Great Pakistan

The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plantfamily Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to the Indian subcontinent from where it spread all over the world. It is one of the most cultivated fruits of the tropical world. The ripe fruit varies in size and color. Cultivators are variously yellow, orange, red or green, and carry a single flat, oblong pit that […]

Native to the area of modern day Iran and Iraq, the pomegranate has been cultivated in the Caucasus since ancient times. From there it spread to Asian areas such as the Caucasus as well as the Himalayas in Northern India.  Today, it is widely cultivated throughout Turkey, Iran, Syria, Spain, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, China, Burma, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Philippines. The edible fruitis a berry and is between a lemon and a grapefruit in size, 5–12 cm in diameter with a rounded hexagonal shape, and has thick […]

A plum or gage is a stone fruit tree in the genus Prunus, subgenus Prunus. The subgenus is distinguished from other subgenera (peaches, cherries, bird cherries, etc.) in the shoots having a terminal bud and solitary side buds (not clustered), the flowers in groups of one to five together on short stems, and the fruit having a groove running down one side and a smooth stone. Plum fruit tastes sweet and/or tart; the skin may be […]

  The peach tree, Prunus persica, is a deciduous tree, native to China, where it was first cultivated. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach.   It is classified with the almond in the subgenus Amygdalus, distinguished from the other subgenera by the corrugated seed shell. It belongs to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. The fruit has yellow or whitish flesh, a delicate aroma, and a […]

The papaya  is the fruit of the plant Carica papaya, the sole species in the genus Carica of the plant family Caricaceae. It is native to the tropics of the Americas, and was first cultivated in Mexico several centuries before the emergence of the Mesoamerican classical civilizations.  The fruit is ripe when it feels soft (as soft as a ripe avocado or a bit softer) and its skin has attained an amber to orange hue.

Cantaloupe is a Muskmelon, a very fragrant melon, also called as Kharbooza in Urdu. It is a delicious fruit with its origins in India. It has a hard netted rind with delicious sweet juicy edible pulpy peach colored flesh with a musky aroma and flavor. The seeds are arranged in the center in a fibrous net.

Cordia myxa is a species of flowering plant in the borage family, Boraginaceae. It is a medium-sized broad-leaved deciduous tree. Common names include لسوڑا, Lasura. The fruit of lasura start appearing during July-August. It is a kind of a drupe, light pale to brown or even pink in color. The appearance tends to darken when ripening sets in. Being full of viscid glue like […]

Pithecellobium dulce is a species of flowering plant in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. It’s widely found in Pakistan. It’s also called Jangle Jalebi. The seed pods contain a sweet pulp that can be eaten raw or prepared as a smoothie.

Jambul is an evergreen tropical tree in the flowering plant family Myrtaceae. Jambul is native to Bangladesh,India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Indonesia.  The name of the fruit is sometimes mistranslated as blackberry, which is a different fruit in an unrelated family. Jambul is also known as  jamun.

The fruit Gondni also called chanebi is shurb found in Punjab and Rajhistan. Its fruit and seeds are edible.

Grewia asiatica (Phalsa or Falsa) (Urdu: فالسہ ) is a species of Grewia native to southern Asia from Pakistan east to Cambodia. It is extensively cultivated for its sweet and sour acidic fruits, which are sold in the market during summer months under the name Falsa. The pleasant sherbet or squash is prepared from the fruit pulp by mixing it with sugar and used as an astringent, stomachic and cooling agent. The fruits allay thirst and burning […]

Manilkara zapota, commonly known as the sapodilla, is a long-lived, evergreen tree native to southern Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.  It is grown in huge quantities in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh And Mexico. It is known as chikoo  in India and Pakistan (“چیکو” chiku ). The fruit is a large ellipsoid berry, 4–8 cm in diameter, very much resembling a smooth-skinned potato and containing two to five seeds. Inside, its flesh ranges from a pale yellow to an earthy brown color with […]

The apricot, Prunus armeniaca, is a species of Prunus, classified with the plum in the subgenus Prunus. The native range is somewhat uncertain due to its extensive prehistoric cultivation. Pakistan is 4th largest producer. [nggallery id=117]

The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family (Rosaceae). It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apples grow on small, deciduous trees. Apples of Swat Valley are very famous.

Guavas are plants in the Myrtle family (Myrtaceae) genus Psidium   which contains about 100species of tropical shrubs and small trees. Guava is also called Amrood (  ‘امرود’) in North India and Pakistan, which is possibly a variant of Armoot meaning “pear” in Arabic and Turkish languages, and possibly linked to the Moghul occupation of this region.

Persimmon is known by many names including, Sharon fruit, Japani Phal or fruit in Urdu, and is Diospyros kakiin Latin. However there are different types of Diasporas, including one that bears a black fruit. The one we have in Pakistan is slightly different to the ones I’ve had in Europe. Pakistani variety (Diospyrus lotus) doesn’t leave you with a dry tangy […]