Fruits in Kerala, or How to Live in Paradise and Not Go Crazy from Mangoes

If you're visiting Kerala for the first time, be prepared: fruits here are not just food. They're part of daily life.

You'll find them everywhere — on the streets, in menus, in schoolchildren’s hands, and in offerings to the gods.

They’re cheap, tasty, and so diverse you'll want to try them all. And you should! Many are exotic, unique, and unforgettable.

You might regret not having tasted them under a palm tree with an ocean view.

💡 If you decide to use local names, be cautious: in Malayalam, many fruits share the name 'chakka.'

It can mean jackfruit — or pineapple. (Yes, really.) So ask around, but don't take it too seriously — better just try and see. 😉

Important: locals rarely eat fruit raw. So if you ask in a rural area whether their pineapple is tasty, expect confusion — they use it in curry.

Best to trust your eyes, your nose, and the season.

In Kerala, paradise is not something you search for — it's beneath your feet. Sometimes even above your head.

Or dropping down on you in the form of a ripe coconut from the fifth floor.

Fruits here are not a side dish to life. They're its essence, its soundtrack, and at times, its philosophy.

Each has its season, character, and its own epic journey from garden to your mouth.

🍌 Bananas: religion, biology, and a bit of a fetish

Prices: ₹25 to ₹100 per kilogram. In tourist zones, they may be sold individually.

In Kerala, bananas are like Google — universal, everywhere, and everyone has their own type.

Just when you think you've seen it all, a new giant green banana shows up, clearly not meant for breakfast.

Locals call it 'വാഴപ്പഴം' (vaazhapazham) — it sounds like a spell that summons a plate of caramelized banana fritters.

There are dozens of kinds: mini dessert bananas, long starchy ones for cooking, sacred ones for temples, and even varieties meant only for boiling — they look like big yellow bananas, but eating them raw is questionable.

Some are fried until golden and served as chips — addictive from the first bite.

You’ll find bananas in every shop, roadside stall, supermarket — and they’re almost always fresh.

Prices range from 'great deal' to 'are you kidding?' In tourist areas, they’re noticeably more expensive.

But deeper into the villages, we’ve seen full bunches of red bananas sold for ₹100–200 — as if the farmer just wanted to share the harvest.

🍌 Red Bananas

A true Keralan specialty — red bananas. Not ornamental, not a novelty, but actual fruit.

Dense, intensely sweet, with a caramel-like flavor and an aroma worthy of a tropical perfumer.

Locals love them, and you’ll find them everywhere — from roadside stands to Trivandrum supermarkets.

Definitely try them — and compare to the yellow ones. It’ll give you something to think about.

🌭️ Mangoes: The Season of Madness

From April to June, Kerala loses its mind.

Mangoes are everywhere. They fall from trees, fly past your face, get gifted by neighbors, served by colleagues, or left on your windowsill to ripen until tomorrow.

Sometimes they smell so good you want to run outside yelling, “Alphonso is here!”

Roadside stalls appear, and supermarkets host mango festivals with titles like “The King Returns.”

Varieties range from juicy Banganapalli to creamy Imam Pasand. In season, you might find over 20 types — from the famous to the hyper-local, the kind that grows only in one village for two weeks a year.

Each has its own texture, aroma, and devoted fan club.

And mangoes in Kerala aren’t just dessert. They’re the base of pickles — tangy, spicy, oil-cured wonders.

Some mangoes in the market are meant for this: firm, aromatic, and slightly aggressive. Not for spoons — for mustard oil and time.

In season, you’ll likely eat over a kilo a day. And be happy about it.

🍍 Pineapples: Intolerably Good

Real Keralan pineapples grow in the foothills of the Western Ghats.

Vendors slice them open with a machete, sprinkle them with salt and chili, and hand you what might be a piece of paradise.

Skip the spice and bite into pure fruit — and it’ll still blow your mind.

It’s nothing like what you get in stores.

Soft, juicy, sweet, and fragrant enough to make you stop the car and applaud.

Best to buy in Munnar, Idukki, or Tenmala — where the fruit still remembers the mountain fog.

