Hidden among grocery stalls and farmers’ markets are a handful of surprising fruits whose earthy hues, lumpy forms, and russet-toned skins could easily be mistaken for potatoes. At first glance, their ovoid shapes and textured exteriors lend them the rustic charm of potatoes, yet beneath those skins lie sweet, tropical, and sometimes tangy delights. Here’s a list of fruits that you can easily mistake for potatoes due to their appearance:
Fruit |
Description |
Long Kong  |
Small, round, and pale yellow-brown fruits clustered like rustic potatoes on a branch. Crack open the thin skin to reveal translucent, grape-like segments with a sweet-tart lychee flavor. Popular in Southeast Asian markets, where they’re eaten fresh as a refreshing snack. |
Mamey Sapote  |
A rough, russet-brown oval that could easily be mistaken for a giant baking potato. Inside, the vibrant salmon-pink flesh has a creamy texture and tastes like spiced pumpkin pie blended with sweet potato and honey. A beloved dessert fruit in Central America and the Caribbean. |
Sapota  |
Drab, dusty-brown ovals that look like forgotten potatoes in a pantry. Slice one open to discover caramel-colored flesh with a malty sweetness reminiscent of brown sugar and pears. The grainy texture melts on the tongue. Grown throughout tropical Americas and Asia. |
Velvet Tamarind  |
Marble-sized, matte-brown pods that resemble tiny wild potatoes. Bite through the brittle shell to find sticky, date-like pulp clinging to seeds, with a tangy-sweet flavor akin to tamarind crossed with prunes. Sold in roadside bundles across West Africa. |
Knobby Russet Apple  |
An heirloom apple so rugged and lumpy it could pass for a greenish-yellow potato. Beneath the rough, russeted skin lies dense, honeyed flesh with a complex pear-cider flavor. Prized by cider makers for its tannic depth. |
Ashmead’s Kernel Apple  |
A 300-year-old English apple variety with a dull, russet-coated surface like a weathered Yukon Gold potato. The crisp flesh delivers an intense burst of sherbet-like acidity and floral honey notes, defying its humble appearance. |