Sri Lankan Fruits to Try, Including the National Fruit

Sri Lankan fruits at a glance

The national fruit: jackfruit

Jackfruit is widely described as Sri Lanka's national fruit in popular reference lists; an official designation is not confirmed here. It is one of the largest tree fruits in the world. It grows on tall trees across the island, and a single fruit can weigh many kilograms.

How it's eaten - Ripe (waraka or vela): the yellow pods are sweet and fragrant, eaten fresh as a snack. - Unripe (polos): young jackfruit is cooked as a curry with a meaty texture. It's a favourite in vegetarian dishes. - Mature but unripe (kos): cooked as a curry or boiled and eaten with coconut. - Seeds: boiled or roasted, they taste a little like chestnuts.

Jackfruit has long been called "the tree of rice" in Sri Lanka, because it helped feed families in hard times. Try a jackfruit curry with rice and curry; it's one of the best vegetarian dishes in the country. See vegetarian food in Sri Lanka.

Fruits to try in Sri Lanka

1. Mango

Sri Lanka grows many types of mango. Karthakolomban is a much-loved sweet, juicy variety, and the Jaffna peninsula is famous for its own mangoes. Locals also eat unripe green mango with salt and chilli as a snack.

2. Rambutan

Red and hairy on the outside, juicy and white inside, rambutan is similar to lychee. Around Malwana, near Colombo, roadside stalls sell rambutan in season, roughly June to August.

3. Mangosteen

The "queen of fruits" has a thick purple skin and soft white segments with a sweet-tangy flavour. Look for it in season, roughly June to August, especially around Kalutara.

4. King coconut (thambili)

The orange king coconut is Sri Lanka's favourite drink. A vendor cuts the top off with a machete and adds a straw. It's refreshing and full of minerals, perfect on a hot day. Afterwards, ask the vendor to split it so you can eat the soft flesh.

5. Papaya

Sweet, soft papaya is served at almost every breakfast. Try it with a squeeze of lime.

6. Pineapple

Sri Lankan pineapples are small and very sweet. Roadside sellers often cut them into spirals and sprinkle them with salt and chilli.

7. Bananas

Sri Lanka has many types of banana. Look for small, sweet ambul (sour-sweet), creamy kolikuttu, red bananas and seeni (sugar) bananas. Bunches hang in every village shop.

8. Wood apple (divul)

Wood apple has a hard shell and brown pulp with a sour-sweet flavour. It's an acquired taste on its own, but delicious as a juice blended with jaggery or sugar. Try wood apple juice at a local café.

9. Passion fruit

Tangy and fragrant, passion fruit is often served as juice or cordial.

10. Avocado

In Sri Lanka, avocado is often eaten sweet, blended with milk and sugar into a thick shake, or mashed with sugar. Try an avocado juice in the hill country.

11. Soursop (katu anoda)

Soursop has spiky green skin and creamy white flesh with a sweet-sour flavour. It's often made into juice.

12. Custard apple (anoda)

A sweet, creamy fruit with a bumpy green skin and black seeds.

13. Guava (pera)

Eaten when crisp, often with salt and chilli, or soft and sweet when fully ripe.

14. Star fruit (kamaranga)

Crunchy and juicy, star fruit makes a beautiful garnish and a refreshing snack.

15. Durian

Durian is famous for its strong smell and rich, custardy flesh. Some people love it; some can't stand it. It's often found in season around Kalutara and other wet-zone areas. Many hotels don't allow durian in rooms because of the smell.

16. Lesser-known local fruits

Look out for lovi (a small, tart red fruit), jambu (rose apple), nelli (Indian gooseberry), veralu (Ceylon olive, often pickled) and beli (bael fruit, often made into a drink or tea).

Where to buy fruit

• Roadside stalls: the best place for seasonal fruit. Your driver will know the best stalls on your route.
• Markets: Kandy's market and local town markets have a huge variety.
• Supermarkets: clean, labelled and easy.
• Your hotel: ask the kitchen to prepare fruit you've bought.

Fruit by region

See things to do in Jaffna and things to do in Nuwara Eliya.

Fruit drinks to try

• King coconut water.
• Wood apple juice.
• Passion fruit juice.
• Avocado shake.
• Lime juice with salt or sugar.
• Faluda, a sweet rose-flavoured milk drink, sometimes with fruit.

