The weird fruit and veg coming to a supermarket near you

All colours, shapes and sizes: cucamelons are one of the exotic items you might stumble across in the fruit and veg aisles 

You may be surprised to see a rather unusual-looking fruit  displayed among the apples and tomatoes next time you pop into Waitrose. 

This week, the supermarket announced that it is introducing the cucamelon, a grape-sized fruit that looks a bit like a tiny melon but apparently tastes like sour cucumbers. Also known as the "mouse melon" or "sour gherkin", this tiny fruit is not some sort of weird hybrid; it actually originates from Mexico and Central America, where the locals have been eating them for thousands of years. Grow-your-own plants will be available for £4 from Waitrose - but it's not the only exotic new fruit around...

The kiwi berry

Green dream: Kiwiberries Credit: Alamy

Good things come in small packages, it seems. Also grape-sized is the kiwi berry. Officially called "actinida arguta", this gooseberry look-alike is grown in the wild in China, Siberia, Korea and Japan. Tasting like a sweeter version of its fury cousin, this fuzz-free kiwi can be eaten whole and is currently available at £2.50 for 125g from Waitrose. 

The granadilla

New on the shelves at Marks & Spencer is the granadilla, a yellow fruit from Colombia. It looks a little like a passion fruit, but the supermarket says it tastes more like those foam banana sweets you used to get in pick 'n’ mix as a child. How can apples compete against that? £1.50; selected stores nationwide.

The cherimoya

The cherimoya: "The most delicious food known to man" Credit: Alamy

Mark Twain called it "the most delicious fruit known to man". The cherimoya (AKA the custard apple) resembles an over-sized apple or pear. Its popularity where it originated, in California and South America, is down to its sweet taste and creamy texture. Check your nearest Whole Foods for availability.  All colours, shapes and sizes: rambutans are one of the exotic  items you might stumble across in the fruit and veg aisles 

The tomberry

Children's favourite: the tomberry Credit: Alamy

Not a fan of tomatoes? Then try a tomberry. This miniature version has been commercially produced in the Netherlands in an attempt to lure children by their dinky size - just 1cm to be precise. £2; Sainsburys. 

Striped peppers

Also designed to encourage children to eat healthily, stripy peppers have recently returned to the aisles due to their popularity after Asda launched them last year. These peppers have the combined sweetness of the red and yellow versions. £1 per 200g; Asda.   

A stripe above the rest: these peppers offer a unique taste of the red and yellow versions combined Credit: Asda

Broccoli leaves

Until recently, this has been the part of the broccoli we don't eat. But these nutrient-packed leaves are predicted to challenge kale for its superfood crown and could save up to 4,000 tonnes of waste per year. Said to be sweeter than broccoli itself, they can be eaten raw, steamed or boiled. Available in Asda from June onwards.


Its taste has been compared to that of a peach, a strawberry and slightly sour vanilla ice cream. Peel off and discard the rind to reveal a soft, white inner fruit. Originally from South-East Asia, and now  available for £2 at Tesco.    

Mangosteens Credit: Tesco


A more exotic version of the lychee is the rambutan. Also originating in South-East Asia, this golf-ball sized fruit has a refreshing sweet and creamy taste . Watch out for the pip! £2; Tesco. 

The rambutan; lychees' hairier cousin  Credit: Tesco


Tasting like a sweet grapefruit but slightly larger in size, the pomelo originates in South-East Asia but was introduced to Jamaica at the end of the 17th century. When ripe, it is pale green or yellow in colour and the inside can be white, pink or red. £1.80; Tesco.   

A Pomelo Credit: Tesco