Are you curious to learn about fruits that start with V? I’ve gathered some noteworthy options that the letter V has to offer.
Apples, oranges, and strawberries most likely spring to mind when we think about fruits. However, they’re a far more diversified and intriguing realm!
Join me as we reveal the names of fruits starting with V, whose flavors will surprise even the most seasoned fruit lovers. I am one indeed!
So, let’s see how many fruits start with V and what they taste like.
Enjoy the following list of fruits that start with V!
I’ve included some of the most interesting culinary V fruits, meaning those that are used to prepare dishes and desserts.
Vaccarese grape
The French Rhône Valley grows the red wine grape Vaccarese. It’s one of thirteen grape types allowed in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, which produces high-quality wines.
Vaccarese grapes give richness and structure to red wine blends. It has rich color, aromatic scents, and strong tannins.
Wine lovers enjoy this grape variety for its distinctive qualities, even though it is not as extensively grown as other grapes.
Valencia orange
Valencia oranges are appreciated for their sweetness and juiciness. The city of Valencia in Spain is its namesake.
Valencia oranges are medium to big and feature an easy-to-peel vivid orange rind. The seedless fruit flesh is separated into juicy segments.
Oranges are rich in vitamin C and other minerals. They’re eaten fresh, juiced, or used in salads, desserts, and marmalades.
I love how many uses a Valencia orange has! My top choice is fresh-squeezed orange juice because it’s so refreshing.
Late spring and summer are Valencia orange fruit season. This V fruit goes by the scientific name Citrus sinensis ‘Valencia’.
Valencia Pride mango
Valencia Pride mango is known for its huge size, brilliant color, and sweet taste. It’s a popular mango variety in Florida, USA, and other tropical locations.
This oval V fruit has brilliant yellow skin that may contain crimson flushes. Its flesh is smooth, fiber-free, juicy, and tropical-tasting. It has peach, melon, and citrus notes.
Valencia Pride mangoes are eaten fresh in fruit salads, smoothies, desserts, and as toppings.
The botanical name of this late-season mango cultivar is Mangifera indica ‘Valencia Pride’.
Van Dyke mango
The Van Dyke mango variety is a commercial kind of mango native to South Florida. Its flesh is a delicate yellow color and it features yellow specks on a red-green background.
This mango is flavorful, with hints of peach, apricot, and melon. Clove, cinnamon, and allspice undertones are also present.
Fresh Van Dyke mangoes are delicious in salads, smoothies, and sweet dishes. You can also use them to produce jams, juices, and purees.
The scientific name of this hybrid fruit is Mangifera indica ‘Van Dyke’.
Vanilla fruit
Vanilla planifolia, a tropical orchid, is the source of one of the world’s most popular tastes. Vanilla, a long, slender pod with small black seeds, is actually a fruit.
Vanilla orchid blossoms mature into pods that are harvested by hand when they are green, then cured to bring out their flavor.
It has a rich, creamy and sweet flavor and scent. Commercial vanilla flavors include extract, essence, and powder.
Vanilla has some health benefits: provides a calming effect, helps to reduce sugar intake and eases toothache.
Vanilla is a super popular flavor used to enhance cakes, cookies, ice cream, custards, and drinks. Who doesn’t love this classic flavor? I sure do!
Due to its pleasant aroma, perfumes, candles, and other products are also scented with vanilla.
Velvet apple
Velvet apple, also known as velvet persimmon, kamagong, or mabolo tree, is a tropical fruit from Southeast Asia. It’s related to persimmons and ebony trees. The “velvet apple” gets its name from its velvety skin.
Velvet apple fruit ranges in color from reddish brown to deep crimson. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience when its soft, silky hairs touch your skin.
The velvet apple is eaten fresh by cutting it open and scooping out the meat or peeling it and eating it like an apple. It has a flavor somewhere between caramel and sour pear.
This type of fruit is botanically unrelated to other “apple” fruits like the common apple (Malus domestica), despite their similar names. Velvet apples go by the scientific name Diospyros blancoi.
Velvet tamarind
Velvet tamarind (Dialium cochinchinense) is a tropical fruit grown in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam and many West African countries. Its bean-shaped pods grow on a medium-sized tree.
Velvet tamarind pods are named for their velvety exterior. When ripe, they contain numerous tiny, flattened seeds surrounded by a soft, sticky pulp.
This fruit’s yellowish-orange pulp gives meals a sour and sweet taste. It works great in sauces, chutneys, soups, stews, and refreshing drinks.
The velvet tamarind fruit is an excellent source of vitamin C, antioxidants, and dietary fiber making it good for digestion and the immune system.
Verna lemon
Citrus limon ‘Verna’ is a lemon cultivar recognized for its juicy and fragrant qualities. Spain and Portugal are the main producers of this high-quality citrus fruit.
Verna lemons are medium-sized, bright yellow fruits with thin skins. They’re juicy and zesty.