See Sri Lankan food to try and Sri Lanka street food.

Tips for eating fruit safely

• Choose fruit you can peel or that's freshly cut in front of you.
• Wash fruit with bottled or filtered water.
• Start slowly with fruits that are new to you.
• Avoid pre-cut fruit that has been sitting in the sun.
• Carry wet wipes: many fruits are sticky.

Can I take fruit home?

Most countries restrict bringing fresh fruit, seeds and plants into the country. Check your home country's rules before packing any fruit. Dried fruit, jams and sealed products are usually easier, but always check. See souvenirs from Sri Lanka.

A fruit stop on your tour

With a private driver, you can stop at roadside stalls for whatever's in season: rambutans on the road from Colombo, king coconuts on the way to Sigiriya, pineapples on the road to Kandy. Just ask. See our private driver page and our food tour.

Fruit for families

Children usually love rambutan, bananas, pineapple and king coconut. Fruit is a healthy, cheap snack on long drives. See Sri Lanka with kids.

Cooking with fruit

Join a cooking class to learn how Sri Lankans cook unripe jackfruit, banana flower, green papaya and mango curries. See food and cooking.

Fruit and the seasons

Sri Lanka's fruit seasons vary from year to year and by region, depending on the monsoons. If you're travelling in mid-year, you'll find the widest choice of tropical fruits like rambutan, mangosteen and durian. Bananas, papaya, pineapple and king coconut are available all year. See the best time to visit Sri Lanka.

Fruit at breakfast

Most hotels serve a fruit plate at breakfast: papaya, pineapple, banana and watermelon, sometimes with seasonal treats. Ask for wood apple or passion fruit juice instead of orange juice.

Fruit at village homes

If you visit a village, you may be offered fruit from the garden: jackfruit, bananas or king coconut. It's a gesture of hospitality, so accept with thanks. See our village tour.

Fruit-based desserts to try

• Watalappan: a jaggery and coconut custard, sometimes with cashews.
• Fruit salad with ice cream: a classic Sri Lankan dessert.
• Curd and treacle: buffalo curd with kithul treacle, often served with banana.
• Jackfruit seed snacks: boiled seeds with coconut.
• Mango and passion fruit sorbets: in cafés and hotels.

Fruit and Ayurveda

Many fruits are used in Ayurveda, Sri Lanka's traditional medicine. Nelli (Indian gooseberry) is valued for its vitamin C, beli (bael) is made into a soothing drink, and king coconut water is believed to cool the body. Ask at an Ayurvedic centre about local fruit remedies. See Ayurveda in Sri Lanka.

A fruit-lover's day

Start with papaya and passion fruit at breakfast, buy rambutans or pineapple at a roadside stall, drink a king coconut at lunch, try wood apple juice in the afternoon and finish with watalappan after dinner.

Fruit in the hill country

The cool hills around Nuwara Eliya grow fruits that don't do well in the lowlands, including strawberries, passion fruit and avocados. Look for strawberry stalls on the road around Nuwara Eliya, and try an avocado or strawberry juice in a local café.

Fruit at the markets

Visiting a local market is one of the best ways to see Sri Lanka's fruit. Kandy's central market and the economic centre at Dambulla, one of the largest wholesale markets for fruit and vegetables, are full of colour. Go in the morning, when the produce is freshest, and ask your guide to help you pick the best fruit of the day.

Coconut: the tree of life

The coconut palm is used for almost everything in Sri Lanka: coconut milk in curries, grated coconut in sambol, oil for cooking, toddy and arrack from the flowers, and leaves for roofs and decorations. You'll see coconut pluckers climbing the tall trees with remarkable speed.

Fruit prices

Fruit is cheap at roadside stalls and markets, especially in season. Prices are higher in tourist areas and supermarkets. Carry small notes, and don't be afraid to ask the price before you buy. Your driver can help you find fair prices.

Fruit on long drives

Keep a bag of bananas, rambutans or mango slices in the car on long journeys. It's a healthy snack, and your driver will know where to stop for the freshest fruit.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Eating pre-cut fruit that has been sitting out in the heat.
• Taking durian into your hotel room.
• Packing fresh fruit in your luggage home without checking the rules.
• Missing king coconut, the best drink in Sri Lanka.
• Only eating hotel fruit; roadside stalls have far more variety.