional value. They are packed with antioxidants.

21. Chokecherry Fruit

Chokecherries, scientifically known as Prunus virginiana, belong to the stone family along with plums and cherries. It originates from North America.

These berries are small and round with a bright red to deep red color on the outside. They are perfect for fruit leather, homemade wine, and jellies.

22. Clementine

Clementines are small oranges that are easy to peel and are very sweet to eat. They are a type of mandarin orange and are a hybrid of mandarin and sweet orange.

Clementines are round, small, and typically seedless. They have a honey-sweet taste and thin skin and that makes them perfect for a little sweet snack.

23. Cloudberry

Cloudberries are one of the rarest fruits on the list and are mostly found in the wild. They are found across Scandinavia and are also called “Arctic Gold”. They belong to the Rosaceae family just like apples, pears, almonds, blackberries, cherries, and ornamental roses.

They are small, edible fruits that are similar to raspberries. Cloudberries are tart and tangy when ripe because of the high level of vitamin C. Cloudberry jams are very popular because of their spicy aroma.

24. Cluster Fig Fruit

Botanically classified as Ficus racemosa, cluster fig fruits belong to the Maracea family. This fruit originates from Southeast Asia and Australia.

They are small to medium fruits that are round, oval, to pyriform in shape. Their skin is semi-smooth and delicate and its color is dark red when mature. The flesh can be white and yellow, and it is soft, tender, and sticky. Seeds within it contribute to its crunchy consistency.

The flavor is very sweet and subtly tangy.

25. Coconut

Coconut

I am sure you have all heard of coconut. It is a very popular tropical food that grows on the coconut palm tree, one from the palm family, Arecaceae. It originates somewhere in Indo-Malaya.

It has a hard brown shell with white flesh that is high in fat. It can be dried or eaten fresh, but it is most commonly processed into coconut milk or coconut oil.

Coconut milk taste is truly incredible and can be used in all sorts of dishes.

It has many health benefits since it is highly nutritious and full of antioxidants.

26. Coco Plum Fruit

Coco plum is known by its scientific name Chrysobalanus icaco. It is mostly found on sea beaches in tropical parts of Africa.

These fruits can be red, white, or blue. They have a sweet taste and it is most likely that they will be made into jams and jellies. They can also be eaten raw.

27. Conkerberry Fruit

This fruit, scientifically known as Carrisa spinarum, belongs to the Apocynaceae family. It is native to central Australia.

It appears dark green in color that – over a period of time – changes from red to black. The flesh is pleasantly sweet, but it can cause thirst when it is consumed in high amounts.

Conkerberries are however mostly used as an ingredient to make jellies and jams.

SEE ALSO: 30 Fruits That Start With R (+ Interesting Facts)

28. Cornelian Cherry Fruit

This fruit grows on the cornelian cherry tree that is botanically known as Cornus mas, and it belongs to the Cornaceae family. The roots of cornelian cherry are in southern Europe.

It is a monocotyledon fruit that looks like an elongated, bright red cherry, but it is not related to it. It is an edible fruit when ripe and it only fully ripens when it falls. Then, it is dark ruby red or a bright yellow.

This fruit possesses an acidic flavor that is something like a blend of sour cherry and cranberry.

29. Crab Apple

These apples are a part of the Rosacea family. They can be found throughout the United States and Canada. Crab apples are small, decorative apples that are similar to ordinary ones, just smaller in size.

They possess a distinct sour flavor. They are smaller and tastier than ordinary apples and they can be eaten raw. But they are a better option in jellies, cider, chutney, and preservers.

30. Cranberry

Cranberry

Cranberries originate from North America and they are grown across the US, Chile, and Canada. They are considered a superfood because of their nutritional value.

Cranberries are full of antioxidants and they can be great for the prevention of cancer. They can also improve the immune system and decrease blood pressure.

People often consume it in sauces, smoothies, as juice, and they can be added to casseroles, desserts, and stuffings.

31. Crowberry

Crowberries are the only edible parts of the crowberry tree whose generic name is Empetrum which literally means “growing on rocks”. They are also known by the names “blackberry” and “crow Blackberry”.

These berries can be eaten raw but are also used for making jams, jellies, pies, and wine. They can be also used for tea. They have a high nutritional value since they are very high in vitamin C and vitamin K.

In northern cultures, they are used for smoking fish.

32. Currant

Currants are small berries that grow on shrubs. They are very similar to gooseberries and they can be fresh black, red, pink, or white.

They can be eaten fresh since they possess a sweet and bright acidic flavor. But they can be also used as an ingredient in delicious tarts, scones, jams, preserves, and sauces.

33. Cupuacu

Cupuacu is also known by the name “cupuassu” and is related to the cacao tree. It is native to the Amazon forest and it is a national fruit in Brazil.

Cupuacu is ovular and it has a brown and white fleshy pulp. Its flavor reminds me of chocolate with hints of melon and pineapple. This fruit is very healthy and rich in antioxidants and supports healthy skin and it keeps your hair soft and healthy.

34. Custard Apple

Custard apple fruit, also known as cherimoya fruit, grows on the custard apple tree, a genus of 160 species that belong to the Annonaceae family native to the New World tropics.

It is an edible fruit that has a sweet taste and creamy, curdy texture. It is mostly used for fruit salads, fruit sorbets, and cake fillings, or it can be turned into chutney or a side dish for curries and barbecues.

Custard apples are also very healthy due to the large amount of antioxidants they contain. They can be beneficial for your mood, eyes, and immunity.

35. Cydonia Oblonga

Cydonia Oblonga

Last on this list of fruits that start with c is Cydonia oblonga. It is a scientific name for quince. Quince grows on a small quince tree or shrub that is a member of the Rosaceae family.

It is native to Turkey, Iran, maybe Greece, and the Crimean Peninsula. Quince is green-yellow and shaped like a pear. It is best to cook it and then it becomes soft and develops a sweet and piquant flavor. It also becomes pink, giving an attractive color to conserves and jellies.

Know Your C Letter Fruits

So, you have come to the end of this long but, I hope, helpful list of fruits that start with c. I tried my best to incorporate all crucial fruit types that have the name with the first letter c and all their important characteristics and, of course, some interesting facts about each of them.

So, thank you for your attention, and know your C letter fruits!