35 Fruits that start with U (#24 Will Surprise You)

Only a few language morphologies in the world manifest the use of ‘U’ at the beginning. Maybe, that’s the reason there are not so many fruits that start with U. There’s a hypothesis that suggests that words beginning with ‘U’ need tremendous efforts to expectorate the aerial vibrations to pronounce. Whatever the cause is, we’ve found a basketful of fruits beginning with U, and you might also know a few of them.

Here we’re presenting to you a complete list of fruits that start with U. For you, we’ve combed down different languages and cultures from the mountains of the Andes to the desert of Mongolia, from the Pacific Peninsula to the African grassland. Now you can quench your thirst by learning and loving the fruits you never knew and loved. It would be great to include some of these fruits in your diet as they can enhance the immune system. The fruits having bland look (e.g. spiky fruits), bland color(e.g. grey fruits), or hard-to-pronounce names might still have the highest grade of nutrients.

16 Vegetable that start with U

69 Fruits That Start With T

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A Complete List: Fruits That Start with U

1. Ulu Breadfruit

Scientific name: Artocarpus altilis or Artocarpus camansi

The first one in this list of fruits that start with U is ulu fruit, popularly known as breadfruit. The scientific genus name suggests that ulu or uru fruit is a sibling of jackfruit, durian, etc. There is a popular legend that this fruit saved the people of Hawaii from the great famine. That’s why you’ll find an extravagant presence of breadfruit in murals, paintings, etc of Hawaii. Micronesian and Polynesian nations also strongly inherit the legacy of breadfruit in their culinary art. 

The spiked fruit has an average size, but some cultivars can grow like a soccer ball. However, don’t confuse the aggressive thorned skin with its delicious core, or you’ll miss out on something great. The unripe ulu fruit is normally cooked whole by boiling and then used as a salad. The taste is somewhat similar to the potatoes. When ripe, you can smell the sweet and fruity flavor of breadfruit from miles away, excuse the pun. If you don’t have the patience to cook, you can eat them raw. If you want to cook, there are lots of recipes from the coasts of the South Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean coasts. Some fry it, some bake it, and some people love eating the stew of ulu fruit. 

2. Ububese fruit

Scientific name: Annona senegalensis

The second fruit beginning with U can’t break your teeth, still grinding teeth is needed to pronounce the fruit name correctly. It’s a Ndebele word. I know you couldn’t pronounce the language either. No worries! We have a name for this ububese fruit and it’s just an African custard apple. You can go to the shop and may confuse it with the American custard apple. The shape of this ‘U’ fruit deeply resembles the soursop family of fruits.

If you peel off the greenish immature skin of ububese, you’ll find a creamy textured core. The sweet taste doesn’t vary greatly from the custard apples. It turns into a bright orange color when it’s ripe. Ububese fruit normally grows in a tree that doesn’t even reach a foot. So the fruit is often referred to as the dwarf custard apple.

3. Ube fruit

Scientific name: Dacryodes edulis

Widely known as African plum or African pear, ube fruit is normally known by this name in Nigeria. In other regions, they’re called atanga, nsafu, butterfruit, etc. This evergreen tree serves mainly the people of the west coast with African pears though they’re also found in other parts of Africa. Everything is useful from ube trees, from leaves to barks and seeds to fruits. The leaves and barks have medicinal properties and are used by the locals for years. The herbal properties of leaves are also backed by science recently.

If you’re eager to eat ube fruits, know that you can eat only the indigo skin and the greenish pulp. You need to discard the seeds as they’re bitter and not edible. But the seeds also have lots of uses in Unani treatment. Ube fruits offer a nutty flavor that can be compared with the vanilla flavor. The delicate texture of this fruit has the capacity to ward off chronic diseases. Because ube fruit is packed with antioxidants, flavonoids, alkaloids, and other important elements.

