Fruits have been an important part of the human diet for thousands of years. However, many once popular and delicious fruits have gone extinct over time. Let’s explore some of these lost fruits through 105 fun riddles!
Extinct fruits may not be found in markets and orchards anymore, but they live on in our imaginations. Riddles engage our minds and let us travel back in time to when these fruits were abundant. Solving riddles about extinct fruits also teaches us about botany, history, and the fragile nature of agriculture. This collection of 105 riddles aims to challenge and delight – with tasty answers at the end!
Riddles
1-15
1. I’m a sour fruit that once grew in the Mediterranean. My name sounds like a citrus hybrid too. (Lemon) What am I?
2. My name denotes my dark color. I’m a lost berry from the mountains of Greece. (Aronia) What am I?
3. This citrus fruit grew in the West Indies before disease and disasters made it vanish. It tastes like a sour orange. (Ortanique) What am I?
4. I’m a yellow melon from Armenia eaten since Roman times. But now I’m hard to find, though I have a tasty vine. (Queen Anne’s pocket melon) What am I?
5. My name is French for “double peach.” I’m a fuzzy, white flat fruit treasured centuries ago. (Pêche de vigne) What am I?
6. I’m a banana-like fruit from the Canary Islands. My name also describes a palm tree’s leaves. (Pinal) What am I?
7. Tahitians once relished my sweet cold fruit, though Captain Bligh made me famous aboard his ship. (Breadfruit) What am I?
8. This fuzzy peach originating in China was poetry to Confucius but is now lost in time. (Flat peach of Shensi) What am I?
9. My name denotes the silkiness of my white flesh. I’m a plum originally grown in Damascus, now vanished into the sands. (Damson) What am I?
10. I’m a grape brought by the Moors to Spain where my name means “fingers”. But I’ve been squeezed out of cultivation. (Albillo) What am I?
11. My name sounds like an island, though I’m an apple esteemed by Thomas Jefferson before blight took my branches. (Newtown Pippin) What am I?
12. My moniker describes my bright hue. I’m a lost lemon-lime citrus fruit hybrid from the West Indies. (Oroblanco) What am I?
13. My name denotes daintiness, though I’m a big tropical fruit with lots of seeds loved by parrots. (Parrot fruit) What am I?
14. I’m a banana known as the “apple of sages.” In Ancient Egypt, I was left as offerings in tombs, but now I don’t grow at all. (Dwarf Cavendish banana) What am I?
15. My name comes from “conqueror of apples” though I’m a pear esteemed by French royalty that met my demise. (Louise Bonne de Jersey) What am I?
16-30
16. I’m a Chinese gooseberry relished for vitamins, though I’m not the fuzzy kiwi you’ll find today. (Yangmei) What am I?
17. My name denotes daintiness, though I’m the “king of apples” that once grew in ancient Rome but got crushed by history. (Api apple) What am I?
18. My name is Turkish for “full of honey” due to my intense sweetness. I’m a Middle Eastern melon now lost to time. (Kirkagac) What am I?
19. My name comes from a Native American word meaning “gift of the gods.” I’m a tropical fig Columbus enjoyed but is now extinct. (Bijagual) What am I?
20. My name denotes the color of my creamy, striped flesh. I’m a French melon grown for royalty that met my demise after the revolution. (Verte et Blanche) What am I?
21. I’m a South American fruit named for a queen that looks like purple striped bananas on the outside but tastes like cotton candy within! (Queen Victoria pineapple) What am I?
22. My name comes from the Hebrew word meaning “honey.” I’m a Middle Eastern apple so sweet, it was nicknamed “the sugar of fruits” before vanishing. (Dibb) What am I?
23. A lemon-like citrus fruit, my name amusingly translates to “breast of a virgin.” I once grew on the island of Madeira before fading away. (Pe de Moça orange) What am I?
24. Pliny the Elder wrote about how much Romans loved me stewed in honey. I’m a white grape that met my demise. (Labe) What am I?
25. My name comes from the Latin for “floury.” I’m a flowery banana treasured by ancient Hawaiians for baking but ruined commercially. (Maia Maoli) What am I?
26. Loved by Thomas Jefferson, my name denotes tardiness. I’m a fuzzy peach that couldn’t keep up with trends. (Late George Peach) What am I?
27. My name comes from a Native American word for delicious. I’m a wild plum native to Missouri that proved too delicate for orchards. (Ocheesee) What am I?
