Grapes Fun Facts: Juicy Tidbits and Trivia about This Classic Fruit

Grapes are not only delicious fruits bursting with flavor but are also rich with interesting, fun facts, including the different and surprising colors they come in and the common snack made from this classic fruit.

Whether you're a wine connoisseur looking to grow your knowledge about the versatility of grapes or just a curious mind wanting to know more tidbits about this juicy fruit, these fun facts about grapes are sure to pique your interest.

While grapes have now become a go-to snack in lunchboxes and picnics and are appreciated for the fantastic wines they produce, this fruit was also used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years.

A hand holding a bunch of grapes | Source: Getty Images

Grapes are filled with health benefits; they improve heart health and reduce cholesterol. They are also rich in antioxidants, which help repair cells damaged by harmful molecules.

The next time you bite into the sweet flesh of grapes, apart from appreciating its flavor, you can also find comfort in knowing that research points to grapes as a means to lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

There's a wealth of information surrounding grapes. From who introduced them to the Americas to the surprising colors they come in and the wide varieties there are, discover these and more tidbits and trivia about grapes below.

Containers filled with grapes | Source: Getty Images

Fun Facts about Grapes

1. The Spanish introduced new grape varieties to North America in the 16th Century.

While North and South American natives were already living off the wild grapes they grew and using them for medicine, Spanish settlers who later arrived in the 16th century introduced new varieties of grapes to both continents upon their arrival.

The settlers attempted to plant the same grape varieties they grew back home to emulate the great wines of Europe, and thus, grape cultivation became widespread.

A woman picking grapes | Source: Getty Images

2. Grapes are considered berries.

In botany, a berry is defined as a fruit that grows from a single ovary with a soft outer peel, a fleshy middle, and a soft area surrounding the seeds.

Berries also typically have many seeds but do not have a stone or pip like peaches do. According to this scientific definition, grapes are technically considered berries, even though this is unbeknown to many.

A woman eating grapes | Source: Getty Images

3. There are thousands of grape varieties.

While the most common grape types are green, white, and red grapes, with their familiar round shape, you might be surprised to know that there are around 10,000 varieties of grapes in the world.

Moon grapes are almost black in color and have an oblong, tubular shape. Cotton candy is another unique variant of grapes, as they have a distinctly sweet taste, and the list goes on.

A basket of grapes | Source: Getty Images

4. Raisins are made from grapes.

If you've wondered why raisins sometimes look and taste quite similar to grapes, it is because they are made from grapes! Most raisins are made from seedless Thompson grapes.

The process involves drying out the grape, reducing its water content from 75% to a whopping 15% of water. The grapes are also sun-dried or mechanically dried to create the characteristic shriveled appearance of raisins.

Grapes drying-out under sun as they turn into raisins | Source: Getty Images

5. Grapes come in many different colors, including pink and yellow.

A grape's color is determined by the pigment of its skin, which is influenced by the grape's variety and the conditions in which it grows.

Pink wine grapes | Source: Getty Images

From the tale of how mass grape cultivation boomed in North and South America to the unfathomable varieties this fruit comes in, this list of fun facts about grapes proves this fruit is not only tasty but healthy, diverse, multipurpose, and rich with history.

To further grow your knowledge of unique facts about food, here 7 Facts about Sushi you may want to know before taking a bite of the Japanese raw fish dish.