Sapodilla

Sapodilla, whose name sounds like a lamut in Thai, is also known by other names - wood potatoes, plum sapodilla, chiku or naseberry. The first mention of this fruit does not have a clear time frame, but it is reliably known that the first country where this plant began to be cultivated was South America. Only in the 16th century did the Sapodilla enter Thailand thanks to the Spanish conquerors during the colonization of the Philippines.

Outwardly resembling small smooth potato tubers, sapodilla belongs to the sapotum family and is mainly cultivated in tropical areas of the Americas, Indonesia, India, the Philippines, as well as Sri Lanka. In addition, this plant can be found in the wild almost throughout Central America.

In general, the sapodilla is an evergreen tree reaching a height of about fifteen to twenty meters. The leathery leaves of the plant are elliptical or ovate, and its small inflorescences are mostly white in color.

After ripening, sapodilla fruits are characterized by average sizes (in diameter no more than 10 centimeters) and can be both round and oval, elongated. The yellowish-brown flesh of this exotic fruit for us is characterized by its juiciness and sweetness with a taste of caramel. Inside the fruit there are several rather large hard seeds of black or dark brown color. The structure of the sapodilla is somewhat similar to a juicy pear or persimmon, but they are completely different in taste.

When buying these unusual fruits, you should pay attention to the fact that the fruits are soft to the touch, and their skin is whole and without the slightest damage. It is recommended to use sapodilla no later than two days from the date of purchase, otherwise after this period the pleasant smell of the fruit changes dramatically.

In addition, you need to use sapodilla only in a ripe state, since the unripe fruit contains milk latex and tannin, which are not particularly pleasant to taste. Before using this fruit for food, it is imperative to remove seeds that are inedible.

The composition of sapodilla is rich in vitamins and minerals necessary for humans, due to which this fruit is considered very good for health. Fresh fruits are good, but you can cook different dishes from them - very tasty marmalades, jams, halva and other treats.

In Thailand, for example, it is customary to eat sapodilla in its natural form as a dessert. Sometimes caring mothers prepare healthy and tasty mashed potatoes for their kids from the juicy sweet flesh of this fruit, cook compotes or make delicious desserts and fruit salads.