Top 16 Trending Specialty Fruits & Vegetables for the Spring Season

Emily Kohlhas

March 31, 2021

Even though our coolers stay colorful year-round (thanks to our global network of growers), by the end of winter we still find ourselves craving a sign – any sign – of spring. Whether it’s the transition to cooler weather in the Southern Hemisphere or the arrival of warmer temperatures here in the North, March ushers in a new season for farmers around the world. With this new season comes the arrival of a whole slew of unique seasonal spring-time fruits and vegetables that give us a hint of warmer times to come.

Because spring is about more than just strawberries (not that we don’t love strawberries!), here are the top 16 spring specialties – some unconventional, some classics – that we see trending at retail and on menus across foodservice as the weather warms:

1. Fiddlehead Ferns

Over the river and through the woods…is where you’ll find a fiddlehead fern! Fiddleheads are actually the unfurled head of a wild fern, located by expert foragers in the wild and harvested by hand. These ferns emerge from the leaf litter at the first signs of spring, and are gone soon after. Foragers follow the “bloom” as fiddlehead patches pop up around the country so we can enjoy them through the season. They have a delicate flavor akin to that of asparagus and artichoke with a hint of grassy, mushroom-like woodsy-ness. Their texture is snappy, like perfectly-cooked asparagus or snap peas. Fiddleheads are a bit labor intensive: they must be washed vigorously in several changes of cold water to remove any remaining leaf litter, and they must be cooked before eating. But you have options. Boil them, steam them, or sauté them (or a combination of the three). They are most often paired with other spring delicacies like ramps, morels, English peas, and spring garlic.

2. Green Garbanzo Beans

Yes – garbanzo AKA chickpeas. Green garbanzo beans are the fresh, green version of the beloved dried, tan chickpea. One to three little legumes are nestled in each pod. Like an English pea, they must be shelled – unless you choose to serve them like edamame: steamed or roasted in the pod as a fun bar or street snack. They are also available at many Indian grocers pre-shelled and frozen, but we think the fresh bean brings something special to the table. Green garbanzos can be eaten raw, steamed lightly, or added to soups and stews. Their grassy, fresh flavor with notes of parsley is addictive paired with their starchy crunch. In India, they appear at produce markets in winter and can be found in many seasonal curries, dals and chaats. They are also a common sight at Mexican street vendors. Green garbanzos make an excellent substitute or addition to any dish calling for fresh legumes.

3. Fresh Fava Beans

Fava beans aka broad beans have been a part of human culture for thousands of years. Today, they’re still a staple in the Middle East and Mediterranean where they were first cultivated but have spread as far afield as South America and Southeast Asia. The fresh green version of the large fava bean comes in a thick, fuzzy pod. They are a labor of love to prepare, as they must be shelled, then par-boiled, then peeled one by one. Many would consider them well worth the work. They are delicious right out of the pod (especially if served with pecorino cheese and salami, as is common in Italy), but will become buttery smooth if added to soups or stews. They can also be simply steamed or sauteed. No springtime menu is complete without this buttery, grassy, fresh, nutritious legume.

4. Ramps

Harvested in the wild by expert foragers, like fiddlehead ferns, ramps are a seasonal spring specialty that we take when we can get! They’re a source of some hysteria in the foodie and chef world…but why? Let’s get into it. Ramps are native to the Eastern seaboard of North America and have been a part of Canadian and Appalachian culture for more than a century. In fact, there are a number of ramp-themed festivals in West Virginia and Tennessee during April and May. While they’re sometimes called a wild leek, they’re actually botanically closer to a wild garlic. The entire plant is edible from deep green leaves to white-pink stem. The flavor is BOLD with the intensity of fresh raw garlic and onion combined. Cooked, the flavor mellows, but doesn’t fade. Most often sautéed or pickled, ramps make the perfect pairing with fattier foods or rich eggs. And that pungent flavor is good for more than just frittatas: ramps are traditionally used as a way to cleanse the blood after a long, stagnant winter. No wonder ramps are one of the most talked-about items during the spring months!

5. Stinging Nettles

Handle with care! Stinging nettles live up to their name: when raw, their leaves are equipped with tiny hairs that release an itchy histamine when touched, so you’ll get a little zap when you handle them with bare hands. Always use gloves (latex is fine) when handling raw nettles! However, once the leaves are cooked or dried, they lose their namesake sting. While it seems like a royal pain (literally) to handle nettles, they offer a number of benefits to balance the risk. Nettles have a wonderful grassy flavor with notes of spinach and green tea. A variety of wild nettle is used in traditional Greek spanakopita, and the blanched green can also be pureed and incorporated into pasta dough, pesto, or soups. Even more interesting, nettles have a long history of medicinal use. In ancient Greece they were known to be a cleansing tonic and blood purifier. Over the years they’ve been used traditionally to address arthritis, allergies, inflammation, anemia, hair health, and more. You can’t ask for a better way to clear out the winter doldrums.

6. Fresh English Peas

Sure, frozen peas are available year-round, but there’s nothing that says spring quite like a fresh English pea. Unlike snow and snap peas, tender-crisp English peas are hidden away in an inedible pod and must be shelled. Definitely worth the effort. Fresh peas are tender, but with a light snappiness and a sweet, starchy flavor with notes of grass and, of course, green pea (so meta!). Frozen peas can’t hold a candle to the texture or flavor of freshly shucked. They can be eaten raw in salads, but are most commonly lightly blanched before being tossed with pasta, pureed into sophisticated bright green sauces to serve with lamb, or added to a seasonal salad with other spring favorites like fiddlehead ferns and morel mushrooms. Fresh peas are available sporadically throughout the year (thanks to our growers in the Caribbean), but they’re at their peak during the spring and summer months when they are available locally. Only in the spring will a simple English pea take center stage in the pasta course or steal the spotlight on the main plate.

