When it comes to delicious, nutritious fruits there are so many tempting options that begin with the letter M. From tropical mangoes to juicy melons this mouthwatering assortment offers a range of flavors, textures, and nutritional benefits. Keep reading to learn more about these 20+ fruits that start with M and get inspired to add more of them to your diet!

Sweet, Creamy Mangoes

One of the most popular fruits starting with M is the mango. Hailing from tropical regions of South Asia mangoes come in different shapes sizes, and colors, but all have soft, juicy flesh surrounding a large pit. Their sweet, creamy taste makes them perfect for eating raw, blending into smoothies, or using in chutneys. Mangoes are packed with vitamin C and vision-protecting antioxidants like zeaxanthin.

Refreshing Melons

Several delicious melons also begin with the letter M, like muskmelons, honeydews, and watermelons. Muskmelons, also known as cantaloupes, have a tan rind with netted skin and sweet, orange flesh. Honeydews are round with smooth, pale green skin and juicy flesh ranging from green to orange. Watermelons have a thick green rind and crisp, watery pink or red interior that’s perfect for summer. Melons provide hydration along with vitamins A, C, and B6.

Exotic Mulberries

The mulberry is an exotic, antioxidant-rich fruit that grows on trees and resembles a blackberry. They can be red, white, or black when ripe and have a mildly sweet yet slightly tart taste and chewy texture. You can enjoy mulberries on their own, in fruit salads, or blended into smoothies. They contain iron, potassium, and resveratrol.

Nutritious Macadamia Nuts

While macadamia nuts are technically a nut, their buttery, creamy taste complements both sweet and savory dishes, bringing a trove of benefits like healthy fats, fiber, magnesium, and manganese. Grown in tropical climates and encased in a smooth, round shell, macadamias are cholesterol-free and make a great snack.

Unique Miracle Fruit

Known as the “miracle fruit,” this West African berry tastes mildly sweet on its own but contains a glycoprotein that binds to the taste receptors on your tongue. It temporarily blocks sour flavors and makes sour foods taste incredibly sweet! Although the effects only last about 30 minutes, this one-of-a-kind fruit is fascinating to try.

Delicate Medlar Fruit

Originally cultivated in the Mediterranean and southwest Asia, medlars are small, brown fruits with a unique, spicy taste and apple-like flesh. They have to become very ripe and soften almost to the point of decay before eating. At this “bletted” stage, their flavor resembles spiced applesauce. Medlars contain antioxidants and are used in jams or eaten raw.

Tart Montmorency Cherries

A type of sour cherry grown in Canada and the northern U.S., Montmorency cherries are bright red and contain higher levels of nutrients than sweet cherries. Their sour, tangy flavor works great in pies, jams, juices, or dried. Montmorency cherries are one of the best food sources of melatonin and provide antioxidants like vitamin C, anthocyanins, and quercetin.

Juicy Malabar Plums

Native to Southeast Asia, Malabar plums go from green to yellow as they ripen and resemble a small mango. Their taste is sweet and tart with notes of pineapple and citrus. Malabar plums can be eaten raw but are often used in chutneys, curries, or fermented into wine. They’re high in antioxidants, vitamin C, and iron.

Aromatic Madrone Fruit

The madrone is a red-barked tree that produces small, orange-red berries along the Pacific Coast. Madrone berries can be eaten raw off the tree and provide a sweetly tart, dry taste and grainy texture. They have an aromatic, woody flavor with hints of cinnamon. Dried madrone berries were important foods for Native American tribes.

Creamy Mayapples

Mayapples are an overlooked native North American fruit that hide under large umbrella leaves. Once pollinated, a single lemon-yellow fruit emerges with creamy white flesh and black seeds inside. Ripe mayapples taste sweet and have a soft texture reminiscent of custard. Though slightly toxic when unripe, ripe mayapples can be eaten raw or made into preserves.

Unique Malay Rose Apple

Also known as water roses, Malay rose apples are bell-shaped fruits native to Southeast Asia. Their pinkish-purple color and waxy, rose-like appearance gives them their name. The crisp, juicy flesh has a mild, refreshing taste likened to watermelon and strawberries. Malay rose apples contain good amounts of vitamin C and fiber.

Wild Mulberry Relative: Malus Sieversii

Malus sieversii is a wild apple species and ancestor of the domestic apple native to Central Asia. Foraged by bears and other wildlife, these small, red-and-green apples have a pleasantly tart, fruity flavor. They contain about 5 times more polyphenols than modern apple varieties and make nutritious raw snacks, cider, or preserves. Their boosted nutrition could benefit today’s apples through grafting.

The Takeaway

This overview just scratches the surface of the many delicious, good-for-you fruits starting with the letter M. When shopping at the grocery store or farmers market, keep an eye out for mangoes, melons, mulberries, medlars, mayapples, and more. Trying new and exotic fruits adds adventure, nutrients, and intrigue to your diet. So next time you’re looking to add more variety to your fruit intake, look no further than this mouthwatering assortment of options that begin with M!