4. Ujuju fruit 

Scientific name: Myrianthus arboreus

Ujuju fruit, does it sound awkward and amusing at the same time? It felt to me. My lip never closed. However, this African fruit can be compared to mulberry. Ujuju fruit is known as giant yellow mulberry, though the fruit is about the size of the palm of your hand, slightly bigger than an orange. It’s grown best in the dampened tropical region, from Cameroon to Nigeria and Angola to the south. Ujuju fruit contains 5 to 15 seeds within a fleshy pulp. The taste varies from sweet to sour and is a bit of a mix of both of them. 

5. Uchuva Fruit

Scientific name: Physalis peruviana

The name can puzzle you for a moment. But I promise you, this fruit is familiar to you. It’s known as goldenberry or ground cherry in North America. But if we trace back its origin to Peru and Ecuador, we’ll see that people in Columbia call it uchuva while others call it uvilla, physalis, cape gooseberry, groundcherry, etc. Whatever the name is, the alluring color and geometric shape of this fruit are worth a try in a lifetime. Being a member of the nightshade family, uchuva fruit tastes more like a tomato and pineapple, delicately combining sweet and tart options.

6. Udara fruit

Scientific name: Chrysophyllum albidum

Here’s once again an African fruit. Actually, fruits that begin with U are mostly found in diverse African languages. Udara fruit is known as the African star apple to the international audience. The local igbo people call it udara, but it’s also known as agbalumo in Yoruba language. Udara fruit occupies a significant part of God’s pharmacy in importance. Those who treat with herbs suggest agbalumo for diabetics as well as other patients. The fruit is considered a superfood packed with a plethora of vitamin C. A research paper published in the African Journal of pharmacology also suggests that udara fruit significantly decreases the risk of hypercholesterolemia.

7. Udder fruit 

Scientific name: Solanum mammosum

Firstly, let me clarify that udder fruit is not edible, absolutely not if it’s a ripe one. Though it’s better to avoid the unripe ones also, some Filipinos eat the fruit by boiling it whole. But you can try this fruit differently, if not by eating it. Udder fruit has an interesting shape, yielding it an ornamental value. People grow it at home as the end protuberance of this fruit looks like a human nipple, hence also known as nipple fruit. The whole fruit closely resembles a cow’s udder. It also has some pharmaceutical applications to treat dry cough and skin irritations.

8. Ugiri fruit

Scientific name: Irvingia gabonensis

Ugiri is an Igbo word and indicates a fruit similar to a mango. That’s why it’s also known as African mango or bush mango. Dika also means this wild mango widely grown in the tropical region of Central and West Africa. The deciduous tree can grow to 60 meters long in the dampened swath of rainforest. 

Ugiri fruit has mildly sweet flesh and nutty seeds. It has pharmacological importance for the medicinal properties of the extract. African wild mango lowers the glucose and cholesterol levels in the blood. Though we don’t eat the seeds of regular mangoes, ugiri seeds are edible and highly nutritious. The seeds contain lots of fiber that help in maintaining good bowel habits.

9. Ugli fruit or uniq fruit

Scientific name: C. reticulata × paradisi

The fruit is genetically engineered and produced on a farm in Jamaica by hybridizing grapefruit and mandarin tangerine. Thus the hybrid fruit got the name ‘tangelo’. But how did it become an ‘ugli fruit? The unappetizing yellow skin contributes to the name. However, an ugli brand is established by playing with the word ugly. 

The interesting name certainly plays a great marketing role as the consumers get curious about it. But the tangelo fruit is nothing of an unfamiliar taste. You can feel the sweet and juicy pulp of this teardrop fruit, the same as a combo of lemon and orange.

10. Ugni berry

Scientific name: Ugni molinae

Now I will report to you Queen Victoria’s favorite fruit that starts with the letter U. Yes, Queen Victoria fell for this marvelously geometric fruit with an aromatic and lavishing rind. Ugni berry fruits in the smaller herbal tree, and are widely used for ornamental purposes. 

