✔ Updated · 25 fruits, sorted by category
Fruits that start with Z include zucchini, Zante currants, Zinfandel grapes, Zestar apples, zwetschge plums and the Mexican zapotes.
Z is the rarest letter for fruit, so this list includes every real Z fruit we could verify and nothing invented to pad it out: named apple, grape, plum and mango varieties, dates and dried fruits, wild fruits from China, Iran and Australia, and botanical fruits like squash. Each entry says what the fruit tastes like and where it grows.
Fruits that start with Z, from everyday favorites to rare finds. The most popular:
Common Fruits That Start With Z
Apple and grape varieties that start with Z. Z was a tough letter, and I enjoyed the hunt.
Zestar Apple
An early-season Minnesota apple released in 1999, with very crisp, juicy flesh and a sweet-tart, brown-sugar flavor.
Zabergau Reinette
A German russet apple from the 1880s with rough golden-brown skin and firm, nutty, tart-sweet flesh, good for baking.
Zinfandel Grape
A dark red wine grape of Croatian origin, famous in California, with juicy berries tasting of blackberry, jam and pepper.
Zweigelt Grape
Austria's most planted red grape, bred in 1922, with dark, juicy berries that taste of sour cherry and spice.
Zibibbo Grape
The Sicilian name for Muscat of Alexandria, a golden grape from Pantelleria with floral, honey-sweet berries, dried for sweet wine.
Zierfandler Grape
A rare white wine grape from Austria's Thermenregion with reddish-gray berries and a spicy, fruity, high-acid flavor.
Tropical Fruits That Start With Z
Sapotes, mangoes and jujubes from warm climates. I’ve only seen these at specialty markets.
Zapote Negro
Also called black sapote, a green fruit from Mexico with soft, dark brown flesh that tastes mildly sweet, like chocolate pudding.
Zapote Blanco
Also called white sapote, a green-yellow fruit from the highlands of Mexico with creamy flesh tasting of banana, peach and vanilla.
Zill Mango
An early-season Florida mango from the 1930s, a Haden seedling with red-blushed skin and sweet, aromatic, juicy flesh.
Ziziphus
The jujube family of shrubs from China, India and the Middle East, bearing small fruits with crisp, apple-like, sweet flesh.
Stone Fruits That Start With Z
Plums and peaches that start with Z.
Zwetschge
A dark purple oval prune plum from Germany and Austria with firm, sweet-tart, freestone flesh, baked into Zwetschgenkuchen.
Zee Lady Peach
A large yellow freestone peach bred in California, with red-blushed skin and firm, sweet, low-acid flesh.
Melons That Start With Z
Heirloom melons that start with Z. I’d love to grow one in my garden someday.
Zatta Melon
A wrinkled, ribbed Italian heirloom melon from Emilia-Romagna with orange flesh that is very sweet and aromatic.
Rare & Exotic Fruits That Start With Z
Wild fruits from China, Iran and Australia.
Zhe Fruit
A bumpy red fruit of the Chinese mulberry tree from East Asia, with soft, sweet flesh tasting like mulberry and watermelon.
Zig Zag Vine Fruit
A small orange fruit of an Australian rainforest vine with soft, sweet-tangy flesh, eaten fresh as bush food.
Zalzalak
The Persian name for the azarole, a small red or yellow hawthorn fruit from Iran and the Mediterranean with tart, apple-like flesh.
Dates and Dried Fruits That Start With Z
Date varieties and dried fruits that start with Z.
Zante Currant
Tiny dried Black Corinth grapes from Greece and California with a tangy-sweet, intense flavor, used in scones and baking.
Zereshk
Dried barberries from Iran with a bright red color and a very sour, tangy flavor, cooked with saffron rice.
Zahidi Date
A golden, semi-dry date from Iraq with firm, chewy flesh and a mild, nutty sweetness, widely used in baking.
Zaghloul Date
A long, deep red Egyptian date usually eaten fresh and crunchy, with a mildly sweet, slightly astringent taste.
Botanical Fruits Eaten as Vegetables That Start With Z
Fruits in the botanical sense that are cooked and served as vegetables.
Zucchini
A green summer squash developed in Italy, botanically a fruit, with tender, mild, slightly sweet flesh for grilling and baking.
Get the recipe →Zebrino Tomato
A small, striped dark red and green cocktail tomato grown in Europe, with a sweet, rich, slightly tangy flavor.
Zapallito
A round green summer squash from Argentina and Uruguay with tender, mild flesh, often stuffed and baked.
Zucchetta
A long, curved climbing squash from Liguria, Italy, eaten young, with firm, nutty, mildly sweet flesh.
Zephyr Squash
An American summer squash with yellow skin and a green tip, with tender, nutty, mildly sweet flesh.
Did You Know?
- Zante currants are not currants at all: they are tiny dried Black Corinth grapes, named after the Greek island of Zakynthos, once called Zante.
- Zapote negro, or black sapote, is a persimmon relative whose ripe flesh is so dark and soft that it is often called the chocolate pudding fruit.
- Zucchini is botanically a fruit, because it grows from the flower of the plant and contains seeds, even though it is cooked as a vegetable.
- Zereshk, the dried barberries of Iran, are cooked with saffron rice to make the jeweled dish zereshk polo.
Quick List: All 25 Fruits That Start With Z
Handy for alphabet games, quizzes and Scattergories. The full list, A to Z:
Zabergau Reinette, Zaghloul Date, Zahidi Date, Zalzalak, Zante Currant, Zapallito, Zapote Blanco, Zapote Negro, Zatta Melon, Zebrino Tomato, Zee Lady Peach, Zephyr Squash, Zereshk, Zestar Apple, Zhe Fruit, Zibibbo Grape, Zierfandler Grape, Zig Zag Vine Fruit, Zill Mango, Zinfandel Grape, Ziziphus, Zucchetta, Zucchini, Zweigelt Grape, Zwetschge
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common fruit that starts with Z?
Zucchini is the most common fruit that starts with Z, since it is botanically a fruit. Among sweet fruits, Zante currants, Zinfandel grapes and Zestar apples are the easiest to find in stores.
Are Zante currants real currants?
No. Zante currants are tiny dried Black Corinth grapes, not currants from the Ribes shrub. They are named after the Greek island of Zante, now Zakynthos, and are used in scones, buns, cakes and stuffings.
Is zucchini a fruit or a vegetable?
Botanically, zucchini is a fruit because it develops from the flower and contains seeds. In cooking it is treated as a vegetable, because it is mild rather than sweet and is grilled, sautéed, baked or spiralized.
What is a zapote?
Zapote is a Spanish name used for several soft Mexican fruits. Zapote negro, or black sapote, tastes like chocolate pudding, and zapote blanco, or white sapote, tastes like banana, peach and vanilla. Both are eaten when very soft.
Why are there so few fruits that start with Z?
Very few fruit names in English begin with Z, so most Z fruits are varieties, like Zestar apples, or come from other languages, like zwetschge and zapote. This list includes only fruits that can be verified, rather than made-up names.
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