Fruit as a dessert item, is the mature ovaries of plants with their seeds. The edible portion of most fruit is the fleshy part of the pericarp or vessel surrounding the seeds. Fruit in general is acidic and sugary. They commonly are grouped into several major divisions, depending principally upon botanical structure, chemical composition and climatic requirements. Berries are fruit which are generally small and quite fragile.
Grapes are also physically fragile and grow in clusters.
Melons, on the other hand, are large and have a tough outer rind. Pomes contain many pits, and are represented by apples, quince and pears. Citrus fruit like oranges, grapefruit and lemons are high in citric acid. Tropical and subtropical fruits include bananas, dates, figs, pineapples, mangoes, and others which require warm climates, but exclude the separate group of citrus fruits. The compositions of representative vegetables and fruits in comparison with a few of the cereal grains are seen in Table 2.2.