The berry first starts as a white bell-shaped flower and then turns into a deep red fruit with a captivating tiny appearance. The strong sweet and tart flavor can only be compared to a strawberry. The fruit is also known as Chilean guava as its roots can be traced back to Chile and the shape is traced back to guava, being oppositely red in color.

11. Umari fruit

Scientific name: Poraqueiba sericea

Let me introduce you to a fruit straight from the Amazonian jungle beginning with the letter U. Yes, the culinary of the fruits and seeds of umari fruit are completely gastronomic of the local tribes. The tree is also known as umari and starts to give off fruits when it reaches three years in the tropical climate by the side of the Amazon river. 

The oval shape and different color patterns make it confusing to other fruits. The color can range from black, and yellow to green depending on the ripeness and varieties. The Amazonian tribes use the buttery texture of this fruit to spread vegetables on bread. An indigenous drink known as ‘cahuana’ is prepared from the juices of umari fruit.

12. Umbu fruit

Scientific name: Spondias tuberosa

Umbu fruit is a wild and spontaneously growing fruit in northwest Brazil. It’s also known as Brazilian plum and imbu, umb locally. The tree needs a long period to reach maturity. The period to attain maturity and produce fruit is about 10 years. 

But the proliferative harvest of the tree might reduce your agony about the tree once it reaches full maturity. The cherry-sized fruit has a sweet taste and aromatic rind. The powerful pulp of this fruit can offer you certain immune boosts. However, the rind of the fruit can be green or yellow depending on the ripeness.

13. Umbra fruit

Scientific name: Spondias dulcis

Umbra is a delicious food for those who love sourness. The name umbra means sourness in the Indian language. Umbra or ambarella has different names in different cultures and countries, such as the June plum, golden plum, makok flaring, etc. Sometimes it’s referred to as umbrella fruit. It’s also known as aamra in Bangladesh and is popular street food in the subcontinent. 

When mixed with salt and pepper, ambarella tastes just awesome. The tight green skin can be peeled off by a knife. The hard pulp contains a fibrous core which is better discarded. Umbra confers lots of health benefits including improving skin health, preventing heart problems, etc.

14. Ume fruit

Scientific name: Prunus mume

Here’s an Ume-zing Japanese fruit that starts with U. If you spend a little time in Japan, you’ll somehow come in touch with ume fruit. You’ll rarely see it as freshly plucked from the farm. Rather you may taste the fruit in pickles or alcohol. Ume fruit, whether ripe or unripe, is an epitome of astringent flavor in the fruit. So you can barely eat them fresh. 

But it has become a Japanese staple for pouring sourness into different cuisines. Ume fruit is also known as Japanese plum or Chinese plum as it was brought to Japan from China almost 2000 years back. But the Japanese plum is more of an apricot rather than a plum. Hence some people call it the Japanese apricot.

15. Umibudo

Scientific name: Caulerpa lentillifera

Umibudo is a Japanese fruit commonly known as seagrapes to westerners. Umibudo is an algae and the grape-like fruits are theoretically leaves of the plant. But the appearance is so strangely mesmerizing that you can eat it just like a bunch of tiny grapes. And it’s just ocean fresh in flavor. The popping beads in the mouth give off a special feeling. You can eat them raw or in soup, rice, or salad.

Some people like to refer to them as green caviar as they look like the roe of fishes. But the taste is not everything. Some believe that umibodu holds the secret behind the longevity of the people of Japan. A special antioxidant named fucoidan might contribute to such longevity. Fresh seagrapes from the deep sea of Okinawa can ward off chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes, etc.

16. Unnab

Scientific name: Ziziphus jujuba

Chinese dates are locally known as jujube or unnab. This delicious food is worth a try in a lifetime for its richness in flavor and taste. The Americans couldn’t ignore the taste and brought it to the US almost 200 years ago. Jujube has become a common phenomenon in our diet since then. The size of the fruits greatly resembles a cherry or maybe, a plum. 