7. White Asparagus

White asparagus is a European tradition. Ubiquitous in Germany, this albino vegetable is the same variety of asparagus we know and love, just grown in complete darkness. With no light available to process, the asparagus never develops chlorophyll, the pigment that makes plants green! The flavor of white asparagus is similar to that of green, but milder with distinct herbaceous and nutty undertones. The stems tend to be thicker and have a tough outer skin that should be peeled before cooking. Once peeled, the stem is exceptionally tender with an almost buttery texture – but distinct bitter taste. As versatile as green asparagus, white asparagus can be simply sautéed, blended into soup, grilled whole, or roasted, but in Europe it is most commonly steamed or baked and served with a creamy sauce like hollandaise or rich cheese like Taleggio.

8. Morel Mushrooms

Some mushrooms just can’t be cultivated, and morel mushrooms are one of them. These special mushrooms with a large honeycombed cap appear with the most abundance in the springtime. Like fiddleheads and ramps, they are collected in wooded areas by expert foragers. They should be brushed clean before use and must be thoroughly cooked before consuming. Once cooked, morels have a decadent meaty, chewy, slippery texture and exquisite flavor that makes you feel like royalty. It is earthy, savory, nutty, and sweet – and exceptional paired with any fresh green legume, butter, and cream.

9. Pea Leaves

This is some whole plant cookery here! The leaves and stems of the pea plant are also entirely edible – and delicious. Pea leaves and tendrils share the same fresh, grassy flavor as the fresh peas themselves, with a lovely green taste. They are delicate enough to be served raw in salads or as garnish, but hearty enough to be lightly steamed or stir-fried.

10. Sorrel

Whether you go for the classic green sorrel as an ingredient or the beautiful baby red vein sorrel as a garnish, you’ll enjoy the zippy, lemony flavor of sorrel that sings spring. Equally at home in cocktails or beverages, sauces, or salads, sorrel is a classic spring green vegetable and herb. It is especially common in France and the Caribbean.

11. Rhubarb

What spring specialty produce list would be complete without strawberry’s kooky, often overlooked other-half, rhubarb? While rhubarb, botanically speaking, is a stem, it’s been classified as fruit since 1947, as it’s really only ever used in tandem with other sweets. More fun facts about rhubarb: did you know it’s in the same family as buckwheat and native to Siberia? Cool, right? Remember, rhubarb is extremely tart in taste, and not often used raw. It takes well to a gentle, slow braise until tender, and really shines when paired with a sweetener, like sugar, honey, or fruit. The plant is highly seasonal and only available in the spring, so get your pie kicks in while you can!

12. Tarocco Blood Oranges

While blood oranges are often associated with winter, this unique breed of blood orange grown exclusively on the slopes of Sicily’s Mt. Etna are a spring-time favorite of ours (and most of Europe). Distinct from the moro variety of blood orange most often grown in California, the Tarocco blood orange is an eating orange bred for flavor first, color second. In fact, the Tarocco isn’t always red inside – sometimes it’s orange, pink, red, or a combination of the three. They’re easy to peel, seedless, exceptionally juicy, and have a bright, raspberry-like flavor that makes most other blood orange varieties seem like show pieces with no substance. Can you tell why we fawn over these fruits all spring long?

13. Atalufo Mango

Pronounced “aah-tah-ool-fo,” the Atalufo mango (sometimes known as a honey mango, or under the trademarked name Champagne Mango™) is a super-sweet, yellow variety of mango. They’re generally smaller than the average mango, and have flesh with a buttery-smooth texture. These Mexican mangoes are, we might argue, some of the best eating mangoes on planet Earth. In peak season during the spring, these mangoes are worthy of a featured spot on dessert and cocktail menus. Even add to salads or salsas! And may we suggest freezing cubed Atalulfo mango to preserve this limited-time fruit for smoothies later on down the road?

14. Meyer Lemon

Not all lemons are created equal. The Meyer lemon is a special variety of lemon with exceptional fragrance, thin skin, a lot of juice, and a noticeably sweet flavor. They still have that distinct lemon tartness, but balanced by an intoxicating sweetness, making them the first choice of lemon for lemon tarts and other sweet lemon desserts. They are grown in California from late winter into spring, and we love they way they pair with other classic spring flavors.

15. Golden Berries

While golden berries (aka Physalis or cape gooseberries) are available year-round, we love to use them in the spring when their sweet-tart, pineapple-like flavor and gorgeous color really shines. We usually offer them pre-peeled, but can also supply them with their decorative husk (they are related to tomatillos, wouldn’t you know?). Pairs especially well with meyer lemon and a conventional spring favorite, pineapple.

16. Mamey Sapote

With its rough, fuzzy brown, inedible exterior, mamey sapote is nothing special to look at. But inside, mamey has vivid, bright orange flesh with an irresistible sweet taste almost like pumpkin pie with a hint of almond. Nothing like a little taste of fall in spring! Keep in mind, mamey (a tropical fruit native to Central America, and found growing all over Florida in the spring and summer months) can be stubborn to ripen. Store it in a warm location out of the sunlight, and wait (patiently) until the fruit becomes soft to the touch and the skin wrinkles. Once the large pit is removed, the flesh can be scooped out easily. It is delectable right out of the skin, but also delicious in milkshakes, ice creams, smoothies, and other desserts.