‘Fruit’ is the collective noun for fruits cultivated for human consumption. In a more strict sense, the meaning of the term ‘fruit’ is narrowed to those fruits that can be consumed fresh like table fruit (Fruits of temperate zones 2), in contrast to fruit vegetables (Fruits of temperate zones 3), which are prepared as a vegetable, like cucumber, tomato, courgette, pumpkin etc. This category is described in Vegetables of temperate regions. Pulses are described in Pulses, legumes, and pods. In horticulture, the cultivation of edible nuts is also considered as cultivation of fruit. See also Edible nuts and vegetable ivory.

Fruits in the sense of table fruits are sweet and juicy as a result of a mixture of sugars, organic acids and flavours like esters.

The most popular and most cultivated fruit species in the temperate regions are:
- apple, Malus pumila;
- pear, Pyrus communis;
- plum, Prunus domestica;
- cherry, Prunus avium (Fruits of temperate zones 1);
- strawberry, Fragaria sp.;
- raspberry, Rubus idaeus;
- blackberry, Rubus fruticosus.

Well-known berries are black currant, Ribes nigrum (see Ribes sp.); red currant, Ribes rubrum (see Ribes sp.); and gooseberry, Ribes grossularia (see Ribes sp.). Less known are blue berry, Vaccinium myrtillus; cranberry, Vaccinium oxycoccus (see Vaccinium myrtillus); and cowberry, fox berry or mountain cranberry, Vaccinium vitis-idaea (see Vaccinium myrtillus).
Many of these small fruits are used in jams and lemonades.

Lesser known fruits from the temperate zones are:
- medlar, Mespilus germanica;
- quince, Cydonia vulgaris;
- dog rose, Rosa canina (rose hips);
All three species are mainly used for compotes.

The elder, Sambucus nigra; and the black mulberry, Morus nigra, are sometimes used to make wine.

Green houses make it possible to cultivate species that otherwise would not grow in temperate regions, e.g. the melon, Cucumis melo; and the grape, Vitis vinifera.