10 Surprising Fruits That Start with Q: Not just quince!

Is there a fruit that starts with the letter Q? The answer is yes, there are a few fun fruit ideas to add to your alphabet-inspired list.

Quirky, intriguing, and quintessentially unique, fruits that start with Q have a particular position in the world of flavor. They’re a tasty monument to nature’s incredible diversity.

From the tropical quenepa to the juicy quince, the following list explores these incredible fruits’ fascinating history, delicious tastes, and compelling uses.

Prepare to give the letter “Q” a whole new meaning!

The complete list of fruits that start with Q — let’s go!

If you’re wondering how many fruits start with Q, I’ve been able to spot ten:

Quararibea cordata

Another fruit that starts with Q is Quararibea cordata in scientific terms. It’s also known as South American sapote or chupa chupa.

This tropical fruit tree is endemic to the Caribbean, Central America, and northern South America.

Quararibea cordata trees yield tiny, heart-shaped fruits. When mature, the fruits’ thin, silky skins are green, yellow, or red. Its juicy flesh encases a large seed.

Quararibea cordata fruit tastes like cherry, pineapple, and mango and is appreciated for its sweet and tangy flavor. It is eaten fresh, made into jams, jellies, and sweets, and combined into cool drinks.

Traditional medicine employs the tree’s bark and leaves. They can be used to help digestion, sore throats, and coughs and colds.

Jamaican cherry trees thrive in tropical and subtropical areas with well-drained soils. Their tasty fruits are grown in home gardens and orchards.

Quandong

Quandong is an Australian fruit starting with Q. Its scientific name is Santalum acuminatum. Due to its look and taste, Quandong is called the desert peach or native peach.

The Quandong tree is a tiny, semiparasitic shrub or tree found in arid and semi-arid Australia. 2–5 meters (6–16 feet) is its height.

The cherry-sized Quandong fruit has brilliant red or yellow skin when it matures. Jams, sauces, sweets, and drinks utilize it because of its tangy and somewhat sour taste.

Traditional Aboriginal food also frequently incorporates dried versions of the fruit.

Vitamin C, antioxidants, and minerals are abundant in Quandong. The root extract is used in natural therapies because of its anti-inflammatory properties.

In Australia, Quandong is appreciated for its taste, adaptability, and potential health benefits.

Queen Anne cherry

Queen Anne cherries are also known as Royal Anne cherries or Napoleon cherries. They’re named after Queen Anne of England, who loved cherries.

Large and firm, the Queen Anne cherry fruit has yellow to light red skin with a little blush. Its flesh is light golden, delicate, and delicious.

The exquisite flavor of this variety of cherry combines delightful sweetness and acidity. It’s used in pies, tarts, preserves, and sweets, particularly cherry pie. Cherry liqueurs and flavored syrups also taste great made with Queen Anne cherries.

The cherries are picked in late June or early July depending on the location. They’re mostly grown in cherry-friendly regions.

Its scientific name is Prunus avium ‘Royal Ann’.

Queen Tahiti pineapple

Queen Tahiti is a pineapple (Ananas comosus) cultivar. Its skin is golden-yellow with red or pink tints and rounder than other pineapple cultivars. The flesh is light yellow, soft, luscious, and edible to the core.

Queen Tahiti pineapples have unique flavors. They’re sweet, fragrant, and citrusy.

Tahiti (thus the name), the Caribbean, and other tropical and subtropical locations grow this delicious fruit. Its availability may vary by area and fruit market.

Queen Forelle pear

The Queen’s Forelle pear is a Pyrus communis cultivar. Its unique look makes it an intriguing Q fruit.

The Forelle pear is tiny to medium-sized and unique-colored. Its silky yellow-green skin has many crimson or maroon freckles or patches. The pear is named “Forelle,” which means “trout” in German, because of its speckled skin.

Forelle pears have crisp, juicy, sweet flesh under their speckled skin. It has a delicate, tangy taste and a buttery, silky texture. Its sweet-tart flavor makes it a good dessert pear.

Forelle pears are usually eaten fresh or cooked. They can be sliced and added to salads, tarts, and pies, or poached in syrup for a beautiful dessert.

These pears are also frequently used in fruit displays and arrangements for their unusual beauty.

