History
The sapodilla (Manilkara zapota van Royen) is believed to be native to hot and humid regions of Central America and southern Mexico. The sapodilla quickly spread to the rest of tropical America and the West Indies, then, during the colonial period, to Africa, Asia and the subtropics of the world. The entire tree contains white latex. This latex, known to the Mayans was used as chewing gum. We have also extracted the chicle, the basis for making chewing gum.
Varieties
The number of varieties is unknown. However, they are very numerous as the fruit is rounded or oval or the edible flesh is more or less white to brown. The sapodilla tree has a rounded crown shaft and horizontal lower branches up to 25 meters high. It can produce 2,000 to 3,000 fruits per year. There is no season and so the fruit is produced year-round. The oval-elliptical leaves are grouped at the end of branches. It tolerates drought.
The tree does not exceed 80 cm in diameter.
The small white flower is born and solitary in the axils of the leaves. It gives a brown globular fruit oval. Its thin skin is covered with a brown film which is scratched with a finger to determine maturity. If the skin is green below, the fruit is immature. If it is yellow-brown, you can pick it. A bit like the star apple, wait until it becomes very soft to eat if latex glue on your face! The pulp pale yellow-brown to greenish brown, is melting, juicy, very sweet and fragrant. It contains 1-12 elongated black seeds.
The fruit is 3 to 8 cm long. Fruiting occurs almost all year as flowering.
Health benefits
The sapodilla tree is a medicinal plant used in traditional medicine for centuries, it is known mainly in subtropical regions of the world for its analgesic therapeutic properties and anti-inflammatory, sedative and hypotenseuses, antidiabetic and antioxidant and hypocholesterol.
It is a remedy that relieves rheumatism-related pain.
To effectively treat diarrhea and dysentery, it is enough to make a decoction of the young fruit to boiled prerequisites.
It is advocated to treat lung ailments and colds and coughs, it even reduces fever.
It is reported that it can also remove the bladder from all kidney stones, and it can also lower blood pressure.
Externally, there is a paste of these seeds to curb and treat bites and stings of venomous animals.
It is said that in some tropical areas, latex extract of this plant can be used to fill dental cavities.
Uses
In Martinique, the fruit is consumed mainly raw but can be cooked to make jam.
