Sour Fruits
Sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami are the 5 primary tastes a human tongue can distinguish. In the realm of fruits, sour is the most common taste, along with sweet, as most fruits are characterized by one or both of these tastes.
Though the sour taste is often associated with foods that may be going bad, it is often the opposite when it comes to fruits. Sour fruits like citrus are perfect for adding fresh zest to many dishes and are among the most popular. Apart from eating raw, almost all of them are used for making desserts and candies as their strong taste is ideal for tarts, pies, and fruity stuffings.
List of Different Types of Fruits That Are Sour
- Lemon
- Lime
- Quince
- Tamarind
- Cranberry
- Grapefruit
- Kiwi
- Soursop
- Pomelo
- Passion Fruit
- Kumquat
- Star Fruit
- Gooseberry
- Currant
- Acerola
- Guava
- Goji berry
- Redcurrant
- Tangelo
- Bilberry
- Huckleberry
- Cloudberry
- Açaí
- Damson
- Miracle Fruit
- Thimbleberry
- Loganberry
- Red Medlar
- Santol
- African Cherry Orange
- Surinam Cherry
- Star Apple
- Sapote
- Pomegranate
- Sapodilla (Chico Fruit)
- White Sapote
- Cactus Pear
- Ugli Fruit
- Tambis (Water Apple)
- Tamarillo
- Tayberry
- Yuzu
Why Do These Fruits Taste Sour
The high acidic content of these fruits is primarily responsible for their face-puckering sourness. Typically, they have lots of citric acid and other acidic constituents. There are even some genetic factors involved. Research is ongoing about how human taste buds receive and process the sour taste.
FAQ
The citrus group includes the sourest fruits, like limes, lemons, and kumquats. Gooseberry and tamarind are just a few of the others equally sour.
Some of the healthiest fruits you can eat, like oranges, grapefruits, and star fruits, are sour. Their high citric acid content makes them excellent sources of antioxidants and other essential nutrients. They help prevent damage to the body’s cells.