According to the African Wildlife Foundation, Uganda is known for its tropical climate and abundant natural resources. Due to this warm and humid equatorial climate, plenty of sunshine throughout the year compounded with lots of rain create the perfect conditions for tropical fruits.
Winston Churchill once said that fruits in Uganda grow almost without labor, whether it’s the sweet and juicy mangoes, the tart and tangy pineapples, or the velvety avocados. There are countless different types of fruit to be found in Uganda.
Here are some of our favorite fruits in Uganda: Mango, Pineapple, Avocados, Jackfruit, Bananas of different sizes, tastes, and colors, Passion Fruit, Watermelons, Papayas, Citrus, and Star Fruit, among others.
When I had visitors from England, we used to try to add English foods to the table like English pancakes, Shepherd’s pie, and many other foods in the first month to make them feel at home.
But, for the duration of their stay in Uganda, the one thing that stayed with them was Ugandan fruit.
I remember on the last day they refused to eat food, and guess what they were eating? fruits like mangos, bananas, jackfruits, and pineapples, of course, at cheaper costs compared to other countries they had been to before.
I was confused with their actions until they told me that you cannot find fresh fruits, which they had enjoyed in Uganda, elsewhere.
So Ugandans enjoy the fruits as much as they can. Because when I went to Australia, some of the fruits, like bananas, were not as sweet as the ones here at home.
It should also be noted that Uganda grows and sells more bananas than other African countries. Uganda is also home to some of the best avocados, green oranges that range from sour to sweet, and green lemons with what seem like warts on them, but the taste is the same.
The fruits can be found in markets such as Nakasero and Namawojjolo on the Kampala-Jinja highway on your way to Jinja’s source of the Nile; Kalerwe, Nakawa, Kireka, Banda, and Wandegeya markets, all of which are beautifully displayed and mouthwatering.
Sometimes you will find children eating them straight from the gardens, but once you taste our fruits, you will know why people worldwide call it the Tropical Fruit Basket of Africa or a taste of paradise.
With over 50 different types of fruits, Fruit Lovers on Safari should eat as many as they can before leaving because Uganda is not only good for game viewing, mountain climbing, and gorilla trekking, but Rolex, Nsenene (grasshoppers), the pearl of Africa, is also a fruit basket!The variety of fruits is heaven for any fruit lover.