You must’ve enjoyed eating fruits as they provide refreshment in summer and they contain lots of vitamins and antioxidants which are very beneficial for our immune system.

But did you wonder while eating fruits how they originated and what their home country was?

If not then don’t worry as by the end of this you’ll get to know their origins and many more intriguing discoveries.

As listed below there are some fruits and their origins maybe you’ll also find your favourite fruits among them.

1. Apple: scientific name: Malus pumila 

You surely have heard “An apple a day keeps a doctor away” but do you that they originated in Kazakhstan, in central Asia east of the Caspian Sea, by 1500 B.C. apple seeds were brought to Europe. As you are already familiar we humans were food gatherers in past and are known as the Paleolithic age approximately 750,000 years ago in Kazakhstan, in central Asia, they discovered sour crab apples growing in the forest. It is believed that in 1300 BC Egyptians started planting orchards along the Nile delta, by 800 BC ancient Greeks learned the grafting techniques and by 200 BC Ancient Romans planted apple orchards in Britain and by 1600 BC Spaniards brought apples to Mexico and South America. Apple has been growing for thousands of years in Asia and Europe and then it was introduced to North America by European colonists.

Now think if we don’t have apples we never have delicious apple pie, apple jam and apple cider.

2. Banana: scientific name: Musa paradisiaca Linn

You must’ve drunk a banana smoothie mixed with other fruits as a healthy drink and it is also known as superfruit. It is believed to have originated 10,000 years ago it is said that bananas have evolved in humid tropical regions of Southeast Asia with India as one of their centres of origin modern edible varieties have evolved from the two species – Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana and their natural hybrids, originally found in the rain forests of Southeast Asia. It is the fourth largest crop.

In India, there is a mythological story behind the origin of the banana according to Kandali wife of Durvasa a legendary rishi (sage) known for being short-tempered his wife someday asks his husband that she lived so long with him and now she wants a great boon from him though Durvasa gets upset from her words as she interrupted him in his sleep but agreed and said “ok I’ll give you boon but be careful” his wife said, “create a fruit for me that is unique and have a beautiful colour, its tree should be grown on earth not in heaven, it must give fruits throughout the year, the fruit should not have seeds and not create any mess while eating, when is not ripe it should be used a vegetable and once it is ripe it should be used as a fruit in many religious rituals and we must use all parts of the tree”. Durvasa was surprised but he was tensed too as he had no idea about it then he remembered and prayed to the goddess Saraswati( Hindu goddess of knowledge) to give him the solution and he realized that the banana would satisfy all the conditions of his wife's sayings and then banana was created.

Now I can presume that whenever you see a banana maybe you'll remember this story.

3. Strawberry  Scientific name: Fragaria × ananassa

You must’ve strawberry on your grocery list as most of us are in love with it. But ever you think about how it originated it was said that it was cultivated from its wild species as it was a common source of it then later around the 18th century the first garden of strawberry was cultivated in Brittany, France. The strawberry was mentioned in the Roman literature for its various medicinal purposes. The French king Charles V  from 1364 to 1380 had 1200 strawberries in his royal garden it is believed that the strawberry plant is used to treat depressive illness. It is said if you get the double strawberry. You break it into half and share half with another one then you will fall in love with each other, in France traditions the strawberry soup is served to newlyweds as it is considered an aphrodisiac and in ancient Rome, the strawberry was considered the symbol of Venus (goddess of love).

Now you can share the heart-shaped cut strawberries with your loved ones and show your love.

4. Mango:  Scientific name:  Mangifera indica

You may have enjoyed the cold mango shake in the scorching heat of summer or you had delicious mango recipes. It originated approximately 5000 years ago in a region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. In 1498 when the Portuguese started the first mango trade in Calcutta (now Kolkata), India. The Spanish explorers brought mangoes to South America and Mexico in the 1600’s. In Ancient times only two species were cultivated in South and Southeast Asia namely the “Indian type” and “Southeast Asian types”, they thrive in tropical and sub-tropical areas. In India, mango is used in various religious ceremonies and it is the national fruit of India known as the ‘King of fruits’ as it symbolizes love and friendship in Indian Culture.

6. Kiwi:  Scientific name: Actinidia deliciosa

If you want serotonin then you must’ve kiwis which may help you with good sleep and it has high vitamin K and vitamin C. Kiwis are native to the Yangtze Valley which runs through the middle of China. The first recorded description of kiwis was mentioned in The Song Dynasty during the 12th century. In the early 20th century a New Zealander noticed the fruit and brought the seeds back from China in 1904 and the first commercial planting occurred. The kiwi fruit came to popularity in New Zealand during the Second World War when US members came there and got introduced to the fruit and later it was exported first to Great Britain and California in the 1960s. It has great medicinal uses it can improve your digestive system and is good for your heart too.

7. Grapes: Scientific name: Vitis vinifera

Grapes are a rich source of copper and vitamin K as you know copper is involved in energy production and vitamin K is essential for blood clotting. It is said that the Middle East is known as the homeland of grapes as it is cultivated about 6000-8000 years ago. The earliest cultivation of grapes had to be done in 6000 BCE in a region of Eurasia. Greeks and Phoenicians extended the cultivation of grapes to France, southern Italy, Spain and Carthage. Grapes are widely used in the preparation of wines. The grape seeds were found in Egypt's tomb at least 3,000 years back. The grape is regarded for prosperity and abundance in ancient Romans and Greeks and it was aligned with Dionysus, the Greek god of wine. It is a belief that in Spain on the day of the New Year is celebrated by eating 12 green grapes for each toll of the clock and while eating if you wear red clothes then it will bring good luck.

There are numerous fruits in the world and many of us don’t know the names of them, the above I’ve described only a few fruits I hope it will help to enhance your knowledge and whenever you eat any fruit mentioned above you may remember its origin and you can also search your favourite fruit origin.