The juice is pleasantly tart and somewhat sweet, making it a valuable culinary ingredient. It’s great for making lemonade, salad dressings, marinades, cocktails, and sweet and savory dishes.
Verna lemons are noted for their vitamin C concentration and health benefits. They include antibacterial and immune-boosting antioxidants.
Lemon juice and zest are also used in cosmetics, cleaning, and home remedies.
Vernaccia grape
This white grape is used to make Vernaccia di San Gimignano, a Tuscan wine.
Ripe grapes are golden-yellow and produce dry, crisp, well-balanced wines. They include flowery and fruity scents of lemon, green apple, and almond.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano was one of the first Italian wines to achieve DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) classification, acknowledging its geographical origin and production practices.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano is the best-known Vernaccia wine, but there are others. The grape can be used to make still, sparkling, and sweet wines in some locations, earning it credit for its flexibility.
The scientific name for this grape is Vitis vinifera ‘Vernaccia’.
Vespolina grape
Vespolina is a red grape variety native to Piedmont in Northwestern Italy. It is planted for winemaking in the regions of Lombardy and Piedmont, particularly the towns of Ghemme and Boca.
This vine produces wines with medium to high tannins and red berry, cherry, and floral tastes. They’re earthy with spice and herb notes.
Some wineries are making single-varietal Vespolina wines to highlight its distinctive features. These wines showcase the grape’s bright acidity, fruitiness, and delicate tannins.
Vicar of Winkfield pear
The Vicar of Winkfield pear, sometimes known as Vicar of Bray, is a centuries-old English pear cultivar. Winkfield, Berkshire, is its namesake. This dessert pear is usually eaten fresh.
The Vicar of Winkfield pear can be distinguished by its elongated shape with a circular base. The yellowish-green skin occasionally has a crimson flush on the sun-facing side.
The scientific name is Pyrus communis ‘Vicar of Winkfield’.
Victoria plum
The 19th-century English Victoria plum is a popular cultivar named after Queen Victoria. It’s popular for its sweetness and culinary flexibility.
Medium-sized round plums have luscious yellow flesh and bright reddish-purple skin when mature. They can be eaten fresh, and used in sweets, preserves, jams, and even plum brandy.
The scientific name for the Victoria plum fruit is Prunus domestica ‘Victoria’.
Villafranca lemon
The Villafranca lemon, technically known as Citrus limon ‘Villafranca’, is prized for its juicy and fragrant qualities. It’s said to be of Sicilian origin.
Villafranca lemons are medium-sized, bright yellow, and slightly rough. Their juicy and acidic flavor can be used for lemonade, salad dressings, marinades, desserts, and enhancing sweet and savory foods.
Voavanga
Voavanga (Vangueria madagascariensis) is a plant endemic to Africa, notably Madagascar. Other names include Spanish tamarind and tamarind-of-the-Indies.
The Voavanga tree yields tiny, spherical fruits which resemble cherries or plums. When mature, they’re green, yellow, or reddish-brown.
The voavanga fruit has soft, delicious flesh with a sweet and slightly sour taste. It’s eaten fresh or used to make jams, jellies, and desserts.
Volkamer lemon
Citrus volkameriana, the Volkamer lemon, is a hybrid of a mandarin and a citron. Johann Volkamer, a German botanist, initially cultivated this lemon variety.
These bright yellow lemons are sweeter and tangier than normal lemons. Their juice can add a citrus flavor to meals, sauces, marinades, and drinks.
Volkamer lemon is also resistant to many citrus diseases and adaptable to different soil conditions.
Virginia creeper (V fruit to avoid)
Virginia creeper—Parthenocissus quinquefolia—is a flowering vine endemic to eastern and central North America. It’s also known as Victoria creeper, five-leaved ivy, or five-finger.
This grape family (Vitaceae) member grows around fences, walls, and trees in forests, gardens, and urban areas.
Virginia creeper produces little, inconspicuous fruits that are inedible. The dark blue/black berries aren’t eaten by humans, even though they look like they might taste good.
Ingesting significant amounts of berries may induce minor gastrointestinal irritation. They can also irritate your mouth, tongue and throat.
16 Fruits That Start With V (Watch out for #16!)
Ingredients
- Vaccarese grape
- Valencia orange
- Valencia Pride mango
- Van Dyke mango
- Vanilla fruit
- Velvet apple
- Velvet tamarind
- Verna lemon
- Vernaccia grape
- Vespolina grape
- Vicar of Winkfield pear
- Victoria plum
- Villafranca lemon
- Voavanga
- Volkamer lemon
- Virginia creeper
Which fruit starting with V surprised you the most? If you’ve tasted any of these V fruits, I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below.
To learn about more exciting options, check out my blog post on vegetables that start with V, or hop back in the alphabet to vegetables starting with U, foods starting with U or fruits that start with U!
If you want to know about other food items, besides fruits and veg that start with V, I have an extensive guide to V foods you might be interested in.
Have fun exploring new and delicious options!