Sapodilla

wpe5.jpg (3662 bytes) Which tropical fruit looks similar to a kiwi and has a taste described as a pear soaked in maple syrup? The sapodilla - otherwise known as the naseberry.

This fruit is native to the tropical coasts of Mexico and is known to have grown at least as far back as the Mayans who chewed the sap as chewing gum. Brazil still grows sapodillas for the commercial production of gum. The sap of the sapodilla as called chicle - hence the gum known as Chicklets.

Sapodilla is most often eaten straight and chilled. It also makes a great addition to a salad with a fruit vinaigrette dressing or a fruit salad. Some squish sapodilla into homemade ice cream or sherbet. Smoothies can also benefit from the addition of this sweet fruit. Some culture will also serve it stewed of fried with ginger.

The most common description of sapodilla flavor is a pear soaked in ice cream. Some believe the taste is closer to brown sugar or molasses.

The sapodilla plant grows well in tropical areas and thrives with a bit of salt water making it a great plant for coastal Mexicans. The fruits are a favorite treat of the iguana- so locals know that the fruits must be removed as soon as ripe to save from these munching reptiles. Once picked, the sapodilla is best eaten within a couple days which means it does not travel well. You will generally only find these fruits in areas where they grow naturally or can be cultivated.

Inside the ugly exterior is an attractive translucent orange flesh dotted with small black seeds. The fruit inside appears to be as much a counterpart of the kiwi as the outside.

Sapodilla is a useful plant in many ways. Each plant grows a number of fruits each growing season. The bark can be sliced open to reveal the milky substance that the Mayans and early gum chewers found so compelling. In addition, the wood can be used in humidors. Since the trees can grow up to 50 feet, there is a plentiful supply of both gum and wood in each plant. Even the seeds are useful. Once crushed the seeds can be drunk as a remedy for oliguria.