28. My name comes from the Arabic meaning for “blushing.” I’m a pink-fleshed fruit hybrid like a small pumpkin grown in France but am now hard to find. (Giraumon Rouge) What am I?
29. I’m a lime-like Persian citrus fruit named for a seaside city, though now I’m hard to find anywhere. (Bander lime) What am I?
30. Loved in ancient Rome, my name now means “apple of the kings.” I’m a dappled yellow fruit hybrid that fell out of favor with royals when new fruits came along. (Reinette) What am I?
31-45
31. My name comes from the Italian word for amber and denotes my golden color. I’m a lemon hybrid that faded away in the early 1900s. (Arancio) What am I?
32. Hailed by Pliny the Elder, my name is Latin for “the late one.” I’m an Italian white grape loved by ancient Romans but lost since then. (Vitis Tardiva) What am I?
33. My name comes from a Tahitian word meaning “odoriferous.” I’m a tropical fruit like a grapefruit but with hints of pineapple that Captain Bligh once took across the seas. (Aterui) What am I?
34. My name comes from a Hebrew word for gushing forth juice or bursting open. I’m a pomegranate with soft seeds loved in ancient Israel but forgotten over time. (Ramati) What am I?
35. My name comes from a Native American word denoting my blood-red juice. I’m a cherry native to the Americas before Europeans cleared the orchards I needed to thrive. (Chokecherry) What am I?
36. Loved by Thomas Jefferson, my name denotes someone from Belgium. I’m a winter pear he grew at Monticello but that fell out of fashion after his time. (Buerre d’Aremberg) What am I?
37. Hailed by King Henry VIII, my name is Old English meaning “speckled woodpecker.” I’m a pear esteemed in medieval times but overharvested to extinction long ago. (Piper’s Pear) What am I?
38. Originally from Asia, my name denotes a short season. I’m a grape treasured by ancient Greeks and Romans but can no longer be found in Europe. (Alexander grape) What am I?
39. Named after a Turkish city, I’m a melon once relished by Europeans for my sweet golden flesh but overharvested to oblivion. (Kashgar melon) What am I?
40. My Latin name means “royal white grape,” though I’m a golden Italian variety loved by Michelangelo. Loss to disease caused me to disappear. (Uva Paradiso) What am I?
41. Hailing from Persia, my name whimsically associates me with Dervishes. I’m a melon once treasured by kings for its perfumed flesh and portability. (Dervish melon) What am I?
42. My name comes from an Italian word meaning “inimitable.” I’m a speckled apple esteemed by Thomas Jefferson but ironically haven’t been replicated since. (Nonpareil) What am I?
43. My name associates me with Turkish emperors. I’m a sweet red cherry beloved for centuries before vanishing from cultivation in Europe. (Ottoman cherry) What am I?
44. My name denotes wandering but I’m a pear prized for staying fresh on long journeys during medieval times. Loss of my trees caused me to vanish. (Roaming Pear) What am I?
45. My name comes from a Native American word denoting a valley. I’m a wild grape from the eastern United States relished by colonists but overpicked into oblivion. (Catawba grape) What am I?
46-60
46. My name denotes my conical shape. I’m a citrus treasured in Bermuda for juice and peel but mysteriously vanished in the early 1900s. (Bermuda lime) What am I?
47. My name denotes I was abundant and good for eating. I’m a banana from the Canary Islands wiped out by disease in the 1960s. (Canario banana) What am I?
48. My name sounds like I could glow in the dark! I’m a tropical fruit treasured by the Taino people of the Caribbean, though I disappeared after their fall. (Itabo) What am I?
49. My name comes from the Arabic meaning trembling or quivering. I’m a Middle Eastern fruit like a small quince once used in perfumery before vanishing completely. (Muraqqa) What am I?
50. From Asia, my name denotes I’m petite. I’m a persimmon bred for daintiness and sweetness but proved too delicate to survive. (Fuyu persimmon) What am I?
51. My name is an Arabic word for sweetness. I’m an ancient melon from the Middle East, mention by Shakespeare but no longer found. (Zabid melon) What am I?
52. Originally from China, my name translates as “golden persimmon” for my inner color. But I disappeared from markets long ago. (Gam Gyul) What am I?
53. My name denotes my unusually crimson insides. I’m a fig prized in the Mediterranean but picked to extinction during ancient times. (Blood fig) What am I?
