You’re undoubtedly familiar with fruits that are named after colors, but what about the others? How did they get their names? Let’s look at some fruits named after shapes to see how they were granted their monikers.
1. Starfruit
If you take a look at a starfruit (aka carambola), you’ll probably just think it looks like a long, waxy melon of some sort. It isn’t until you cut slices horizontally that its signature, star-like shape captures your attention. Each slice looks like a shimmery five- or six-pointed star, depending on the variety.
2. Buddha’s Hand Citron
If you’re into really weirdly shaped foods, then definitely try out a Buddha’s Hand citron. It’s a citrus fruit that’s divided into long, finger-like segments. Apparently this shape reminded people of depictions of Buddha’s hand in various sculptures. As a result, they decided to refer to these fruits as such forevermore.
Related Post: 33 Fruits that are Considered Citrus
3. Finger Limes
Speaking of fingers, these fruits also look like phalanges. They’re citrus fruits from Citrus australasica trees, which are also known as “caviar limes”. They’re indigenous to Australia (hence their Latin name), and their fruits are perfect little orbs of lime-y deliciousness. As you can guess just by looking at them, they got their name by being shaped like fingers, rather than being round like other limes.
4. Eggplant
Although some eggplant varieties are long and stringy (looking at you, Nagasaki cultivars!), the vast majority of them are egg-shaped. The fruits are narrow at the top and wider at the bottom, and are pretty much as eggy-looking as you can get. Pretty self-explanatory here.
Further Reading: How to Grow Rosa Bianca Eggplant
5. Pattypan Squash
The word “squash” comes from the Narragansett First Nations language, and it means “green vegetable that is eaten raw”. Pattypan squash varieties, on the other hand, are named after a type of baking dish. Specifically, a scalloped “patty pan”: a pan that is used to bake patties or small hand pies.
Yes, you can eat them raw.
As you can see, the major fruits named after shapes are really quite common. In fact, you’ve likely eaten at least one of the items on this list before. Do you think you could incorporate all of them into a single meal? Consider that a new challenge!
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