Chico/Zapodilla

20131230_115519Chico/Sapodilla

Chico – (Manilkara Zapota-bot. name) is a very popular fruit in the Philippines. Although it is not native to the Islands, the fruit has been widely cultivated. It is in season during the months of January till February. In Hawaii they can be seen in the farmers market up to the month of May.

The fruit is brown in color as you see in the picture.  The skin feels a little rough and when you open it there will be black seeds inside, The texture of the fruit when you eat it is also rough almost gritty like a pear, but it is sweet and almost has a malty flavor where we get the name for somebody who had been drinking alcohol, ‘we say you smell like chico’.

The plant is native to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbeans. It was introduced to the Philippines during the Spanish colonization. It is now grown in large quantities in other countries like India, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia and Bangladesh.

The tree grows up to 30 m. high. The bark is rich in white, gummy latex which the Mexican natives called “chicle” which I’m sure where we got the name “chico”. It bears white flowers. The leaves are dark green in color and glossy. It is a tropical tree so it needs full sun.

Chico like other fruits has lot of vitamins like C and B and minerals like calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, and sodium. I consider chico as one of my favorite fruits even if I didn’t know its  nutritional value.

Similar Posts

  • Star Apple/Kaimito

    Star apple (Chrysophyllum cainito) is a fruit that is sweet and juicy but has that latex feel in your mouth.  I remember when I was young, our mouths will be dusty after eating this fruit because the dirt clings into this glue like substance that is in the skin of the fruits.   In the Philippines,…

  • Surinam Cherries

    I don’t know much about Surinam Cherries. I just happen to see these beautifully colored fruits in my neighbor’s yard and I took a picture of it. It also inspired me to do a painting of it. I believe I blogged that painting last February. Since I only knew little about this fruit I did…

  • Kamias

      Kamias – Averrhoa bilimbi – also known as cucumber tree or tree sorrel is a very common fruit in the Philippines used as a condiment.  It is a fruit but it is so sour it is used mostly for cooking.  The kamias is like the tamarind, used in making sour-soup or sinigang. We used…