The fruit has white flesh in its early stage. But when it’s ripe, the whole fruit turns red. Herbal and Unani practitioners still use this fruit in their treatment because of its medicinal properties. The fruits can stimulate appetite, increase the digestion, improve sleep, etc. Keeping unaab in your diet can be a changemaker in many ways. 

17. Unshu mikan

Scientific name: Citrus unshiu

If you ask an average Japanese joe about his favorite fruit, he’ll tell you about this fruit in a second. Unshu mikan is such a popular fruit in East Asia. The name unshu derives from a region in China famous for the proliferative production of oranges. Mikan is a common name for oranges in Japan. Though the fruit closely resembles a mandarin orange or a tangerine, their species are different. However, don’t get puzzled when you hear about satsuma orange, it’s just another name for unshu mikan or naartjie.

The lightweight and thin skin of unshiu doesn’t need much effort to peel. That’s what makes it so popular among other oranges. The sweet and tangy combo can salivate your mouth and your taste buds might get addicted. You’ll see lots of Japanese families enjoying the zipper-skin fruit while watching sports or tv series.

18. Urraco

Scientific name: Licania platypus

Urraco is a fruit of wilderness that’s eaten only when there are no better food options. Urraco is synonymously known as sapote, zapote, monkey fruit, sunza, etc. The Mexican native couldn’t occupy a place in the list of food lovers due to its mild to bland taste and woody texture. 

The ovoid fruit has a deep red to brown rind with projections. The pulp looks appealing, having shades of yellow and orange. But what’s the purpose of having an extravagant appearance when you don’t possess the quality?

19. Urucu

Scientific name: Bixa orellana

The lipstick tree produces an interesting fruit just like its name. It’s called lipstick tree as the indigenous people use the paste of this fruit to paint their body and lips. From far away, the urucu fruits look like the red flame burning in the tree. The fruits usually form a cluster in the six to ten-meter-high shrub tree. The soft spiky shell is bright red in color and contains almost 30 seeds inside. The red-brown pods have some blood-red flesh around the conical seeds.

Though there is a debate about its route of origin, there’s no doubt that people of south America are especially fond of these healthy urucu fruits. Some spices are extracted from the seeds when the fruits are dry and exposed. The spiced red-orange annatto contains tons of antioxidants like carotenoids that give its distinctive color.

20. Urava fruit

Scientific name: Sonneratia alba

Urava is a mangrove fruit found in the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa to India. The apple-shaped dark green urava fruit tastes a bit acidic when eaten raw. The ripe one is said to taste like cheese. Just under the fruit, a flower petal seems to beautify the whole scenario. The mangrove fruit comes with a plethora of health benefits including antioxidant properties, prevention of constipation, etc.

In Sri Lanka, people like to prepare a milkshake by mixing the uruva fruits with their ubiquitous coconut milk. The combination is just yummy. Uruva pulp is also used to prepare a special type of vinegar. Besides being known as the mangrove apple, uruva fruit is also called perepat. Perepat has a firm, thicker shell and creamy white texture. The uruva fruit tree is also useful in other ways. The leaves are used for treating diseases by the local shaman.

21. Urfa Biber

Scientific name: Capsicum annuum

Urfa biber has been a buzzing word in the chef’s world nowadays. The intricacy of the beguiling flavor makes it an adorable choice in the cookhouse across the country. You can undoubtedly try urfa biber out with some compatible recipes. The Turkish chili pepper is mainly grown in the border town of Urfa near Syria. The spiciness of urfa biber fruit has been beguiling the Turkish people for a long time. Now it’s been the western people loving the smoky aroma of the complex flavor of urfa biber. 

The burgundy color of urfa bibers comes after sun-drying them during the day and sweating at night. Most probably, you won’t see the urfa bibers as a whole as they are processed before importation to the US. The addition of preservatives and other additives produces a complex flavor. Some say it’s salty and smoky and sour and sweet! They also have subtle notes of chocolate and raisin flavor.

