Mamey sapote is an exotic name for an exotic fruit.
- Mamey sapote is a variety of tropical fruit, native to parts of Central America, and Mexico in North America.
- ‘Mamey sapote’ is also known as ‘marmalade plum’, ‘mamee sapote’, ‘marmalade fruit’, ‘zapotillo’, ‘zapote’, ‘sapote’, and ‘mammee apple’, among other names.
- The scientific name of the mamey sapote tree is Pouteria sapota and it is from the family Sapotaceae, a family of flowering trees and shrubs.
- Mamey sapote can be ovoid or almost spherical in shape, and the fruit is usually between 7.5 and 23 centimetres (3 to 9 inches) long.
- The skin of Mamey sapote fruit is generally somewhat rough to touch and brown in colour, while the flesh is soft when ripe, and pink, orange or red in colour.
Mamey Sapote
Image courtesy of I Like Plants/Flickr
- The taste of mamey sapote is reminiscent of sweet potatoes, peaches, pumpkins and apricots.
- Mamey sapote can be eaten fresh or frozen, used to flavour dairy-based products such as ice-cream or milkshakes, and can be made into jams and preserves.
- A single mamey sapote fruit can weigh from 0.4 to 2.3 kilograms (0.9 to 5 pounds) in weight.
- Despite its large size, mamey sapote is botanically considered a berry, and the fruit usually contains one large brown seed, though some varieties may have up to four.
- Mamey sapote fruit are high in vitamin B6 and vitamin C, and contain many other vitamins and minerals.
Bibliography:
Carle A, Cultivation of Mamey Sapote and Green Sapote, 1989, The Acrhives of The Rare Fruit Council of Australia, http://rfcarchives.org.au/Next/Fruits/MameySapote/MameyGreenSapote1-89.htm
Mamey Sapote, n.d, Australian Tropical Foods, http://www.australiantropicalfoods.com/index.php/exotic-fruits/mamey-sapote/
Pouteria sapota, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pouteria_sapota
Sapote, 2016, Purdue University, https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/sapote_ars.html
