There are only a few widely available fruits that have a green outside and pink inside. If you’re wondering what exotic fruit you found, this overview will help solve the mystery.
The common guava (Psidium guajava) is an apple-shaped fruit with green skin on the outside and pink flesh on the inside. There are also guava varieties that have green skin and white flesh.
The seeds of the guava are edible, and are actually good for you. You can even eat the skin, once properly cleaned. Guavas are rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber, and are likely to have a multitude of health benefits.
Green And Pink Guava Fruit
The guava is one of the few fruits with a characteristic pink flesh inside, and a green outside peel. The edible part flesh of the fruit will change from pink to a darker, red color as it ripens.
The tropical fruit is usually available in stores in the “apple guava” variety, but there are also other types of guava, such as the lemon guava with yellow skin. However, this subspecies contains more sugar and less vitamin C.
Are There Other Green And Pink Fruits?
It’s possible that the fruit you were looking for was in fact not guava. There are other fruits that might be considered “green and pink” as well. That’s why we’ve decided to list some other likely candidates for you.
Below you will find a list of popular types of fruits with a green outside and pink or red inside.
Adriatic Fig
The (white) Adriatic Fig (Ficus carica) might be an unlikely candidate on this list, but it does have a green exterior and pink and red interior.
Figs come in all colors, shapes, and sizes, but the Adriatic Fig most closely resembles the green-pink combination within the fig fruit family.
The thick green skin and pinkish-red center is a very intensely flavored fruit. It goes from sweet and spicy, to strawberry and cinnamon. Definitely one to try for yourself!
Red Dragon Fruit
The Pitaya Roja or Red Dragon Fruit (Selenicereus costaricensis) is a less common variety of the pink and white dragon fruit called Pitaya Blanca. Some might say the Pitaya Roja has a red exterior, but it also clearly has green ‘dragon shells’.
This unique tropical fruit is sweeter than the more common white dragon fruit. It also contains more small black seeds, which actually are edible.
Red Kiwi
Did you know that a Red Kiwi (Actinidia melanandra) exists, with a different color and flavor from the common green kiwi?
It is kiwi-giant Zespri who distributes the red variety to stores across the world under the patented brand name ‘RubyRed’. It can even be redder than the image shown above.
The variety is sometimes also referred to as the ‘purple kiwi’. With the flesh hovering between purple, pink, and red, it’s not hard to see why this tropical fruit would be considered ‘green and pink’ by some people.
Papaya
The Papaya (Carica papaya) is usually orange on the inside, but there are also varieties with pink flesh on the inside. The pink papaya is one of well over twenty main varieties of papayas in existence.
The taste of ripe papaya is comparable to mango or canteloupe melon. The flesh of the papaya is subtly sweet and soft, with a smooth, non-stringent consistency.
Unripe papayas will be hard and have very little flavor. At the same time, unripe papaya will have a foul smell, akin to sweaty feet or vomit. It is, therefore, best to wait with eating this fruit until it has ripened.
Prickly Pear
The Prickly Pear (Opuntia), also known as nopal, is a cactus fruit consisting of several species. The fruits of the cacti are edible, and taste like a mix of watermelon and bubble gum (yes, really!).
Prickly pears come in all colors, including a green variation with red and pink flesh. But there are also species with a pink exterior. The flavors all slightly differ, but are equally interesting.
A fair warning is needed though. Prickly pears are not toxic, but the cactus-like spines on the outside of the fruit will be very hard to remove from the skin.
Watermelon
Last but not least we have the Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), a fruit that most of us will know and love. Watermelons are one of the best ways to refresh oneself on a warm summer day, as they contain a lot of water.
After all, they’re called watermelons for a reason.
The outer shell is inedible and hard, with a dark-green and light-green color. The massive fruit has a lot of juicy red-pink pulp that is definitely very sweet. Even the seeds are edible, so don’t worry about accidentally growing a watermelon tree in your stomach.
