Looking for fruits that start with O? This alphabet foods guide covers the familiar ones you can pick up in most UK supermarkets, plus a few unusual O fruits you may only spot in specialist shops, markets or when travelling.

Some entries are everyday fruit-bowl favourites, some are botanical fruits usually treated as vegetables, and a few are specific varieties rather than separate species. That makes the list more useful if you are planning a quiz, teaching children food names, building an alphabet recipe idea, or simply curious about unusual fruit names.

Fruits That Start With O: Quick List

Everyday O Fruits You Can Buy in the UK

Orange

The orange is probably the first fruit that comes to mind when naming fruits beginning with O. It is a citrus fruit with juicy segments, a bright peel and a balance of sweetness and acidity.

In UK shops you will usually see navel oranges, Valencia oranges, blood oranges and easy-peel orange relatives such as satsumas and clementines. Blood oranges tend to appear in winter and early spring, while standard oranges are available all year.

Money-saving tip: buy nets of oranges when they are on offer, then use the peel as well as the flesh. Orange zest can lift cakes, porridge, couscous, salad dressings and marinades. If the fruit is getting soft, juice it or slice it for a quick compote.

Olive

Olives are botanically fruits because they develop from the flower of the olive tree and contain a stone. In the kitchen, they are treated as a savoury ingredient rather than a sweet fruit.

Raw olives are extremely bitter, so they are usually cured in brine, salt or oil before being eaten. Green olives are picked earlier, while black olives are ripe or treated to darken them, depending on the product.

Use olives in pasta, Greek-style salads, traybakes, pizzas, couscous, tapenade and snack boards. A small amount can add loads of flavour, which makes them useful for budget cooking.

Ogen Melon

Ogen melon is a small, round melon originally associated with Israel. It has pale green flesh, a sweet fragrance and a soft, juicy texture when ripe.

You may not see the name every week in a supermarket, but it does appear in greengrocers and seasonal melon selections. It is lovely chilled and served with yoghurt, mint, lime, berries or a little salty feta.

How to choose one: look for a sweet aroma, a fruit that feels heavy for its size, and skin without sunken or mouldy patches.

Opal Apple

Opal apple is a modern apple variety known for its golden-yellow skin and crisp, sweet flesh. It is also popular because it is slower to brown than many apples once cut, making it handy for lunchboxes and salads.

It is not always the cheapest apple on the shelf, so compare the price per kilo with loose apples and multipacks. If you are baking, cheaper varieties or reduced-price apples often work just as well.

Owari Satsuma

Owari satsuma is a variety of satsuma mandarin. It is seedless or nearly seedless, easy to peel and sweet, which is why satsumas are such a winter favourite in the UK.

They are ideal for packed lunches, Christmas fruit bowls and quick snacks. If a bag starts looking tired, squeeze the juice into a dressing or use the segments in a fruit salad.

Citrus Fruits That Start With O

Oroblanco

Oroblanco, sometimes written as oro blanco, is a citrus hybrid made from grapefruit and pomelo. The name means white gold in Spanish, and the fruit is usually pale-fleshed with a thick rind.

It tastes milder and sweeter than many grapefruits, with less of the bitterness that puts some people off. Eat it like grapefruit for breakfast, add segments to salads, or use the juice in marinades and dressings.

Ortanique

Ortanique is a tangor, which means it is a cross between an orange and a tangerine or mandarin type. The fruit is juicy, aromatic and often quite tangy.

It can be used wherever you would use an orange or mandarin. Try the zest in cakes, the juice in a glaze, or the segments in a winter salad with beetroot and leaves.

Oval Kumquat

Oval kumquat is another name often used for Nagami kumquat. These small oval citrus fruits are unusual because the peel is sweet and the inside is sharp, so they are commonly eaten whole.

Kumquats are brilliant for marmalade, cocktails, candied peel and garnishes. They are not always cheap in the UK, but a few go a long way because the flavour is intense.

Orangelo

Orangelo is a hybrid of orange and grapefruit. It is not common in British supermarkets, but it belongs on a comprehensive list of O fruits. The flavour sits somewhere between sweet orange and sharper grapefruit.

If you find orangelo in a market or specialist grocer, use it in the same way as other juicy citrus fruits: sliced for breakfast, squeezed for juice, or segmented into salads.

Berries and Small Fruits Beginning With O

Olallieberry

Olallieberry is a dark, juicy hybrid berry related to blackberries and raspberries. It is especially associated with parts of the United States, where it is used in pies, jams and syrups.

