At the mention of the word ‘fruit,’ our thoughts welcome examples such as oranges, mangos, grapes and maybe bananas depending on one’s region. Such is never the case for people in warm tropical climates who enjoy the Jacote fruits during summers and winters. Let us peel together the hidden layers of this fruit whose appearance and taste are distinctive.
What are jocotes
Commonly known as the Jamaican Plum or the Purple Mombin, Jacote is a small fruit growing in Central America that sprouts as a pleasant red flower.
Scientifically, the fruit’s classification is Spondias Purpurea, and plums are the closest in resemblance. Jacotes are green and become red or yellow when ripe; most have knobs at the ends.
The fruit has an inedible part at the center that is usually hard and surrounded by the fresh but acidic part and an edible yellow or red cover.
Also Read: Tayberries
When is jacote fruit in season in the United States?
Since the United States is not in the warm tropical climate belt, Jacote fruits do not thrive when cultivated. The perishability of jacotes also contributes to their scarcity in the United States because of its proximity to Central American countries such as Costa Rica, where jacotes thrive.
However, winter and falls are the best seasons to find jacotes in United States markets because of the abundant supply from their native countries. It is advisable to seek help from exotic fruit vendors to quickly access them in the United States.
How does jacote taste?
Juicy fruits such as mangoes are always tasteful, more so than jacote, which shares the taste of three fruits. Its taste is like a mango or plum with a tinge of Granny Apples, making it sweet but sour.
While some people eat unripe jacotes, they are not the most pleasant because of their tartness and the extent to which they pucker the mouth; hence the best definition of jacotes’ taste is citric.
How to eat a jacote fruit
Like most fruits, biting, sucking, and swallowing are the order of enjoying the sweetness of jacotes. The juice is usually flesh hence sucking the pulp while chewing the cover is the common eating procedure. While some people may be comfortable eating the seeds, it is advisable never to swallow them because they might be deadly. For unripe Ciruela, salt is the most appropriate accompaniment to reduce the tart.
Preferably, the fruits can be squeezed into tart sauces, and pepper can be used alongside after pickling the fruits into vinegar. Jacote juice is nutritional when prepared using ice after scraping the fruit with a knife or spoon.
Also Read: Pepitas
Nutritional composition of jacote
Jacotes are among the most nutritional fruits. Here is the breakdown of nutrients in a cup of jocotes (about 160 grams):
- Calories:120
- Fat: 0 g
- Sodium: 1 mg
- Potassium: 340 mg
- Total Carbohydrates:35g
- Dietary Fiber: 5g
- Sugars:25g
- Protein:1g
- Vitamin C: 13 mg
- Vitamin A: 250 IU
- Vitamin B6: 0.15 mg
- Magnesium: 13 mg
Different names for jocotes in different languages
Many people often ask: what is jacotes in English? This is a fair question. But what you need to know is that jacotes is the name of this fruit in English. However, some languages refer to them using different words. Here are the most common ones.
- English: Jocote
- Spanish: Ciruela, jocote colorado, jocote prieto, jocote negro
- Nahuatl: Xocotl
- Portuguese: Ciriguela
- French: Prune de Cythère
- German: Jamaika-Pflaume
- Italian: Cirumbolo
How do you eat Jocote fruit?
People may have different eating styles but biting, sucking, and chewing are the most basic ways to eat Ciruela, and most people use salt because of the fruit’s bitterness. Some places, such as Costa Rica, use Chile peppers to eat the pulp and discard the stone.
What does Jocote taste like?
Spondius Purpurea is sweet and sour when ripe but tart when unripe. They are also creamy and juicy; hence, they can be squeezed into liquid form and drunk as juice: the red or yellow cover, when ripe, is also edible.
What is jocote good for?
Ciruela fruit possesses antioxidants that help eradicate radicals from the body. The fruit is also rich in vitamin C and calcium which strengthen the body, and carbohydrates that offer energy.