Uganda as a country is known for very many things and having the best fruits in east Africa is one of them. Commonly referred to as the fruit basket in East Africa, Uganda is capable of providing fruits within and outside her boundaries which are fresh and tasty and all this is possible due to the good weather conditions and fertile soils in Uganda that are conducive for the growth of the different fruits.
While in Uganda, you will find fruits almost everywhere you go like the different markets, roadside vendors, local markets and supermarkets and sometimes you will find children eating them straight from the gardens. The different fruits that can be bought in Uganda include mangoes, pineapples, bananas, watermelons, avocados, apples, passion fruits, oranges, Papaya, lemons, beetroot and many more others.
There are also different markets where one can get these fruits and they include Nakasero market, Kalerwe, Nakawa, kireka, Banda, Wandegeya market among others located country wide. We are going to look at the different fruits that are being farmed and sold in Uganda and a few details about a few of those fruits for those who might be wondering what and how they look like.
Bananas
Bananas are of different sizes, tastes and color but the best thing about is that they are all good. Locally known as Bogoya, the big size yellow bananas have a great taste and they can be got from different fruit selling centers with different prices.
The small size bananas locally called Ndiizi in central Uganda and kabalagala in Western Uganda are also yellow and they can be eaten though most people use them for making pancakes in Uganda. It should also be noted that Uganda grows and sells more bananas than other African countries.
Jackfruit
A jackfruit is as large as a watermelon and sometimes bigger and it has a green spiky outer covering with orange or red inside. The jackfruit locally known as Ffene is a great delicacy for many a people cut it into pieces, wiping the sap from the fruit before they start eating.
Ffene is known to be one of the unique fruits that are grown in Uganda and although it is planted in some areas, the jackfruit normally grow on its own and people end up keeping it in their homesteads. If you have never tasted fresh jackfruits straight from the trees and it is your first time to visit Uganda, make sure you grab yourself a piece and get the heavenly taste.
Passion fruits
Passion fruits are the most common fruits on the Ugandan market and this is all because of the abundant passion fruit trees that are located in the different parts of the country. These are used for making juice in the different restaurants and they also come into two sizes that is the purple or yellow passion fruits. You will always find passion fruits in almost all the markets in Uganda and with the different street vendors and all these will be at different prices depending on where you are going to purchase the passion fruits from.
Pineapples
Pineapples are known to be very juicy fruits and they are locally known as enannsi and these are on the market for a specific season. They can be found in the different places around town and in the villages. Pineapples can be used to make juice or just eaten as they are and the only thing that is not eaten on Ugandan pineapples are the peelings and even these can be cooked and ginger added to them to make juice locally known as Omunanansi.
Mangoes
Mangoes are the most common in Uganda with almost every household having one or more trees in their homesteads. Some have very farms for commercial purposes and the mangoes also come in different sizes that are small and big. Some people like the mangoes when they are still green whereas others prefer the ripe ones.
Mangoes also have different prices depending on where you have bought them from but to get a fair price is during the peak season. Locally known as Emiyembe, mangoes can be used to make different things like juice, salads, cakes and other delicacies and they can be purchased in the different parts of the country.
Citrus fruits
The citrus family has a lot of fruits include the lemons locally known as Niimu, oranges locally known as emicungwa and tangerines locally known as mangada. All these can be found in the different markets and other places where fruits are sold from.
The lemons and tangerines come in green whereas the oranges come in green or orange and in sizes ranging from small, medium to big depending on where they have grown from.
Apples
Apples have previously been imported into the country but at the moment they are being farmed in the country in green houses and on a large scale. Most of Uganda’s apples are in green in color and these can be bought in supermarkets for those who want already packaged and in the different markets in the country although you should be wary about buying spoilt apples.
Watermelons
The watermelons in Uganda can be bought throughout the year and they are relatively small as compared to watermelons from other countries. The watermelons that are grown in Uganda have seeds whereas those grown outside Uganda are seedless but it should be noted that these watermelons still have the same great taste.
Papaws
Sometimes these grow without being planted but at times they are planted especially for those who want to grow it for commercial purposes. These are green on the outside and when they are still young, they are white inside but once they ripen, they get a yellowish orange color. They can be eaten after peeling them or to make juice and they are also considered to be medicinal. Therefore grab yourself a pawpaw also known as Epapali by most local people.
Avocados
These are found in different homesteads and the best season for one to get good avocados is between April and June. These are succulent oval fruits which can be eaten alone or with food and they can also be used to make smoothies. Avocados come in different sizes some are small whereas others are big and these are green in color and the tastes different according to where the avocados were planted.
Beet fruits
These are red in color and are mostly used to make juice although they can be cooked in Irish especially for those who have sickle cell. Beet root has a lot of health benefits and can be got in the different markets and it is majorly grown in Kasese and Kisoro due to the cold weather conditions and fertile soils found in the area.
There are many fruits that are grown in Uganda some of which have not been listed in this article but then Uganda is not known as a fruit basket country for nothing. With the abundance when it comes to growing fruits, some are exported after being checked by the Uganda national bureau of standards and the rest sold within the country.
After looking at the different fruits that can be grown in Uganda, we are going to look at the different safari destinations for the different fruit lovers.
There are different safari destinations where one can get fruits in Kampala and with the wide range of fruits this makes the fruits readily available for both the tourists and the local crowd. The different places where one can get these fruits include the following:
Nakasero Market
Located in the heart of Kampala the capital city of Uganda on the Nakasero hill, you will find a lot of fruits put on display by the different people. These are normally in the different stalls and the prices are sometimes standard especially during the peak seasons but they can easily change depending on the seller. And s you are heading into the Nakasero market, be sure to up your game of bargaining.
Kampala streets
Although it is illegal to sell anything on the streets of Kampala, you will find different ladies selling fruits on the streets especially in the evening and the fruits are sold at a relatively cheap price. You can save some money and do quick shopping form these ladies and get enough fruits for you and your family.
Kalerwe market
This is also located in Kampala and you will find a lot of fruits packed in different baskets all ready for sale. It might be muddy especially on a rainy day but the thrill of viewing all these fruits in one place plus their cheap nature is worth the struggle.
High ways
As you are travelling through to the different villages and districts, you will see different fruits being paraded alongside the road fresh out the gardens. This is the best time to buy a lot of fresh fruits from different parts of the country and at a cheap rate.