Queensland nut

The Queensland nut, often known as the macadamia nut, is endemic to Australia. The macadamia tree (Macadamia integrifolia) grows in Queensland and New South Wales rainforests.

The nut’s rich, creamy taste makes it a very popular variety. It has a rigid, smooth shell with a white, meaty kernel inside. The kernel tastes buttery and rich because of its high oil content.

The nut is commonly roasted or used in desserts, baked products, and savory foods. It’s also utilized in nut butters and pastries.

Macadamia nuts contain healthful fats, including heart-protective monounsaturated fats. They include fiber, vitamins, and minerals like magnesium and potassium.

Australia, Hawaii, South Africa, and portions of Central and South America grow macadamia trees in favorable conditions. After falling from the trees, the nuts are gathered and processed to remove the shell.

This Aussie superfood is loved globally for its flavor and health advantages.

Here’s a link to macadamia nut substitutes. Check them out in case you don’t have access to this delectable nut.

Quenepa

Quenepa, often called Spanish lime or genip, is a tropical fruit from the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. Melicoccus bijugatus is its scientific name.

The quenepa fruit is spherical and tiny, like a cherry or plum. It has green skin and transparent, gelatinous flesh that resembles lychee or grape. It tastes sweet, tangy, and citrusy.

Quenepa is eaten by cracking or biting the peel and sucking or biting the flesh off the seed or pit. Many Caribbean and Latin American countries provide these fresh fruits as street snack.

Quenepa is a good source of vitamins A and C, calcium, phosphorus, and fiber. It may also provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Overall, it’s a tasty, versatile, and potentially healthy fruit that is loved in its native areas.

Querina apple

Florina apples, also known as Querina apples, are from northern Greece’s Florina region. Their name comes from their original cultivation location.

Florina or Querina apples are high-quality dessert apples with unique traits. Their skin is crimson with greenish-yellow streaks.

Conical-shaped, medium-to-large apples with a tangy and sweet flavor are firm enough for fresh eating and frying.

Querina apples are prized for their long-term preservation and sweetness. This makes them a popular export.

This variety of apples goes by the scientific name Malus domestica Florina.

Quinault strawberry

The Quinault strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) is notable for its sweet taste and huge fruit size. The Quinault Indian Tribe in Washington state, USA, gave it its name.

Quinault strawberries are known for their sweet, juicy fruit. They have a vivid red hue, smooth texture, and a sweet, tangy taste. They’re aesthetically beautiful and good for fresh eating and cooking because they’re bigger than ordinary.

This variety of strawberries is popular for residential and commercial gardening because of its productivity. The strawberry patch can grow easily since the plants are strong and healthy.

Quinault strawberries are employed in many culinary applications due to their sweetness and production. They’re eaten raw to enjoy the fresh flavor or used in pastries, jams, pies, and fruit salads, and topped on other foods.

Quince

Cydonia oblonga, or quince, is a member of the Rosaceae family. It’s native to Southwest Asia, including Iran, Turkey, and the Caucasus. The fruit looks like a huge, knobby, yellowish-green pear or apple.

Quince has a unique taste and smell. Raw, it’s too harsh and astringent to consume. So it’s popular for cooking since it softens and sweetens when cooked.

Jams, jellies, preserves, and pastries such as pies, tarts, and compotes use quince’s flowery taste with overtones of apple, pear, and citrus fruit.

Quince fruit tree has historical importance and is mentioned in Greek and Roman mythology. Furniture, crafts, and musical instruments were made from its fragrant wood.

This sweet fruit is also loved for its health advantages. Dietary fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and copper all contribute to the nutritional value of quince.

These fruits starting with Q, from the exotic quince with its flowery overtones to the tantalizingly tart quenepa, have introduced us to a new world of remarkable flavors.

It doesn’t mean you have to stop at fruits though. Vegetables beginning with Q, veggies starting with U, fruits starting with U, foods beginning with U also provide a range of delights, so be sure to check out my page on them.

For an even more diverse culinary experience, check out my list of Q foods, including dishes, condiments and even drinks. Or skip along the alphabet and check out my list of R fruits or V vegetables next!

What are your favorite fruits and vegetables that start with Q? Share their names in the comments!