.jpg) A plate of fruit salad made ofpear,satsuma mandarin,kiwifruit,passion fruit,pomegranate seeds, andGreek yogurt mixed withhoney,cardamom andvanilla sugar | |
| Alternative names | Fruit cocktail, fruit cup |
|---|---|
| Type | Salad |
| Course | Appetizer,dessert,snack,main meal |
| Main ingredients | Fruit, fruit juice orsyrup |
| Variations | Macedonia |
Fruit salad is a dish consisting of various kinds offruit, sometimes served in a liquid, either their juices or asyrup. In different forms, fruit salad can be served as anappetizer or a side as asalad. A fruit salad is sometimes known as afruit cocktail (often connoting a canned product), orfruit cup (when served in a small container).
There are many types of fruit salad, ranging from the basic (no nuts, marshmallows, or dressing) to the moderately sweet (Waldorf salad) to the sweet (ambrosia salad). Another "salad" containing fruit is ajello salad, with its many variations. Afruit cocktail is well-defined in the US to mean a well-distributed mixture of small diced pieces of (from highest percentage to lowest) peaches, pears, pineapple, grapes, and cherry halves. Fruit salad may also be canned (with larger pieces of fruit than a cocktail).
There are several homerecipes for fruit salads that contains different kinds of fruit, or that use a different kind of sauce other than the fruit's juice or syrup. Common ingredients used in fruit salads includestrawberries,pineapple,honeydew,watermelon,[1]grapes, andkiwifruit.[2][3] Various recipes may call for the addition ofnuts,fruit juices, certainvegetables,yogurt, or other ingredients.
One variation is aWaldorf-style fruit salad, which uses amayonnaise-based sauce. Other recipes usesour cream (such as inambrosia), yogurt, or even custard as the primary sauceingredient. A variation on fruit salad uses whipped cream mixed in with many varieties of fruits (usually a mixture of berries), and also often includes miniature marshmallows.Rojak, aMalaysian fruit salad, uses a spicy sauce with peanuts and shrimp paste. In thePhilippines, fruit salads are popular party and holiday fare, usually made withbuko, or youngcoconut, andcondensed milk in addition to other canned or fresh fruit. InHawaii by influence ofCantonese immigrants during the sugar plantation days,"almond float" was introduced, where almond flavored gelatin is prepared, cubed, and typically mixed with cannedfruit cocktail and cannedlychee.[4]Sicilian orange salad is a typical dish ofSicily (Italy) and Spain in which orange slices are dressed with olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
Mexico has a popular variation of the fruit salad calledBionico which consists of various fruits drenched in condensed milk and sour cream mix. Guacamole may also be considered a fruit salad, consisting predominantly of various fruits and fruit juices such as avocados, lemon and/or lime juice, tomatoes, chili peppers, and black peppercorns.
There is also an extended variety of fruit salads inMoroccan cuisine, often as part of akemia, a selection ofappetizers or small dishes analogous to Spanishtapas or easternMediterraneanmezze.
A fruit salad ice cream is also commonly manufactured, with small pieces of real fruit embedded, flavored either with juices from concentrate, fruit extracts, or artificial chemicals.
Another type of fruit salad is one of the recipes that went viral on TikTok in 2024, named Hwachae. Korean fruit salad is a dessert that aims to be hydrating and refreshing. Made with fresh fruits, strawberry milk, seven-up and jelly or jell-o, this recipe is very popular in Asia.[5]
Fruit cocktail is often soldcanned and is a staple ofcafeterias, but can also be made fresh. The use of the word "cocktail" in the name does not mean that it contains alcohol, but refers to the secondary definition:" an appetizer made by combining pieces of food, such as fruit or seafood".
In the United States, theUSDA stipulates that canned "fruit cocktail" must contain a certain percentage distribution ofpears, grapes,cherries,peaches, and pineapples to be marketed as fruit cocktail. It must contain fruits in the following range of percentages:[6]
BothWilliam Vere Cruess of theUniversity of California, Berkeley and Herbert Gray of the Barron-Gray Packing Company ofSan Jose, California, have been credited with the invention of fruit cocktails.[8][9] Barron–Gray was the first company to sell fruit cocktail commercially, beginning in 1930, andCalifornia Packing Corporation began selling it under itsDel Monte brand a few years later.[10]
Canned fruit cocktails and canned fruit salad are similar, but fruit salad contains larger fruit while fruit cocktail is diced.[11] Commercially, the fruit used was healthy but cosmetically damaged, such as a peach or pear that was bruised on one side.[10] The bruised parts would be cut away and discarded, and the rest would be diced into small pieces.[10]
"Fruit Salad" (also known as "Fruit Salad Yummy Yummy") is the name of a song byAustralian children's bandthe Wiggles.
"Fruit-salad" is also a slang term used formedals on a soldier's uniform, e.g. "Look at the fruit-salad on that colonel." The term refers to the bright colors of a high percentage of theribbons that usually go with medals.[12]
"Fruit salad" is an alternative name for the party gameFruit Basket Turnover.
