17 Fruits That Start With N

Now, this could get a little tricky. Thinking of 17 fruits that start with N isn’t the easiest task, but fear not! We are here to help. We’ve wracked our brains for days and days and have finally come up with a pretty decent list. There are some you’ll know and some you don’t. See how many you got before reading!

1. Nectarine

Let’s go for the obvious one first, shall we? We all love a nice nectarine. We like to think of the nectarine as a cross between a plum and a peach. Nectarines are grown the world over and are very similar in flavor to a peach… Without the fuzz. The trick with nectarines is to catch them when they are just about to go overripe. Eat them too early, and the flesh can taste very powdery and really bitter. Best to wait until they are bursting full of sweet juice. Nectarines contain nearly twice the amount of vitamin C as an orange, so they are great if you feel a little run down.

2. Naartjie Fruit

Ever heard of this one before? Well, you are in for a treat. If you want to know how to pronounce it, it sounds like this… ‘Nart-eee-eye’. If it sounds strange, that’s because it is an Afrikaans word. That should give you a clue as to where this fruit is grown and eaten. It originates in South Africa and looks very similar to a satsuma or small orange. It is eaten in exactly the same way as a tangerine. Peel the skin and rip into juicy segments whose flavor has been described as a mixture of orange and mandarin.

3. Nance

If you’ve ever ventured to Central America or the Caribbean, you may have seen (or even tasted a nance fruit). The nance fruit looks a little similar to a large cherry with smooth, shiny skin. Unlike cherries, it isn’t red. Instead, the fruit is a pale golden color, as is the flesh held within. Nance has a large stone in its center but can be eaten raw in the same way as cherries. The flavor is best described as a mix of sweetness and tartness, but this can vary depending on how ripe the fruit is. 

4. Neem

If you want to see a neem fruit tree, you will have to journey to central Asia, specifically India. The neem tree is related to the mahogany family, and practically every part of the tree is useful. The fruit itself is orange-shaped and is yellowy-green in appearance. Once it is picked and ripened, it tastes very sweet and sugary. Neem fruit is jam-packed with vitamins and is highly rich in antioxidants. Some people even claim that it helps cure diabetes!

5. Nageia

Here’s a fruit starting with N that you won’t see every day. It is normally cultivated and grown in southeast Asia, particularly Japan. The fruit itself is similar to a gooseberry, albeit with a large stone in its center. It doesn’t feature in many recipes as it tends to be incredibly bitter. The most common use for the Nageia fruit is in herbal and medicinal applications.

6. Naranjilla

What do you get if you cross an orange with a tomato? No, it isn’t a joke… If you imagine what it would look like, chances are you’ll end up with a picture of the naranjilla fruit. This fruit is found throughout Central America. This is one of our favorite fruits, starting with N. The skin, flesh, and seeds can all be eaten. It tastes like a delicious combination of lemon and pineapple. It is often used as a juice and is really high in vitamins and minerals. It is also used to flavor ice cream and candies. And want to know the best thing? If you can find it, it is also made into wine… Now that will impress your dinner party guests.

7. Nectatcotum

Imagine that an apricot, a plum, and a nectarine all got together and decided to make a baby fruit. What you’d be left with is a nectatcotum. This fruit looks exactly like all of the above. It has the rosy skin of a nectarine, all of the flavor of sweet apricot, and the pale orange flesh of a juicy plum. As with all of the above fruits, they can be eaten in many ways. Raw is always an option, but if you’ve got your hands full of nectatcotum, it is great for stewing down into a tasty and long-lasting fruit preserve. Perfect on a piece of sourdough toast. Yum.

8. Nere

Here’s an interesting pub quiz fact, the nere fruit grows on something called the locust bean tree… The fruit can also be referred to as a locust bean! These little fruits look a little like lychee, but it is the seeds that give them their appeal. The seeds are surrounded by sweet pulp and are normally used medicinally.

9. Nungu

You might have seen or heard of this fruit before, as it does have another name… It is more commonly known as palm fruit. If you want to know the old colonial name for it, it was lovingly referred to as an ‘ice apple’. This is because the flesh of this fruit is clear and translucent and looks very much like a large ice cube. It is a refreshing fruit full of minerals and was used to prevent dehydration in hot summers in its home in India. 

10. Nonda Plum

The Nonda plum is one of the oldest known fruits in the world. Found in the bush of Northern Australia, it has been consumed by the aboriginal peoples for more than 4000 years!. Contrary to the name, the nonda plum looks and tastes nothing like a plum. If you were to spot one in the wild, you’d see a small dry looking spiky fruit shaped very much like a tiny gourd. The flesh is neither sweet nor soft. In fact, it is quite bitter and stringy!

11. Nutmeg

Hey, we said it was a challenge, and we meant it. Yes, nutmeg is a fruit. The most common way this is consumed is to dry out the central stone of the nutmeg fruit before grinding it into a fine powder that adds a subtle yet distinctive flavor to any dish. It’s great on rice pudding!

12. Navel Orange

This one might be cheating a bit, but it still counts. Of course, you are already familiar with an orange. You are, right? Good. This fruit tastes similar to a standard orange. The key difference is that a small opening is located on the top of the orange that resembles a tummy button. If you didn’t know, ‘navel’ is the medical term for this.

13. Natal Plum

If you haven’t seen one of these fruits before, don’t worry. They tend to be found in the south African bush. If you want a bonus fruit starting with N, this is ideal as it is two for one… It is also known as a num-num! We’d advise against eating one of these if you are out in the wild. While the fruit is edible, the branch that it grows on is not and is, in fact, toxic… So steer clear of that milky sap!

14. Nashi Pear

Also, know as the Asian pear, you won’t find any surprises with this fruit. It is practically identical to the pears you’ll find in the west. When ripe, the flesh is sweet and ever so slightly fibrous. Eat one unripe at your peril. It is generally very hard and extremely bitter! We love to throw a few cubes of this into a smoothy and use up the extra in making a nice pear jam.

15. Nam Dok Mai

What would you say if we told you that this is the most consumed fruit in the world? Surprised? Don’t be. This is actually the Thai name for the humble yellow mango. If you have the time, this fruit is superb, but it takes a bit of prep. Slice the ‘cheeks’ of the fruit, crisscross the flash with a sharp knife, then fold the fruit inside out to cut juicy chunks of this sweet yellow flesh!

16. Nepali Hog Plum

Have a guess where this fruit originates from. Nepal! You’ll have to work hard if you don’t want to be hungry. The fruit on this tree is only just over an inch long. The flesh is a little bitter and white in color. It is traditionally made into preserves and is also used as a flavor in Nepalese candy!

17. Nocera

Ok, you might not want to eat this fruit… But you will want to drink it. Nocera is actually a variety of grape and is used in… You guessed it, wine! This might actually be our favorite on the list! Wine or mango? We’re having both!

Conclusion

Perhaps a little challenging, but we got there in the end. There’s our list of 17 fruits that start with N! Did we miss any? Why not let us know in the comments below!