Black sapote fruit is a great way of nature giving back to us. It is nature’s version of chocolate pudding. The tropical food is a tomato-shaped fruit with olive green color. This fruit is similar to a persimmon in appearance. Most people call it chocolate pudding fruit because of its mild and brownish-black pulp.
If you are not the heavy-eating type, black sapote fruit is the perfect fruit for you. You might have come across the fruit at a grocery store and wondered how it tastes. Let’s help you with that information and what you stand to get from the fruit.
What does black sapote fruit taste like? Black sapote fruit has a soft, non-acidic, appealing, sweet, and custardy flavor similar to that of chocolate.
You would fall in love with the taste of black sapote fruit if you’re a fan of chocolate-filled foods.
The pulp of the fruit is only edible when ripe. The pulp has a white color that turns dark brown when ripe. At the center of the fruit are slightly large, inedible seeds clustered together. The fruit’s skin darkens as it becomes ripe over time.
Black sapote fruit is also known as black soap apple and zapote Prieto in Spain. It can be eaten on its own as an appetizer or as a main dish at any time of the day to keep your body active. Now that you know what it tastes like, let us tell you how beneficial it is to your health and how to eat it.
Nutritional Benefits of Black Sapote Fruit
The fruit is packed with a lot of health and nutritional benefits. If you are not a lover of citrus and acidic fruits, black sapote fruit is an excellent choice for you, as it provides your body with the required amount of vitamin C to keep it healthy. Vitamin C helps in combating harmful bacteria and viruses in the body, thereby strengthening the immune system.
The antioxidants present in the fruit help fight against free radicals’ damages in the body and protect the body from chronic diseases like cancer, heart diseases, and diabetes. It is naturally imbued with vitamin A that improves human eyesight and aids the healthy growth of new cells in the body.
The iron content of black sapote fruit helps the circulatory system. It has been confirmed to significantly help strengthen the red blood cells and improve the production of hemoglobin in the body. A healthy red blood cell carries oxygen in the blood to different parts of the body.
The chocolate-like fruit is phosphorus and calcium-packed. They help in fostering healthy bones, developing strong teeth, repairing damaged cells, and enhancing the proper functioning of the human nerve and heart cells.
High blood pressure is the main cause of hypertension, which in the long run can lead to death. Essential nutrients like potassium and iron in the black sapote fruit help in curbing hypertension by regulating normal blood pressure levels.
Culinary Uses of Black Sapote Fruit
Black sapote fruit is quite easy to add to recipes. It is either eaten as a raw fruit or scooped out and added to desserts. It can be used in the preparation of smoothies, ice cream, liqueur, or mixed with milk and juice.
You can also give your cake a black sapote fruit flavor. All you have to do is mix your margarine, honey, egg yolks, and black sapote pulp and before adding it to your mixed flour. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white and vanilla extract If you wish. Pour the mixed ingredients into a baking pan and allow it to bake for 45 minutes.
Change your regular breakfast dishes to slices of tender and moist black sapote flavored bread.
Where is Black Sapote Fruit Grown? How Do You Procure It?
The black sapote fruit is native to Mexico, Central America, and Columbia. It is not strictly a tropical fruit as it will grow in the far north of Palm Beach County, Florida provided it is protected against frost in the first few years of its growth. However, the fruit is usually grown from seeds on a moist sandy loam or oolitic sand with a little topsoil on it.
In countries where the fruit is not grown, you can get it in its unripe form in grocery stores or fruit markets. When you buy it, allow it to stay at room temperature for about 10 days to make it ripe and edible for eating. Wash it in clean water and allow soak for a few minutes to remove dirt from its skin.
To get the edible pulp, use a sharp knife to pierce the skin around the midline to divide it into two. Gently twist the fruit halves and pull the fruits apart. Remove the seeds in the fruit halve and spoon out the pulp from it.
Is Unripe Black Sapote Fruit Poisonous?
To get the best from your fruit, allow it to get ripe before eating or using it to cook. Unlike the ripe black sapote fruit, its unripe form is unhealthy for human health. It has very bitter and health-damaging toxic properties. Because of its high toxicity, some cultures use it as a fish poison.
Facts You Didn’t Know About Black Sapote Fruit
- It is a species of persimmon and it is scientifically known as Diospyros nigra.
- The mature tree can grow up to 25m in height with elliptic-shaped leaves of 10-20cm length tapered at both ends.
- The fruit is not related to sapote as the name suggests and it is part of the Ebanaccae family.
- Black sapote fruit is available in late summer and throughout the winter month.