Tropical fruit and vegetables have been transported around the globe as long as humans have been able to travel great distances. Some exotic fruits have proved popular and regular cultivation and transport of tropical plants to European countries have allowed the fruits to flourish in similar climates. Some of the less successful exports still remain a mystery to countries not familiar with the produce.

A xylocarp is a botanical phrase for a plant that bears fruit with a woody pericarp. The pericarp refers to the shell on the exterior of the edible fruit. A coconut can be described as a xylocarp although the phrase is seldom used.

The xigua is a Chinese watermelon that is a smaller version of those seen regularly in supermarkets. It has a black exterior and the flesh is red.

A ximenia tree grows wild in parts of Africa and produces and edible fruit of the same name. The fruit is about 1 1/4 inches long, oval shaped and ripens in various colors, either yellow, red or orange. The trees grow across the continent from Tanzania in the north to KwaZulu-Natal in the south. Birds feed on the fruit and indigenous animals feed on the tree's leaves. The tree was named after a Spanish monk named Francisco Ximenez.