Time for another exotic fruit review, and this time I will be reviewing one of my favorite tropical fruits, the Black Sapote, also known as the Chocolate Pudding fruit or Black Persimmon. You will learn where it comes from and grows, its health benefits, how to eat it, and what it tastes like. Does it really taste like chocolate pudding? Find out below!
Where does the Black Sapote fruit come from and grow?
The Black Sapote or Diospyros nigra (scientific name) commonly referred to as the chocolate pudding fruit is a species of persimmon, hence the other name, Black Persimmon. It grows all over the world in tropical and subtropical places like Mexico, Central America, the Philippines, other parts of Southeast Asia, and Australia. It is also grown and cultivated in Florida and Hawaii, and hobbyists can grow it in Arizona and parts of California. In fact, my friend has a tree growing in his yard in West Mesa, AZ.
The Black Sapote trees are medium to large, ranging from 30 to 80 feet tall, with an oblong canopy. It can take 3 to 5 years after planting for the tree to bear any fruit.
How can you tell if the Chocolate Pudding fruit is ripe?
When they are first picked, they will be bright green or yellowish green and be very, very firm. They are picked early for longer shelf life and must be ripe at room temperature for several days before eating them. If you eat them too soon, they will be extremely astringent, like other varieties of persimmon.
They are ripe when they are dark green in color and extremely soft all around. The ripe soft fruit will easily develop a flap spot on the bottom where the fruit rests, which is how soft they become.
Health Benefits
This amazing fruit packs a serious nutritional punch. Here are a few of its health benefits:
- High in vitamin C, 3 times as much as an orange
- Good source of calcium and potassium
- High in Phosphorus
- High in Fiber to help with digestion
- Low in fat
More health benefits can be found here.
How to Eat Black Sapote
The skin and the flesh are edible, just not the seeds. There are a variety of ways to eat. Most people will just use a knife and cut around the equator of the fruit and open it up, and remove the seeds. Then scoop the flesh out with a spoon.
It is commonly eaten raw with a spoon or used in smoothies, ice cream, and other baked goods.
What does Black Sapote taste like?
Now for the fun part, eating it and describing the taste. First off, the texture is very soft between a jelly and a pudding. It is sweet and creamy tasting with a subtle blend of caramel, honey, a bit of butternut squash, and a slight chocolate flavor. The softness can be compared to an avocado. It also reminds me of a very low-sugar chocolate pudding.
If you were to whip this smooth and combine it with whipped cream, it would make for an excellent healthy filling for pastries, pies, banana bread, etc.
The Black Sapote is one truly amazing fruit, I hope you get to try it sometime. If you have already had it, let me know if you like it or not, and your favorite way you like to eat it!
Buy this fruit here. 10% off with this code: MATTTAY10
Check out the video I did on this fruit below!
