| Sapodilla | ||||||||||||||
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 Sapodilla tree | ||||||||||||||
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| Manilkara zapota (L.) P. Royen | ||||||||||||||
Sapodilla (Manilkara zapota) is a long-lived, evergreen tree native to the New World tropics.
Sapodilla grows to 30-40 m tall. It is wind-resistant and the bark is rich in a white, gummy latex called chicle. The ornamental leaves are medium green and glossy. They are alternate, elliptic to ovate, 7-15 cm long, with an entire margin. The white flowers are inconspicuous and bell-like, with a six-lobed corolla. The fruit is a large globose berry, 4-8 cm in diameter, very much resembling a smooth-skinned potato and containing 2-10 seeds. Inside, its flesh ranges from a pale yellow to an earthy brown color with a grainy texture akin to that of a well-ripened pear. The flavour is exceptionally sweet and quite delicious. The seeds are black and resemble beans, with a hook at one end that can catch in the throat if swallowed.
The chikoo trees yield fruit twice a year, though flowering may continue year round. The fruit has a high latex content and does not ripen until picked. Some are round and some are oval with pointed ends. It is a native of Mexico and was introduced to the Philippines during Spanish colonisation.
Other Names
Sapodilla was formerly often known by the invalid name Achras sapota. It is known as chikoo or sapota in India, sofeda in Bangladesh, chikoo (also spelled "chikku," "chiku," or "ciku") in South Asia and Pakistan, tsiko in the Philippines, sawo in Indonesia, ciku in Malaysia, hồng xiêm (xa pô chê) in Vietnam, sapodilla or rata-mi in Sri Lanka, lamoot (ละมุด) in Thailand and Cambodia, níspero in Venezuela, dilly in the Bahamas, naseberry in the rest of the West Indies, sapoti in Brazil, and sapote in Nicaragua.
The fruit's flavor has been compared to cotton candy or caramel.
Chiku
It has many names in India including as shown above "chiku". The slang term "Chikus" is also a term used for those who return to India (not an endearing term).