22. Usakhelauri

Scientific name: Cabernet Sauvignon x Limberger

The Georgian grapes are premium ones for preparing the world-class usakhelauri wines. The name itself suggests its priceless brand value as usakhelauri means “nameless”. The grapes went beyond the boundary of name and price with their exquisite wine quality. It requires certain properties in the land to produce the grape which is very rare and only found in Georgia. So, the limited production makes it such a highly-valued wine.

23. Usuma fruit

Scientific name: Bunchosia argentea

Usuma fruit is a delicious fruit widely found in South America, especially in Brazil, Peru, Columbia, and Guyana. The fruit is an oblong beauty adopting an orange-red appearance. The ripe usuma fruit is deep red in color and contains tons of antioxidants, including lycopene. The sweet aroma indulged in the peanut butter-like flavor just creates an awesome stimulation when your taste buds feel it. 

The peanut butter flavor also encourages its other name known as peanut butter fruit. The edible thin skin and red pulp are soft and delicious.  But you shouldn’t pay heed to the seeds as they’re not edible. The freshness and exudative antioxidants of the usuma fruit will boost your immunity by manifolds.

24. Ute Ute No Mi

This fruit starts with U, but it might surprise you. Because the fruit is totally virtual and actually a fruit in the game. You can’t touch them, let alone eat them. But they have enormous power- not in real life, but in the game. You can use the fruit to convert anything into a weapon- a firearm or a cannon. Oh! How awesome it would be if you had such fruits in real! Don’t overthink it. Because the negative point is you can never bring back your weaponized arms into normal ones. They will remain a machine gun or a cannon!

25. Uva Camarona

Scientific name: Macleania rupestris

Uva Camarona grows wildly in the regions around the Andes mountains. This fruit isn’t just an eye-catching delicious fruit, it has some traditional value as well. An indigenous tribe of Columbia, Tanimura-Retuama eats this fruit on occasion as a custom. Moreover, the intrinsic properties of uva fruit to heal the wound is widely used in the plains of Central and South America. The sweet and aromatic flavor can calm down your conscience for a moment. The fruit is used to prepare different jams, jellies, marmalade, etc.

26. Uvalha

Scientific name: Eugenia pyriformis

Let me introduce you to a fruit that begins with U and is unknown to the world outside of Brazil. The fruit grows in the rainforest of Brazil and isn’t exported out of Brazil. Maybe, it’s because of the bland flavor though the uvalha fruit possesses a sweet and floral fragrance that can’t be ignored. The fruit is used to make jam and jellies, and preservatives. The thick and succulent pulp has the potential to produce great wine and vinegar. Uvaia is another name for this fruit, so now you know it 

27. Uvalama fruit

Uvalama is famous for its subtle and creative use in the Mexican bacanora. The fruit adds an exquisite flavor and color to the drink and an otherworldly feeling when you gulp two fruits at the end. Uvalama fruits mostly resemble a cherry with thin skin and juicy pulp. When you taste the uvalama berry separately, it’ll remind you of the taste of a plum.

28. Uvaria rufa

Scientific name: Uvaria rufa

Uvaria rufa is locally known as Susung Kalabaw. It grows in the tropical region of Cambodia, Malaysia, Philippines, etc. The tree is a vine-like shrub that grows up to six meters. The red waxy and heart-shaped flower of this tree turns into an oblong beauty by the month of May. The harvest season may continue to September and October. However, the granular and sweetish taste of uvaria rufa is mouthwatering. The orange-red coloration of the fruit enhances its catchy and sassy look.

29. Uvaria grandiflora 

Scientific name: Uvaria grandiflora

Uvaria grandiflora is almost the same as the uvaria rufa fruit as you can find the closeness in their genus. The cylindrical shape of the fruit just gets bigger in the fruit. You can come across the climbing shrub in the wilderness of southeast Asia. It has lots of medicinal properties and is used by locals to treat diseases. It’s used to treat dermatitis, abdominal pain, and other acidic stomach problems.