Fresh olallieberries are rare in the UK, but you may come across olallieberry jam or preserves online or in speciality food shops. If a recipe calls for them, blackberries make the easiest substitute.

Ohelo Berry

Ohelo berries grow in Hawaii and are related to blueberries and cranberries. They are small, red to orange-red berries with a tart flavour.

They are used in jams, jellies and desserts, but they are not a standard UK ingredient. Cranberries, redcurrants or tart blueberries are the closest practical swaps for home cooking.

Oregon Grape

Oregon grape is the fruit of plants in the Mahonia group. The berries are small, blue-purple and tart. They are generally too sharp for casual snacking, but they can be cooked into jelly, syrup or wine-style preparations.

Foraging note: only eat wild berries if you are completely certain of the identification. Avoid roadside plants and wash edible berries well. If in doubt, leave them alone.

Oso Grande Strawberry

Oso Grande is a strawberry variety with large berries and a sweet flavour when ripe. Like all strawberries, it is technically an accessory fruit rather than a simple botanical berry, but it belongs in an alphabet food list because it is sold and eaten as fruit.

If you are buying strawberries on a budget, check the reduced section late in the day. Soft berries can be turned into smoothies, compote, overnight oats or a quick sauce for pancakes.

Ozark Beauty Strawberry

Ozark Beauty is another strawberry variety, often grown by gardeners because it can produce fruit over a long season. It is sweet, red and suitable for fresh eating or preserving.

Home-grown strawberries can save money if you have a sunny patch, hanging basket or container. Netting may be needed to protect ripe fruit from birds.

Tropical and Unusual O Fruits

Otaheite Apple

Otaheite apple, also called Malay apple or mountain apple, is a tropical fruit with glossy red skin and crisp, watery flesh. Despite the name, it is not the same as the apples grown in British orchards.

The flavour is delicate and refreshing rather than strongly sweet. It is usually eaten fresh in countries where it grows, and it can also be used in preserves.

Otaheite Gooseberry

Otaheite gooseberry is also known as star gooseberry. It is a small, pale yellow-green tropical fruit with a very sharp taste.

Because of its acidity, it is often cooked with sugar or used in chutneys, pickles and preserves. It is not closely related to the common British gooseberry, despite the name.

Olosapo

Olosapo is a tropical fruit from Central America and nearby regions. It has yellow to orange flesh and a sweet, custard-like flavour when ripe.

It is very unlikely to appear in a standard UK supermarket, but it is a good one to know for food quizzes and alphabet challenges. The texture is soft, so it is usually eaten fresh or used in simple desserts.

Osteen Mango

Osteen mango is a mango variety grown in warm regions including Spain. It has smooth, sweet flesh and is sometimes available in Europe during the mango season.

When buying mangoes, choose fruit that gives slightly when pressed and smells fragrant near the stem. Avoid fruit with large sunken patches or fermented smells.

Oil Palm Fruit

Oil palm fruit grows in dense bunches on oil palm trees. The fruit is reddish-orange and rich in oil, which is extracted to make palm oil.

It is not usually eaten as a fruit-bowl snack in the UK, but it is an important food crop in many parts of the world. Palm oil appears in plenty of processed foods, so check labels if you are trying to understand what is in your shopping basket.

Stone Fruits and Orchard Varieties Starting With O

Oullins Gage

Oullins gage, often called Reine Claude d’Oullins, is a gage plum variety. It is round, juicy and sweet when fully ripe, with a honeyed flavour typical of good gages.

Gages are lovely eaten fresh, but they also make excellent jam, compote and crumble. If you find a reduced punnet of ripe plums or gages, cook them the same day with a little sugar and freeze the compote in portions.

Orin Apple

Orin is a Japanese apple variety with yellow-green skin and a sweet, aromatic flavour. Some people notice a slight pineapple or pear-like note.

It is less common than Gala, Braeburn or Granny Smith in the UK, but it may appear in specialist fruit shops. Eat it fresh to appreciate the fragrance.

Orient Pear

Orient pear is a pear variety rather than a separate fruit species. It is usually associated with firm, juicy pears that can be eaten fresh or cooked.

Pears are one of the easiest fruits to rescue from the reduced shelf. Firm pears can ripen at home, while very ripe pears are excellent in porridge, cakes, chutney and crumbles.

Oxheart Cherry

Oxheart cherry is a name used for large, heart-shaped cherries. Cherries can be expensive in the UK, so it is worth enjoying them in season rather than paying high prices out of season.

For cheaper desserts, mix a smaller amount of cherries with apples, frozen berries or tinned fruit. You still get the cherry flavour without using a whole punnet.

