19 Popular Chilean Fruits

Chirimoya, cherimoya, or custard apple, is Chileans’ favorite dessert thanks to its soft and creamy texture with sweet taste.

Native to the Andes, it thrives in Chile’s temperate climate. The fruit has a heart-like shape and green color with many tiny segments underneath. You can see small black seeds inside each segment.

You can immerse yourself in the sweet flavor of chirimoya alone or in smoothies, tarts, and yogurts.

To eat it, just separate the fruit with your hand. Eat the flesh with a spoon and remove the seeds while eating.

Cherries are another popular fruit in Chile. They are small fruits known for their sweet or tart flavor, depending on the variety. They have a firm, juicy flesh with a single hard seed in the center.

These heart-shaped, dark red cherries are delicious and have health benefits, including high vitamin C, potassium, and anti-inflammatory properties.

The best way to enjoy them is fresh as desserts.

FYI, Chile has shone globally as the top cherry exporter since 2019, particularly targeting the Chinese market, especially during the Lunar New Year.

Blueberries, or arandano, is a long-standing fruit in Chile. Although blueberries originate in North America, they are common in Chile and many other South American countries.

Blueberries are normally reddish-purple and blue when ripe. Its skin is glossy and smooth since it is covered by a layer of epicuticular wax (bloom).

With a sweet taste, Chileans like eating fresh blueberries. Sometimes, they are used in baked goods. When you visit the local markets in Chile, you can purchase dried, pureed, or canned blueberries.

This fruit is a high source of antioxidants and fiber and has a low caloric value.

Grapes are another cornerstone of Chilean agriculture, with the country being one of the world’s largest exporters of table grapes. Chilean wines, made from locally grown grapes, have also gained international recognition.

You can consume or remove the grape’s thin skin, depending on your preference. It comprises some tiny and bitter seeds inside. Overall, grapes have a sweet taste and jelly-like texture.

Pomegranate (aka granada in Chile) has been cultivated widely in this country for a long time. Spanish settlers delivered this fruit to Spanish America in the 16th century.

Typically, pomegranate is often round and red-purple. It has two layers, including the outer layer and the mesocarp. The outer layer will protect the fruit, and the mesocarp contains many red and succulent seeds.

Its seeds are edible. You can enjoy it fresh or add it to salads, yogurts, or gelato. Pomegranate seeds are also ideal for making juice. Overall, it’s a good source of vitamin C.

In Chile, plums are famous for their domestic consumption and significant export value. Thriving in the country’s Mediterranean-like climate, Chilean plums are known for their juicy sweetness and vibrant colors, ranging from deep purple to red and green.

The country grows various varieties of plums, such as Angeleno, Black Amber, Larry Ann, etc. These plums are not only enjoyed fresh but are also dried to produce prunes, a major export product of Chile.

In the local diet, plums are savored as a fresh snack or used in desserts.

Chilean apples (called Manzana locally) are known for their crisp texture, juiciness, and wide range of flavors, from sweet to tart.

Varieties like Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith, and Pink Lady are cultivated from the arid north to the fertile central valleys.

These apples are both consumed domestically and enjoyed worldwide, reflecting Chile’s reputation for producing high-quality, flavorful fruits. The apple harvest season in Chile extends from late summer through autumn, allowing for year-round availability in global markets.

Originating from Chile, lucuma stands out among Chilean fruits. This fruit is famous for its smooth, sweet flesh resembling the mixed flavors of sweet potato and maple.

Lucuma is a favorite ingredient in ice cream, desserts, and smoothies. Often referred to as the “Gold of the Incas,” lucuma is highly valued for its rich vitamins, minerals, and fiber content.

Prickly pear or tuna is one of the most popular fruits in Latin America, including Chile.

This fruit, resembling a small pear, features a thick rind encasing its juicy, soft flesh, which can be striking red or yellow hues.

Peeling prickly pear is necessary before indulging in its sweet and fig-like-flavored flesh. Locals enjoy it raw as a dessert or use it to make jams, jellies, juices, and preserves.

Strawberries in Chile stand out for their vibrant red color, juicy texture, and sweet, slightly tart flavor.

Grown in Chile’s fertile valleys and temperate climate, these strawberries are larger and often more flavorful than varieties found in other parts of the world.

These strawberries are enjoyed fresh and widely used in Chilean recipes, such as desserts, jams, and traditional dishes.

Introduced to Chile in the 1980s, Kiwi, also known as Chinese gooseberry, is a delightful dessert fruit here.

The fruit, resembling a chicken egg with its brownish-yellow, velvety skin, reveals light green or golden flesh dotted with tiny, edible seeds.

Its sweet yet slightly tangy flavor, reminiscent of strawberries, makes it perfect for salads, sherbets, yogurt, or tarts. Plus, kiwis are packed with fiber, vitamins C, and E, and other nutrients.

In Chile, the rose hip (or Rosa Mosqueta) is a vibrant red or orange berry that grows wild in many regions.

These small, round fruits with red or orange shades. It has a tart flavor. That’s why people often use them in teas, jams, and health supplements.

Chileans love the persimmon (caqui), a fruit with yellow-orange to deep red-orange hues that come in shapes from acorn to spherical or pumpkin-like.

Its flesh, varying from orange to yellow or dark brown, offers a sweet taste. Persimmons are versatile, enjoyed raw, dried, or cooked, and are used in dishes like curries, cakes, puddings, and salads in Chile.

Chilean guava is also known as Ugni molinae or murtilla locally. They are a small, aromatic berry native to Chile. With a size akin to a blueberry, it has a unique sweet-tart flavor reminiscent of strawberries and passionfruit.

The fruit initially appears green and turns to a deep red or crimson when ripe. They are famous for their high antioxidant content. Chilean guava is also used in some local dishes, including jams, desserts, and beverages.

Loquat, while not native to Chile, has adapted well to the country’s climate.

The fruit is appreciated for its sweet, tangy flavor. This small, round fruit has a yellow or orange skin and succulent flesh, making it a favorite for fresh consumption in Chile.

Loquats are also used in Chilean cooking, finding their way into desserts, jams, and sauces.

Chilean papaya, or mountain papaya, is an exceptional fruit you should not miss in Chile. The migrations of pre-Columbian peoples brought this fruit to the North of Chile, and gradually it became standard across the country.

This fruit has a particular shape with 5 longitudinal ribs running from base to apex. When mature, the color turns from green to yellow or orange. The texture and taste of its jelly-like flesh resemble the standard papayas. It contains many inedible and black seeds inside. It is safe to consume it raw or make jellies and jams from Chilean papaya.

Coquito nuts, often called “miniature coconuts,” from the endemic Chilean wine palm, are small fruits with a sweet, coconut-like flavor.

The fruit has a tough shell with a rich, oily interior. They are a delicacy in Chile, enjoyed as snacks or used in desserts.

Maqui berry, native to the pristine forests of Chile, is a small, dark purple fruit with a tart taste.

In Chilean culture, maqui has been used for centuries for its potent antioxidant properties. That’s why they are traditionally used in Chilean medicine.

This fruit is also good for smoothies and jams.

Originating from Chile’s Andean region, pepino melon, or pepino dulce, is a fruit with golden skin and purple stripes.

This fruit combines the flavors of cucumber and honeydew into a mildly sweet taste. Enjoyed on its own or in fruit salads, it’s a low-calorie, nutrient-rich choice. To eat, simply cut it in half, remove the seeds, and enjoy the refreshing taste.