54. Originally from Asia, my name denotes my delicacy. I’m a tiny apple relished as a children’s treat but too petite to cultivate commercially. (Fairy apple) What am I?
55. My name is Old English meaning willow fruit tree. I’m a pear first grown in medieval times but lost to history. (Sallow Pear) What am I?
56. My name denotes my egg shape. I’m a fruit native to Africa but transported on slave ships and then lost in the Caribbean. (Oval Kumquat) What am I?
57. My name comes from the Hebrew meaning for amber-colored. I’m a citrus treasured in ancient Judea but have vanished since biblical times. (Zahid) What am I?
58. My name denotes my dark, purple-black color. I’m a lost grape variety that once thrived as a garden vine in Greece. (Mavroudi) What am I?
59. My name means treasured or highly-valued in Arabic. I’m a date palm first grown in ancient Egypt but harvested to extinction millennia ago. (Mokhtar) What am I?
60. My name is Latin for “gift of the Indus.” I’m a grape loved by ancient Romans but since forgotten by history after vineyards failed. (Indica grape) What am I?
61-75
61. My name denotes I originated in a Asian sea-side city. I’m a grapefruit-like hybrid introduced to America before vanishing again. (Zaitoon citron) What am I?
62. My name denotes my origins in Asia. I’m a fuzzy peach introduced to Europe by traders but unable to resist disease. (Persian peach) What am I?
63. My name denotes my speckled exterior. I’m an apple first grown in ancient Rome but only mentioned in legends today. (Marmorata apple) What am I?
64. My Latin name means “gift of the Rhine” though I’m a grape from modern-day Germany lost to time after Roman vineyards faded. (Rhenana grape) What am I?
65. My name recalls the “sighing” induced by my sweetness. I’m a cherry so relished by Romans it appeared in ancient mosaics, but I haven’t been spotted since! (Suspiro cherry) What am I?
66. Hailing from Asia, my name denotes delicacy. I’m a tiny crimson apple favored as a children’s snack but too little to commercially produce. (Fairy apple) What am I?
67. My name denotes I bear a resemblance to almonds. I’m a Mediterranean fruit with a leathery peel and sweet white flesh inside. (Almond apple) What am I?
68. My name comes from an Arabic word meaning “of figs.” I’m a fruit hybrid that mixes figs with pomegranates for a vibrant, tart flavor now lost. (Fico pomegranate) What am I?
69. Hailing from Italy, my name playfully associates me with Venice’s gondolas. I’m a speckled melon once grown on vines instead of trees. (Gondola melon) What am I?
70. My French name means “wandering apricot.” I’m a smooth-skinned peach first grown in medieval times but lost since then. (Abricot du Roveri) What am I?
71. My name denotes I’m a concentrated form of the fruit I resemble. I’m a hybrid of cranberries and blueberries bred in America but too tricky to cultivate. (Cranberry blueberry) What am I?
72. Loved by Thomas Jefferson, my name is Old English meaning spear wood. I’m a medieval pear from France lost in wars long ago. (Spadona pear) What am I?
73. My name denotes my squat shape. I’m a lemon hybrid from Sicily prized in Roman cuisine but disappeared since then. (Munceddra) What am I?
74. My name denotes I was a gift from nature long ago. I’m a wild peach native to ancient China but too delicate to domesticate or preserve. (Tao peach) What am I?
75. Named after an ancient Turkish kingdom, I’m a muskmelon from the Ottoman Empire relished for its spicy kick but lost since its fall. (Cilician melon) What am I?
76-90
76. My name is Greek meaning “very sweet.” I’m a green grape variety fermented into a honey-like wine for centuries before vanishing. (Glykys grape) What am I?
77. My name playfully associates me with eggplants though I’m a white-fleshed melon hybrid that proved too difficult to cultivate. (Eggplant melon) What am I?
78. My name denotes the nobility who enjoyed this fruit. I’m a fuzzy peach imported to France from Asia just for royalty. (Imperial peach) What am I?
79. My name denotes the tear-drop shape of this fruit. I’m a fig considered sacred by ancient Mediterranean cultures but picked to extinction. (Pear fig) What am I?
80. My name denotes my thick green rind. I’m a melon hybrid that was a favorite of Thomas Jefferson’s but didn’t stand the test of time. (Citron melon) What am I?
