PurposeThe purpose of this study was to characterise the physiochemical properties of selected exotic seasonal tropical fruits available in Singapore.Design/methodology/approachA total of 11 seasonal tropical fruits including cempedak, chiku, custard apple, jackfruit, longkong, mangosteen, red jambu, pearl jambu, rambutan, salak and starfruit were analyzed for their sugars, organic acids and free phenolic acids composition using liquid chromatographic methods. Total phenolic content (free and bound), total soluble solids and pH were determined using Folin‐Ciocalteu method, refractometer and pH meter, respectively.FindingsFructose, glucose and sucrose were the main sugars in all the fruits. Cempedak had the highest sucrose concentration, while custard apple had the highest content of fructose and glucose. Malic and citric acids were the major organic acids in most of the fruits, except for pearl jambu and red jambu where succinic acid was the dominant acid. The total phenolic content varied from 122.94 to 712.20 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/kg fresh weight (FW). Ferulic (0.631 mg/kg) and sinapic acids (1.506 mg/kg) were the predominant free phenolic acids in custard apple, while caffeic acid was the main free phenolic acid in jackfruit, salak and starfruit.Originality/valueThe paper demonstrates that the physiochemical characteristics of the 11 tropical fruits varied markedly, which is responsible for the differential flavour and stability. The findings are useful for epidemiological research and predicting the degree of ripeness, stability and post‐harvest processing required for these fruits.