Botanical Fruits That Start With O But Are Used Like Vegetables

Okra

Okra is botanically a fruit because it is the seed pod of the okra plant. In cooking, it is used as a vegetable, especially in West African, Caribbean, Indian, Middle Eastern and Southern US dishes.

Okra has a mild flavour and a texture that can become thick or silky when cooked. That quality is useful in stews and gumbo-style dishes. If you prefer it less slippery, cook it quickly over high heat, roast it, or fry it.

Frozen okra is often cheaper than fresh and works well in curries and stews.

Olive Tomato Varieties

You may see small tomato varieties with names linked to olive shapes, such as olive tomatoes. Tomatoes are botanically fruits, though usually treated as vegetables.

They are worth mentioning in an O foods list only when the variety name starts with O. For everyday cooking, any small plum or cherry tomato can be used as a substitute.

Not Really for Eating: Osage Orange

Osage Orange

Osage orange is a large, green, bumpy fruit from the Maclura pomifera tree. It is sometimes called hedge apple, but it is not a true orange and not a normal edible fruit.

The fruit is generally considered unpalatable for people and is mostly ornamental or used historically for hedging. It earns a place in a comprehensive list of fruits beginning with O, but not on a shopping list for dessert.

Best O Fruits for Budget Cooking

Some O fruits are rare and expensive, but others are genuinely useful for low-cost meals and snacks. These are the best picks for a UK kitchen:

• Oranges: good value in nets, useful for snacks, juice, zest and baking.
• Olives: strong flavour, so a small handful can transform pasta, rice or salads.
• Okra: frozen okra can be affordable and works well in filling stews.
• Owari satsumas: usually good value in winter and easy for packed lunches.
• Overripe Ogen melon: if reduced, blend into smoothies or serve chilled with yoghurt.
• Opal apples or other apples: compare prices, as standard apple varieties may be cheaper for cooking.

How to Store Fruits That Start With O

Storage depends on the fruit, but these general tips help reduce waste:

• Citrus fruits: keep at room temperature for a few days, or refrigerate to extend freshness.
• Apples: store in the fridge if you want them to last longer. Keep away from delicate produce that ripens quickly.
• Melons: keep whole melons at room temperature until ripe, then refrigerate once cut. Cover cut melon and eat within a few days.
• Olives: once opened, keep them covered in brine or oil in the fridge and follow the pack guidance.
• Berries: refrigerate and wash just before eating, as extra moisture can speed up spoilage.
• Okra: use fresh okra promptly or buy frozen to avoid waste.

Easy Ways to Use Up O Fruits

• Orange peel: zest and freeze it for cakes, biscuits, sauces and marinades.
• Soft oranges: juice them or cook into a quick citrus syrup.
• Leftover olives: chop into pasta sauce, tuna salad, couscous or homemade bread.
• Melon offcuts: blend with lime juice and freeze into ice lollies.
• Reduced apples: stew with cinnamon and freeze for porridge toppings.
• Okra: add frozen slices straight into curry, stew or soup.

FAQs About Fruits That Start With O

What fruit starts with the letter O?

Orange is the most common fruit that starts with O. Other examples include olive, Ogen melon, olallieberry, oro blanco, ortanique, oval kumquat, ohelo berry, Otaheite apple and opal apple.

Is olive a fruit?

Yes. Olives are botanical fruits, specifically stone fruits or drupes. They are usually cured and eaten as a savoury food rather than treated like a sweet fruit.

Is okra a fruit?

Botanically, yes. Okra is the seed pod of the plant, so it counts as a fruit. In everyday cooking, it is treated as a vegetable.

What is the cheapest fruit beginning with O?

In most UK supermarkets, oranges and satsumas are usually the cheapest and easiest O fruits to find, especially when bought in nets or during seasonal offers.

Are there any berries that start with O?

Yes. Olallieberry, ohelo berry and Oregon grape are all fruits beginning with O. They are not common fresh supermarket berries in the UK, but they are useful names for alphabet food lists.

What tropical fruits start with O?

Tropical fruits starting with O include Otaheite apple, Otaheite gooseberry, olosapo, oil palm fruit and Osteen mango. Availability in the UK varies, and some are mainly found in countries where they grow.

Can you eat Osage orange?

Osage orange is not normally eaten by people. It is a large, bumpy fruit that is generally considered unpalatable, so it is better known as an ornamental or hedging tree fruit than a kitchen ingredient.

What can I use instead of olallieberries?

Blackberries are the easiest substitute for olallieberries. For a slightly more complex flavour, mix blackberries with raspberries or a spoonful of blackcurrant jam in pies and crumbles.