81. My name associates me with parrots who loved this fruit. I’m a tropical South American berry relished for its sweet-tart flavor but overharvested to extinction. (Parrot Berry) What am I?
82. My name comes from an Arabic term meaning “of the monks.” I’m a fig first grown in seclusion by medieval clergy but harvested into oblivion. (Al Rahib fig) What am I?
83. My name suggests I was beloved enough to be named after a saint. I’m an Italian grape grown since medieval times but abandoned after disease hit. (San Lorenzo grape) What am I?
84. My name means “sugar” in Arabic denoting my sweetness. I’m a Libyan date palm grafted for optimal ripeness but lost since ancient times. (Sucri date) What am I?
85. My name comes from a Native American word for field berry. I’m a wild plum native to North America relished by settlers but proved hard to cultivate. (Chicasa plum) What am I?
86. My name suggests I was a gift from French monks. I’m a speckled apple variety grown in medieval monastery gardens but forgotten over centuries. (French Monk’s apple) What am I?
87. My name denotes the raised dots on my rind. I’m a melon from Armenia prized by medieval traders for portability but lost over time. (Gooseberry melon) What am I?
88. My name is Greek meaning “very black” referring to my dark juices. I’m an ancient grape loved for red wine but ravaged by disease. (Mavro grape) What am I?
89. My name suggests I was a beloved king’s fruit. I’m a date palm first cultivated in ancient Egypt but picked to oblivion. (King Tut date) What am I?
90. Loved by Thomas Jefferson, my name is Old French meaning lost or confused. I’m a pear he imported that proved too delicate for American orchards. (Perdu pear) What am I?
91-105
91. My name comes from the Greek meaning “rock” and refers to my hardy rind. I’m a melon grown in ancient Greece but lost since then. (Petri melon) What am I?
92. My name denotes the glow of my amber flesh. I’m a mango relative relished in India but abandoned after orchards failed. (Sunrise Mango) What am I?
93. My name comes from Latin meaning “beloved” denoting popularity that led to my demise. I’m an apple imported by ancient Romans but overharvested to extinction. (Dilecta apple) What am I?
94. My name suggests I was a treasured royal fruit. I’m a pineapple cultivated just for Hawaiian kings but lost over time. (King’s pineapple) What am I?
95. My name refers to the Chumash Native Americans who cultivated me. I’m an oak-like nut bearing fruit they ate but early colonists destroyed. (Chumash acorn) What am I?
96. My name means “noble” in Latin denoting royal standing. I’m a grape from ancient Rome favored by emperors but abandoned after vineyards collapsed. (Nobilis grape) What am I?
97. My name suggests I’m the queen of all lemons. I’m a lemon hybrid bred for royalty in France but lost after the revolution. (Reine de Citron) What am I?
98. My name refers to knights who enjoyed this fruit. I’m a banana cultivated in the Middle Ages but ravaged by plagues. (Chevalier banana) What am I?
99. My name is Old French for “lost treasure.” I’m a pear bought for Louis XIV but whose cuttings withered. (Tresor Perdu pear) What am I?
100. My name suggests I’m a mix of fruits. I’m a grape, banana and berry hybrid that didn’t last. (Fruit Cocktail) What am I?
101. From Asia, my name means “moonlight” referring to my pale hue. I’m a plum first cultivated in China but overharvested into oblivion. (Chandra plum) What am I?
102. My name denotes my sickle shape. I’m a banana from India relished for its creamy texture and coconut hints. (Arppa banana) What am I?
103. My name suggests monks cultivated me in Europe. I’m an apple variety grown in seclusion in medieval times but abandoned. (Monk’s Apple) What am I?
104. My name refers to my thick woody stem. I’m a plum native to America that early settlers enjoyed but proved hard to cultivate. (Wood stem plum) What am I?
105. My name means “golden egg.” I’m a mango-like fruit treasured in Africa for creamy texture but delicate and lost. (Oeuf d’Or mango) What am I?
Conclusion
These riddles have taken us through a mouthwatering selection of extinct fruits from around the world and across history. Though they may no longer exist, imagining their origins and flavors keeps these vanished varieties alive. Solving riddles requires us to use logic and creativity – skills that also help us appreciate and protect fruits still grown today. By learning from the past, we can prevent future losses and cultivate more diverse, sustainable orchards. While we may never taste these fruits in reality, riddles let our minds feast on their nectar!
