1. Chikoos and mangoes in Maharashtra If you’d like to pluck some chikoos and feast on desserts that feature the fruit, head to Dahanu in Maharashtra.

The Bordi Beach sees an annual Chikoo festival around January and February.  Season: December to March

Meanwhile, the Konkan belt in Maharashtra is teeming with thousands of mango plantations. At the Farm of Happiness, an agro-tourism farm stay, you can feast on mangoes that you pick. Season: May to August

2. Strawberries in Meghalaya The tiny village of Sohliya, located in the Ri Bhoi district, is famous for its rich strawberry cultivation, where almost all houses grow the fruit on their own lands. In fact, this village is credited with catapulting the strawberry revolution in the state. Season: January to March

3. Pineapples in Manipur Manipur organises a Pineapple Festival in late August or the first week of September in Churachandpur district — the largest producer of pineapple in the state. Season: March to September

4. Kinnow in Punjab In districts like Abohar, Fazilka, Hoshiarpur, Muktsar and Bathinda, one will find thousands of hectares of lush kinnow orchards. A single tree can yield around 1,000 fruits. Season: Late October to February

5. Plums, Peaches and Apricots in Uttarakhand Uttarakhand’s Ramgarh, also known as the ‘Fruit Bowl of Kumaon’, has endless plum, peach, apricot, pear, and apple orchards to pick from.

Other than peaches and apricots, regional fruits like ghingaru, kilmode and dadim are also cultivated here. Season: May to August

6. Apples in Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh The story goes that Samuel Stokes, who also went by the name Satyananda, arrived in India on a spiritual journey, and fell so in love with the country that he made it a permanent home.

He dedicated his energy to farming and is credited with giving Himachal Pradesh a new American variety of apples, which catapulted the state’s apple revolution.

You’ll also find a plethora of orchards to choose from if you head to Jammu & Kashmir — the state is famous for its sweet apples across the globe. Season: June to September

7. Lychees in Bihar Muzaffarpur, the ‘Lychee Kingdom’ of India, is known for aromatic and delicious Shahi Lychees.

These are known to have the highest amount of pulp and are exported all across the country. Season: May to June

8. Grapes in Maharashtra First brought to India by Persian invaders, grapes are found in abundance in Maharashtra, predominantly in Nashik — the ‘Wine Capital of India’.

Head to the vineyards in Nashik to have your pick of the freshest grapes — whether in their fruit form or as exquisite wine. Popular farms in Nashik include the Sula and Vallonne vineyards. Season: January to May

9. Strawberries in Karnataka Strawberry cultivation is quite new for the farmers of Karnataka. But it has gained traction over time due to massive demand.

If you’re in or around Bengaluru, you can drive down to Wholesome Farms, a 20-acre farm in Marathi Palya, for strawberry picking. Season: November to March

10. Apricots in Ladakh Known as chulli in Ladakhi, apricots have been cultivated widely in the area for the last 100 years or so.

Here, you’ll also find the “world’s sweetest apricot”, Raktsey Karpo, which is mostly always grown organically. Season: July to September

Picture source: Dr Tsering Stobdan