30. Uvalino grape

It’s a wine-producing grape found only in the Piedmont area of Italy. The overwhelming flavor of this grape makes the wine one of the most sought-after wines for the wine lovers. The thin-skinned grapes ripen unevenly in the vines. So when they’re picked in the season, they produce an intricate but refreshing flavor- warm and rustic. Nowadays, uvalino grapes have been a buzzing topic in the fitness freak community as the grapes are found to be a storehouse of antioxidants, especially resveratrol. Who doesn’t want to enhance their immunity while enjoying the finishing uvalino wine?

31. Uva Ursi

Scientific name: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Uva ursi is a bear’s favorite, and also a favorite fruit of sapiens. Hence it’s also known as bear’s fruit. But across the US and Canada, many of you know it as Kinnikinnick. Uva ursi isn’t a fruit of ordinary value. Before the discovery of antibiotics, uva ursi was the lifeline to treat urinary tract infections. Its diuretic properties help to lower blood pressure. Uva ursi is packed with tons of nutraceutical properties. The orange or pink colored drupe has the right to be placed into your diet chart.

32. Uva rara grape

Uva rara is also a red wine grape variety like uvalino. Both of them are harvested from northwest Italy, the towns of Piedmont and Lombardy. These towns produce many of the popular red wine grapes varieties. The name uva rara literally means “rare grapes”. It’s named so because of the loose cluster formation of the grapes. The limited production increases its demand and so the brand value. The grapes have a sweet flavor reflecting mild floral notes of rose and berry. If you’ve ever been to Piedmont, you need to try these awesome grapes.

33. Uva tosca grape

When you taste a premium red wine, know that it has the golden touch of Italian grapes. Uva tosca grapes are cultivated in the mountain valleys of East and Central Italy. They are the only grape variety that can thrive in the heightened region of Emilia-Romagna. The elegance and delicacy of iva tosca make it one of the most sought-after recipes to cook red wine. They are famous for their distinctive spicy and refreshing flavor with sweetness in proportion. 

34. Uva Catawba

Scientific name: Vitis labrusca × Vitis vinifera

It’s an all-American red wine grape fruit that starts with U and is widely grown on the East coast. The rouge color of the grapes is the trademark sign of the wine. The sweetish uva catawba has a mild acidic tone with a lot less bitter but brighter finish. The musky aroma and the floral notes just heighten the cravings. However, the overall production procedure is time-consuming. The harvest season comes late compared to the other grape varieties.

35. Uvene

Uvene is the last fruit from our list of fruits that start with U. It is an underrated Nigerian fruit widely grown in the bushy trees in the wilderness. It looks like false yams, but with a white shell. The white projections look like something glossy and glittering pulp projected from the bush. The fruit can be bland left with floral and earthy notes. The name uvene is familiar to the Igbo speaking people. However, we can call it a cherry or a false yam as uvene resembles them mostly.

Why are there less fruits that start with U

Aftee our thorough research to find out the list of fruits beginning with U, we’ve come to the conclusion that they are very few in numbers compared to their counterpart alphabets. Our author also comes to a reasoning that it’s better to crack some chips between your teeth rather breaking teeth trying to pronounce the fruit names starting with U. However, we’ve rounded up some hypothesis as why fruits that start with the letter u are so scarce.

• The last few English alphabets i.e. u,v,x,y,z, needs more efforts and muscle involvement to pronounce. That’s why there are less words beginning with U.
• Many languages don’t have the word u
• U is widely found in the African languages, and hence they’re famous for their complexity!

The Last Words

Now you know, not a single or two fruits beginning with U, but a long list of fruits starting with U Hopefully, it’ll help you to complete your assignment or a list challenge with your buddies. Or if you’re thinking of starting a diet strategy including different fruits under the letter U, start it now. ‘Cause ‘now’ is the best time to start anything, specially your unique and healthy strategy.

Here we’ve composed a long list of fruits that start with U. But maybe you know more fruits in your region that start with the letter U. It would be great if you share your knowledge with our readers in the comment box.