Origin of Sapota
Julie Morton writes inher book, “Fruits of Warm Climates” that sapotas most likely came from theYucatan peninsula of Mexico, northern Belize, and the northern regions ofGuatemala. Though sapodillas have been harvested since ancient times, the fruitdidn’t come to Sri Lanka’s soils until 1802. Despite sapota’s relatively latearrival to India, the fruit has since flourished.
Today, Sri Lanka, Pakistan,Mexico, Central and South America, Palestine, and the Philippines grow chikuscommercially. The fruit has some recognition in the tropical parts of Floridain the US, but sapodillas are relatively unknown throughout temperate NorthAmerica and Europe.
Availability of Sapota in India
Indian sapodillas aresome of the hardiest in the world. Sapotas grow in abundance throughoutKarnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh.According to 2010 figures published from the National Horticulture Board,sapota orchards cover approximately 160,000 hectares. Almost 30,000 hectares are located inKarnataka-- the top producer of sapotas in the country, yielding 353,000 metrictons. The second highest producer is Maharashtra, growing 70,000 hectares andproducing 98,000 metric ton. Although Gujarat only dedicates 27 hectares, theiroutput is a staggering 272 metric tons of fruit.
Interestingly, sapotawasn’t always such a high-demand crop—from 2001 to 2002, the amount of land allocatedto sapota crops was only roughly 50,000 hetctares: less than a third of theland used today. Production has since increased six-fold in a mere decade. 41varieties of sapotas grow in the country, and some of the most well-known andimportant cultivars are kalipatti, baramasi, cricket ball, dwarpudi, Oval, andvarious DHS, PKM and CO types.
Most of India’s sapotamarket is consumed domestically, as less than half a percent are exported. Asof 2011, most of India’s sapota exports go to the United Arab Emirates, Bahrainand the UK, respectively. The US is the 9th largest importer ofIndian sapotas.
Where to find Sapota in India
Sapotas are as common andbeloved in India as strawberries are to westerners. Sapota season occurs twicein a year: from January to February, and again from May to July. When in season, sapotas sell in every shop from pushcartstreet vendors to upscale produce markets. Where a seller purveys fruit, so toowill there be sapotas during these months in the south.
Checking for Ripeness in Sapota
Sapotas are climacteric,meaning they have to be ripened artificially. Thus, most sapotas sold onmarkets should already be ripe. Agood chiku yields to the touch, has a round, uniform shape with no wrinkles orsigns of bruising. It should not be hard and light, although these can bepurchased with the expectation that they’ll soften in a few weeks’ time.
Eating an unripe sapotais immediately evident by its bitter latex permeating the overall taste. Thoughthe latex residing near the skin never goes away completely (even in the ripestfruits), it subsides considerably as it ripens. The flesh should not be green,but rather a caramel brown.
Overripe chikus have awithered, shrunken look. The flesh inside is discolored, water-sunken and nearblack; the smell is slightly fermented. The taste is the biggest indicator, asit’s no longer sweet but musky and sour.
If picking from the tree,pick when the fruit is fully brown or tan and shows no sign of green. Scratchgently to verify there’s no green below the skin. Sapotas will get softer oncepicked, but not sweeter; therefore, if the sapotas are brown but hard, they maybe picked with the expectation of growing more pliable andconsumption-friendly.
Taste of Sapota
Sapotas are far from theprettiest fruit, but they more than overcompensate for their stodgy,potato-like appearance with their heavenly marzipan taste. The main profile issugary but grounded with earthy, caramel, malty notes instead of bright, zestyones. The fruit’s taste is aptly compared with brown sugar and root beer.Sapodilla’s texture is melt-in-your-mouth granular, akin to the best pearwithout as much juice.
Nutritional Value of Sapota
According to the USDAnutrient database, 100g of sapota contains the following nutritionalinformation:
134kcal
33.8g Carb
2.6g Fiber (10% RDI)
.6g Fat
2.1g Protein (4% RDI)
410 IU Vitamin A (8% RDI)
20mg Vitamin C (33% RDI)
1.8mg Niacin (9% RDI)
39mg Calcium (4% RDI)
1mg Iron (6% RDI)
30mg Magnesium (8% RDI)
28mg Phosphorous (3% RDI)
344mg Potassium (10% RDI)
Health Benefits of Sapota
Sapotas are one of thehigher sugar fruits, but contains a healthy dose of iron, which keeps energylevels sustained and transports oxygen to the blood. Chikus contain magnesium,which keeps bones healthy, stabilizes blood pressure, and maintains nerves.Niacin, also found in chikus, reduces arthritic pain, promotes healthycirculation and assists with the body’s natural energy production.
