The “Delicious” Fruit That’s Taking Over Grocery Stores Everywhere

There are certain things that I just associate with summer: the lingering smell of chlorine from the pool, hot dogs with grill marks, and, most of all, fresh fruit (which is at its best in the summer). I look forward to all of the juicy watermelon, fresh strawberries, and ripe figs I can eat each year. 

But these days, fruits are everywhere — and they’re evolving. Horticulturists are in their labs, constantly tweaking new hybrids and varieties (that’s where Cosmic Crisp apples came from!). I’ve also noticed more subscription-based services than ever before that offer premium-quality fruit (think: fresh peaches from Georgia).  

In 2025, it’s fruit’s world — and we’re just living in it.

We’ve officially entered the golden age of fruit hybrids, where science meets sweetness — and the results are not only fascinating, but also delicious. Today’s fruits are engineered (often through natural crossbreeding, not genetic modification) to be juicier and hardier than ever. 

Leading the charge is the Cosmic Crisp apple — a cross between the Honeycrisp and Enterprise varieties. Aptly named, it has a crisp bite, long shelf life, and flavor that balances sweet and tart. The Cosmic has developed something of a fandom and even has its own PR team. (Yes, really.)

But, Cosmic isn’t alone. There are many more fruit hybrids that have taken over grocery shelves: Cotton Candy grapes, which some have dubbed as a modern miracle (me, I’ve dubbed it that); Pluots, a hybrid that has the juiciness of a plum and the tangy complexity of an apricot (available now at Trader Joe’s, along with Lemon Drop Melons!); and one of my newer favorites, Del Monte’s Pinkglow Pineapple that’s sweeter than other varieties. 

Companies like Harry & David have been selling curated fruit boxes for decades, mostly as gifts. These days, there are newer upstarts delivering boxes filled with seasonal specialties like peak-summer peaches, rare citrus varieties, and tropical gems you’d never find at your average grocery store.

My first introduction to this world started with Tropical Fruit Box. Earlier this year, I tried a variety box that came with fresh mangoes so fragrant they practically perfumed my kitchen; manzanos, which are a type of apple-banana variety; fresh lychee; giant avocados; and more. Everything is grown fresh in California, and varies depending on the season. As someone who lives in New York City, it was a dream to open a box with perfectly ripe fruit in the middle of the winter. 

You’ll also find hyper-specific subscription boxes that focus on supporting one singular farm or variety of fruit. Take Primavera Avocados, the southern California-based company that carefully grows and hand-selects each avocado before shipping it straight to your home. The avocados are firm when they arrive, and ripen sequentially within a few days (so you have a delicious, ripe avocado that is at its prime each day). Meanwhile, Pearson Farms, the Georgia-based peach farm, sells and ships straight to your door directly from its 135-year-old farm (they are currently out of stock for the season).

There’s also Yes! Apples, which is a New York-based network of family farms that grows and sells boxes of over 20 varieties of apples across the country. Some of the juiciest apples I’ve ever eaten have come from Yes! Apples. Right now, it’s selling boxes of Nova Scotia Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Gala, and Fuji, and varieties change based on the year. You can buy one-time boxes as gifts or set up a subscription for perfectly crisp apples whenever you’d like. 

I grew up in an Asian household, and we’d routinely drive to the Asian market to get longan, jackfruit, and lychee. We’d even grow the fruit and produce we used most in our own backyard. Recently I walked into a Whole Foods and noticed piles of fresh (and actually delicious-looking) dragonfruit and tamarind pods right alongside the apples and bananas (a revelation!). From that day, I’ve spotted a wider selection of fruit at all kinds of grocery stores and major supermarket chains — not just international markets. 

Beyond that, people are becoming more familiar with global fruit varieties, like golden Ataulfo and Alphonso mangoes. 

What’s your favorite fruit? Tell us about it in the comments below.