sapodilla (redirected from sapodillas)

sapodilla, the edible fruit of Manilkara zapota (formerly Achras zapota), of the family Sapotaceae. The fleshy, brown fruit is the size of a small tomato, and has the flavor and texture of cinnamon, apple, and pear. The fruits are very astringent when young and must be fully ripened and soft to be eaten. The latex of the sapodilla plant is also the source of chicle, the chewing gum of the Aztecs. Another species, M. bidentata, produces a latex that is the source of balata, a non-elastic rubber that is used for manufacturing boots, machine belts, and items in tropical South America. Sapodilla is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Ebenales, family Sapotaceae.

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sapodilla

Sapodilla (Manilkara, or Achras, zapota)

(credit: Walter Dawn)

Tropical evergreen tree (Manilkara zapota) of the family Sapotaceae, native to southern Mexico and northern Central America, and its distinctive fruit. The rusty-brown fruit is eaten fresh in many tropical and subtropical areas. Its sweet flavour has been compared to a combination of pears and brown sugar. When the fruit is ripe, its shiny black seeds are surrounded by clear, yellowish brown, juicy flesh; when immature, its flesh contains both tannin and milky latex and is distasteful. The latex is the chief source of gum chicle, once important in the chewing-gum industry.