Sapotas also have been anintegral part of home remedies and traditional medicine. Sapota’s high tanninlevels make them a prime candidate to stopdiarrhea, and astringent underripe fruits mixed with flowers remedy pulmonary issues. Withered yellowleaves treat coughs, colds and alsoprevent diarrhea. The bark, when made into tea, also alleviates stomachproblems like dysentery. Though theseeds are toxic in rats, Yucatans make a fluid extract to serve as a soporific and sedative. The ground seeds also make a paste to alleviate stings and bites.
Though few scientific studieshave been conducted on the health benefits of sapotas, the medical communityhas discovered some positive effects:
--According to a studypublished in Journal of Natural Products,polyphenols found in the fruit display cytotoxicactivities against human coloncancer cells.
--As per a studypublished in Biological Research,sapota seeds have potent antibacterialproperties
--A study published inthe Indian Journal of PharmaceuticalSciences found sapota extracts are antimicrobial.
--According to a studypublished in Pharmacognosy Research,sapota leaves have anti-hyperglycemic,hypocholesterolemic, and antioxidantactivities
How to Open/Cut:
If eating out of hand,consume like a kiwi: cut the soft fruit in half (with the spoon, if desired),and scoop out the flesh. A few shiny black seeds wait in the middle of thefruit, but these are quite easily removed. Many prefer rubbing the grainy,sandy coating from the fruit before consuming, though it’s not necessary.
*Tip: getting latex onthe spoon is an inevitability. This will cause the spoon to be coated in agummy, difficult-to-remove whitish substance. One of the best methods ofcleaning it off is by dipping the spoon in boiling water. The latex can bescraped once sufficiently hot. Rubbing coconut oil on the surface will alsohelp remove the latex.
Storage:
Ripe chikus last at roomtemperature for roughly a week, but refrigeration keeps them preserved for upto two weeks. Hard yet mature sapodillas keep for up six weeks in very coldrefrigeration, and eight when fully frozen. Sapotas require a “goldilocks”approach to humidity: too much causes sogginess, but not enough causes wrinklyskin. The relative moisture should be 80-90 percent humidity.
Note: chilling sapodillasreduces their quality significantly. Only freeze fully ripe sapotas andideally, consume at room temperature.
Sapota Recipe Ideas and Uses:
Though sapotas areperfectly delicious on their own, they also make a good addition to severaldishes.
--Blend mashed sapotainto breads, muffins, pancake batters
--Make a sweet sauce by straining the flesh througha colander and adding other fruit juice (pineapple or orange). Adding a nutbased whip cream adds greater dimensions to the taste.
--It’s possible to boilthe fruit and make a jam, though itrequires frequently skimming the gummy green latex froth from the mixture.
--Make a pie from sapodilla: upon layering thesliced fruits on the crust, drizzle lemon and lime juice to prevent the fruitsfrom becoming rubbery. Blend a bit of banana and avocado with sapota for thefilling to make a raw vegan pie.
--Make a sapota milkshake by blending frozen banana,sapota, and nut milk.
--Interestingly,researchers in Thailand discovered potential in the seed coat’s use in cosmetics as an anti-wrinkle. Note: the seeds are quite toxic, so avoid ingestion.
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Sapota fruit salad from The Opulent Opossum |
Flavor Complements:
Banana, mango, dates,figs, walnuts, pecans, almonds, vanilla, chocolate, brown sugar, cinnamon,nutmeg
Random Facts:
Thesimilarity in name between Chiclet gum and chiku fruits is no coincidence: onetheory of Chiclet’s namesake is that chicle latex used to come from sapotatrees, specifically Manilkara chicle.
Scientific Name:
Manilkara zapota
Achras sapota
Other Names:
Ausubo
Chiku
Khirni
Baramasi
Buah chiku
Chikoo
Related Fruits:
Thesapotaceae family has many edible, well-loved members:
Mameysapotas
Starapple
Ausubo
Canistel
Lucuma
Miraclefruit