This large evergreen tree reaches about 23 meters in height and has a hard, resistant reddish wood.
Distinctive color
The small, pale pinkish-white flowers produce an edible fruit with a brown oxidized rind, more spherical in shape, measuring about 5-10 cm (2-4 inches) in diameter.
The pulp, orange-reddish in color, has a mild and sweet flavor like musk and a creamy consistency. Each fruit contains a large, shiny brown seed.
Other Latin American fruits are also called sapotes.
The black sapote (Diospyros nigra), also known as chocolate pudding fruit, belongs to the Ebenaceae family and is found throughout the Caribbean and Central America. The white sapote, or casimiroa (Casimiroa edulis), is found from Mexico to Costa Rica and belongs to the Rutaceae family.
Delicious beverage
There is a traditional cold drink called Tejate, which dates back to ancient Mesoamerican history and is made with cacao beans, corn, seeds of Mamey Sapote, and Cacao Rose. It has been around for about 4,000 years.
This beverage was probably reserved for Aztec rulers, and is sometimes even called the drink of the gods.
The preparation of this special drink takes a lot of time and effort. The traditional and exact recipe is a secret among the women of Oaxaca (Mexico), although it is also available in Honduras.
