Sapodilla fruit on the tree.
Posted by David McRee at BlogTheBeach.com
Imagine a soft pear with brown sugar embedded in the flesh. That’s what a ripe sapodilla tastes like. This very dense evergreen tree is originally from Mexico and Central America, but has been spread by its human admirers all over the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world.
You’ll find sapodilla trees on all the islands and coastal areas in central and south Florida, especially in areas where the early settlers lived and where modern immigrants from the Caribbean, South and Central America, and Asia have settled.
A large sapodilla, from the Homestead area, sliced in half. It was really good!
The fruit is usually picked when full-sized, but hard. After a few days to a week it gets soft enough to eat. Note: they have to be very ripe to eat. Partially ripe sapodillas do not taste good at all.
One interesting thing about the sapodilla tree is that it has white latex sap called “chicle” which used to be the main ingredient in chewing gum before World War II.
