9 Best Thai Fruits in Phuket

Known locally as “Lin chi” and found in most supermarkets around Phuket, lychee is a pink-purple coloured fruit with soft pulp, similar to a grape. A wide variety of Lychee is grown locally on farms around Thailand. It is at its ripest from mid-spring to early summer. Lychee is a hugely popular tropical fruit worldwide and it is one that you absolutely must experience when visiting Phuket.

Also recognised by locals as “Tu Rean”, Durian can be regarded as “The King of Thai fruits” due to its popularity with both tourists and locals. Durian is oval in shape and is coated in a thick and heavy green skin. Do not be put off by its foul smell as its rich, creamy taste is worth holding your nose for. Interestingly, it is forbidden to eat durian in a number of local places including hotels and public transport, due to its unpleasant aroma. The most popular of the Durian species currently growing in Thailand include: Cha Nee, Mon Tong and Gahn Yao. It is sold at local markets and in stores all year round.

Following on from the King of Thai fruit is the Queen of Thai fruit - mangosteens, a sweet and tasty fruit found in Phuket. A firm squeeze cracks open the fruit casing revealing the delicious sweet white fruit. Mangosteen ripens during the rainy season from April to September and it is grown mainly in the South of the country.

Another particularly popular fruit in Phuket, which is often recognised by its vibrant red skin, is the Dragon Fruit - known by many locals as “Kaew Mang-Korn”. This fruit is best eaten chilled. Once you slice the fruit in half it reveals a solid white, seed-speckled pulp centre. When dragon fruit is not fully ripened it can lack taste and be disappointing, however, when fully ripened, they are sweet and flavoursome. It is no surprise that it is such a popular fruit in Phuket.

Papaya, originally believed to be imported to Asia from Mexico over 400 years ago, is easily recognised as one of the best fruits in Thailand. Known locally as “malakor”, this fruit favourite turns yellow or orange in colour when ripe. To eat papaya, you should slice the fruit open with a knife before proceeding to scrape out the seeds. Then scoop out the mellow tasting fruit. Papaya ripens all year round and can be found in many stores and markets throughout Phuket. When they are still green and sour, they are used as the prime ingredient of the popular Thai dish - som-tam.

It is hard to miss Rambutan - due to its unusual color and look. This popular fruit is round in shape, with a red skin and green bristles. Ripening season is from May to October, however, they can be found all year round. Once you crack into the fruit casing and peel away the skin, you will reveal the fruit itself - a sweet, sticky, white pulp with a single stone in the middle. You can either nibble the fruit from around the stone or open it with your fingers and remove the stone entirely.

If you think durian is smelly, just wait until you smell jackfruit - the largest tree borne fruit in the world. Despite its unappealing outer appearance, and the distasteful odour, the fruit inside can be described as crisp, crunchy and fresh tasting. In order to eat jackfruit you must first slice open the main fruit and inside you will find a multitude of yellow fruits. Each of the yellow fruits can be described as a flattened apple shape and all of which contain a single stone. You can buy jack fruits whole or alternatively purchase the yellow fruits pre-cut, packaged and ready to eat.

Although mangos are not native to Thailand, it is arguable that Thai mangos are among the sweetest in the world, which explains their popularity with locals and tourists in Phuket, When mangos are ripe, they turn to yellow or orange and become very sweet. You can use a knife to peel mango or alternatively slice the fruit away from the long, flat stone in the middle. Local Thais people enjoy eating sweet mangos with sticky rice and sweetened coconut milk.