🍥 Coconuts: Chapter Two, Slightly Philosophical

Prices: ₹60 in tourist zones (includes slicing and spoon access), ₹25–40 in villages depending on size and quantity. Bulk discounts exist.

Kerala is the land of coconuts — literally: 'Keralam' means 'land of coconuts.'

They’re everywhere: green and yellow ones for drinking (yes, yellow coconuts exist in Kerala, Sri Lanka), brown ones for cooking.

Some are in between: drink the water, scoop the flesh.

Coconuts aren’t just hydration. They’re medicine for heat, hangovers, boredom, sadness, and awkward small talk.

Lubikka — a local mini-fruit with a sweet-and-sour taste, visually similar to a tiny plum. Often used in sauces and chutneys.

Bilimbi — green elongated fruits, extremely sour. Used in pickles, chutneys, and as a sharpener in traditional Kerala dishes.

Guava — green or pink inside, sweet and tangy, with the crunch of an apple. Sold almost year-round. Especially tasty with a sprinkle of salt and chili powder.

Longan — sweet, musky, with translucent flesh and a pit inside.

Lychee — during season (May–June), they're sold everywhere. Fresh, fragrant, and with chilled flesh that tastes like it came straight from a mountain stream.

Ice apple — jelly-like flesh inside a thick skin. One of the most refreshing things you can eat.

Cantaloupe, sapota, stone-fruits and dozens of other names we couldn't even remember — all growing here in farms, backyards, schoolyards, and by the roadside.

And yes — if you’re a fruitarian, Kerala will love you. And you’ll love it right back.

This is a true paradise for those who follow a plant-based diet, crave bio-organic fruits, or simply want to eat what comes straight from the tree. For vegans, fruitarians, or anyone who enjoys a juicy life — Kerala is calling.

Dates — in season, you can find fresh yellow or red dates — incredibly juicy and sweet.

They're sold widely at markets and roadside stalls. And when it comes to dried varieties — the options are endless.

From affordable local types to luxurious imported ones that go for ₹3000–4000 per kilo. We tried those too — they were divine.

🥤 Juices and Fruit in a Cup

In Kerala, people love making juice. Orange, pineapple, guava, watermelon, papaya — the list goes on.

But be careful: many places add sugar. And in cheaper shops, they may dilute it with water and ice.

So always ask: “No sugar, no ice, please.” Otherwise, you might get something that tastes like a school cafeteria lemonade.

🌺 Where to Find All This

🛒 Roadside stalls — Authentic, tasty, and often cheaper than in tourist zones.

Often just a table next to a house or a farm — with fruit freshly plucked. True Keralan bio-organic. No labels, no marketing.

Especially if you're even a couple kilometers from the beach. But communication may be entirely nonverbal — expect pantomimes involving fruit, fingers, calculators, and shared goodwill.

🏪 Tourist area shops — Everything is fresh, but the selection is usually limited and prices are higher.

Still, the vendors smile, speak English, and sometimes even correctly name mango varieties.

🧺 Markets — Not the dramatic bazaars of the Middle East, but near mosques, temples, big villages and towns you’ll find real markets — overflowing with fruit, vendors, weighing scales, smells, and bustling crowds.

Often with free samples cut right in front of you.

🏖️ Beaches — Here, the queens of fruit are grandmothers with huge knives and baskets on their heads.

Everything is fresh: peeled pineapples, papaya slices, watermelon wedges — and even fruit salad. It's more expensive than in the nearest café, but you pick the fruit, and it’s cut in front of you like a performance. Bargaining is part of the ritual. Without it, your mango mix might cost more than a cocktail on a rooftop bar.

💰 Quick Price Guide:

• Bananas — from ₹25/kg. In tourist areas — sold individually.

• Mangoes — ₹60–200/kg in season.

• Coconut (drinkable) — ₹25–60 depending on area and service.

• Papaya — ₹30–80 per fruit.

• Watermelon — ₹20–50/kg.

• Pineapple (peeled) — ₹40–60.

• Juices — ₹30–150 (ask for no sugar and no ice).

• Jackfruit — often free in season if you smile enough 😄