Ten Brown Fruits

[red durian]

I expect that there are at least 10 tropical fruits in which the edible portion is brown.   So mamme sapote, for example cannot be on the list  Here are some that come to mind:

1. sapodilla (Manilkara zapota)
2. fig (Ficus carica)
3. black sapote (Diospyros digyna)
4. borojo  (Borojoa patinoi)
5. tamarind (Tamarindicus indica)
6. velvet tamarind (Dialium indum)
7. tamarind des indes (Vangueria madagascariensis)

What is missing?

[bsbullie]

You are really pushing it to the extreme with a black sapote....I would say while is on the very extreme end of the brown color chart bur almost black.

SOME mamey have a brown color component to their flesh color though not totally brown.

[red durian]

You are really pushing it to the extreme with a black sapote....I would say while is on the very extreme end of the brown color chart bur almost black.

SOME mamey have a brown color component to their flesh color though not totally brown.

I was thinking to say black for black sapote, but I think it is actually dark brown.  Black and white make grey, but a black sapote milkshake is not grey.  It is brown I seem to recall.  Perhaps a painter could weigh in on the colour.   I think if we ask the man on the street, he will say it is black.  So it is black, but it may also be brown. 

[Tim]

Which fig(s) are you referring to when you think of brown flesh? White figs?

[Mike T]

The black sapotes are brown inside.

[red durian]

Which fig(s) are you referring to when you think of brown flesh? White figs?

I'm probably wrong about figs.  Oops.... Even apples are brown inside if you dry them.  I was thinking of a dried Turkish fig.  I'll take fig off the list and replace with a lesser known fruit.

1. sapodilla (Manilkara zapota)
2. stinking toe (Hymenae coubaril)
3. black sapote (Diospyros digyna)
4. borojo  (Borojoa patinoi)
5. tamarind (Tamarindicus indica)
6. velvet tamarind (Dialium indum)
7. tamarind des indes (Vangueria madagascariensis)

Two families account for 5 of the brown fruit species on the list so far.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

Diospyros kaki, persimmon (certain cultivars, namely chocolate)

Dipteryx alata (close to brown)

Oenocarpus bataua (almost black)

Couepia bracteosa (close to brown)

[siafu]

Which fig(s) are you referring to when you think of brown flesh? White figs?

I'm probably wrong about figs.  Oops.... Even apples are brown inside if you dry them.  I am thinking of a dried Turkish fig.  If you know fresh figs, please set me right.  I am happy to remove fig from the list.

Fresh figs come in many colors, depending on variety. There's red fleshed figs, pink, yellow, honey, white.
Some cultivars produce more than one crop. They can be different in size and internal color and flavor. For instance,
one of the best we have, produces large honey colored figs (breba) in late May/June and then pink fleshed figs
in July/August.

I do have a variety that produces figs that are brownish red inside. There are so many fig varieties that it would
not surprise me if there's one truly brown inside.

[red durian]

Diospyros kaki, persimmon (certain cultivars, namely chocolate)

Dipteryx alata (close to brown)

Oenocarpus bataua (almost black)

Couepia bracteosa (close to brown)

A Saffron, I suspected you would be up for the challenge! Thanks.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

red durian,

I have been enjoying your inquisitive posts!

I'm trying my best to keep up...your questions aren't always easy to answer.

I haven't been thinking of brown fruits, but now that I do, it seem rare, and worth seeking out.

Keep up all the great topics!

[Gouralata]

Some Landolphia sp.  (Eta fruit)

[Mr. Clean]

If you put a banana in the freezer, the flesh turns brownish.  If you cut an apple and expose it to air for a few hours, the exposed flesh turns brownish.

[fruitlovers]

How about dried dates and jujubes?

[bsbullie]

If you put a banana in the freezer, the flesh turns brownish.  If you cut an apple and expose it to air for a few hours, the exposed flesh turns brownish.

I guess we could start listing many rotted fruits that are brown too...

[red durian]

Diospyros kaki, persimmon (certain cultivars, namely chocolate)

Dipteryx alata (close to brown)

Oenocarpus bataua (almost black)

Couepia bracteosa (close to brown)

I have some time this morning to read about those last 3 fruits and hopefully find photos.  Only the persimmon is familiar to me and the couepia genus.  I found a photo of the dipteryx alata and read the wikipedia page about it.  It sounds great. .. Yet another species I want to grow. 


this is dipteryx alata and the photo is from this web page: http://www.centraldocerrado.org.br/baru.html/

[FlyingFoxFruits]

red durian,

unfortunately all of the cerrado plants will be hard for you to grow I think.

they like some dry weather!

and even a bit of cold.

[red durian]

red durian,

unfortunately all of the cerrado plants will be hard for you to grow I think.

they like some dry weather!

and even a bit of cold.

I am thinking about this as something to grow in Belize with a 2 month dry season and a few mornings each year when you can see your breath.  I also wonder if there is enough cool weather in Belize to grow those cerrado species.  Is 2 months enough dry season?

Does anyone have a better photo of Oenocarpus bataua showing the colour of the inside?  This was the best I could find with a Google image search.

[red durian]

So here it is (so far):  A neat list of ten tropical fruits whose edible portion when fresh and ripe, is brown:

1. sapodilla (Manilkara zapota)
2. stinking toe (Hymenae coubaril)
3. black sapote (Diospyros digyna)
4. borojo  (Borojoa patinoi)
5. tamarind (Tamarindicus indica)
6. velvet tamarind (Dialium indum)
7. tamarind des indes (Vangueria madagascariensis)
8. ungurahua (Oenocarpus bataua)
9. baru (Dipteryx alata)
10. pajura (Couepia bracteosa)

The Legume family seems to be the global power in producing brown-fleshed fruits.  Concerning Landolphia sp as suggested by Gouralata, I looked for photos of brown fleshed fruits but the closest I got was this lovely drawing of one species. Is that brown enough to call brown do you think?  Do you know the species that are brown fleshed?

[Gouralata]

I saw the picture in Congo Native fruits but without the species name.

[tabbydan]

I'd say Dialium sp.   I think most of them have powdery brown flesh.

Feronia limonia flesh can be beige-brown

Aegle marmelos can be brownish

Cynometra cauliflora like jujubes... if left late is brown

[BMc]

Some loquats are light brown, like Mizuho.
There are a few lansat-like fruit that have browny-orange pulp, like Talisia esculenta

[BMc]

Also, that nasty looking brown thing Jackfruitwhisperer posted - Strychnos spinosa

[fruitlovers]

I'm about to cut into a Feronia limonia, wood apple, or that is what i think it is. Will let you know the color.

[tabbydan]

I'm about to cut into a Feronia limonia, wood apple, or that is what i think it is. Will let you know the color.

I had ones in Southern India that were dark beige inside so we don't need confirmation

That being said I'm not sure what the cutoff for brown is.

I also think a number of Diospyros species could be termed as having brown flesh, likewise with other fruits of edible Ebony relatives....

I guess we forgot "raisin"!

And a number of Grewia species are still edible when brown.  For instance G. biloba starts out red and gradually turns brown it is still edible over a year after fruiting though.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

dont forget about the genus Alibertia,

they make some brownies to.

http://www.acguanacaste.ac.cr/paginas_especie/magnoliophyta/rubiaceae/alibertia_edulis/a_edulis7ene1998/a_edulis7ene98_ingl.html