Chico sapote, aka sapodilla, sent me down a rabbit hole into chewing gum history that I did not expect from a fruit tree.
The Basics
Chico sapote, or sapodilla, Manilkara zapota, is originally from Central America but was carried to the Philippines by Spanish traders and spread across Asia from there. It’s in the Sapotaceae family, alongside our abiu, eggfruit, and mamey sapote.
Origin and Habitat
Native to Central America and Mexico, now grown throughout the tropics wherever it’s found a foothold.
What It Looks Like
A dense, latex-sapped tree producing round to oval brown fruit that starts out rock hard and only softens once it’s actually ready to eat.
Uses and Flavor
Sprouted this one from a seed out of a fruit from Starseed Ranch up in Hawi, and when we finally picked a ripe one off that original tree it was one of the best chico sapotes I’ve had, semi-grainy flesh like a pear or kiwi, a light brown sugar flavor, and on this particular fruit a surprising cinnamon and spice note that reminded me of the Christmas season. The bark also yields a latex called chicle, which was the main ingredient in chewing gum until the 1950s.
Growing It Here
Grown from seed rather than grafted, which makes that first good fruit feel like even more of a win. Honestly, I’m not 100% sure of its current status, the last time I checked in on it, it was growing rapidly, but it’s been a while since I’ve gotten eyes on it directly. I’ll confirm and update this once I do.
Pests and Diseases to Watch For
Nothing notable observed while I was keeping closer tabs on it.
Kenta’s Take
Never expected a fruit tree to teach me the pre-1950s history of chewing gum, but that’s the kind of rabbit hole this whole project keeps sending me down. Now I just need to go check on it in person and confirm it’s still out there doing its thing.