The nick-name says it all. The flesh of the black sapote has a smooth,
custard texture with the appearance and a taste similar to chocolate
pudding. The crew of Laser Advertising has been doing some taste-tests
at snack time and have been pleased with the results. If you're curious
to try a sample, give us a call and see if we have any in the office
galley. And check out our video of Natalia cutting open a ripe black sapote.
What is it? The black sapote is a type of persimmon native to Mexico and Central America.
What does it taste like? Considering that the black sapote a fruit and not a confection, it does taste remarkably like chocolate pudding.
When is it ripe? When
it looks rotten. Cut open, the ripe fruit has the smooth texture and
rather slippery look of chocolate pudding. The firm, green fruit is
fibrous, bitter, and inedible. The ripe fruit may be greenish to brown,
mushy to the touch.
Where does it come from? This fruit
came from a tree our backyard. After losing a huge ficus tree due to
Hurricane Wilma, we suddenly had sufficient sun for fruit trees. This
tree was purchased at the annual fruit tree sale of the Rare Fruit and
Vegetable Council of Broward County. The tree is attractive, with large
leaves, a dark black trunk, and right now is the size of a citrus tree.
How do you eat it? To me, all fruit is best out-of-hand. The
trick with this fruit is to be hungry for it the minute it's ripe and
eat it with a spoon. The fruit may be refrigerated after fully ripe.
The pulp can be used to good effect in place of oil in brownie recipes,
in smoothies, and as a topping for ice cream.
When is it in season? Not
sure. Right now (May) there about two dozen fruits on the tree, about
as many have already ripened and a half dozen new fruits are setting
now. They appear to ripen one at a time rather than all at once. I'm
letting them stay on the tree until slightly soft to the touch and then
allowing them to ripen indoors.
Latin name: Diospyros digyna. Common names: Black Sapote, Black Persimmon, Chocolate Pudding Fruit. Native to Mexico and Central America.
Links: Rare Fruit and Vegetable Council of Broward County,
Post by Tracy Datlen
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