Fruits of Acapulco: Black Sapote, Chocolate Pudding Fruit

I love to try new things when I see them at the store or the market, especially when it's something I'd heard about years before.  Anyone that's spent any time perusing the internet might have come across chocolate pudding fruit.

Well, last night after picking up @modprobe from the airport, we found them at Walmart of all places for 38 pesos a kilo.  We each got two and brought them home.  I tried one last night and was evidently a day too early.  

Today John noticed it was extra soft and I gave it a go, it was ready! The fruit featured in the article is that second one.

It's a shiny green fruit about the size of a beefsteak tomato with a dark brown fudgy center with a few seeds in the middle.  When properly ripe, it's very soft and literally has the texture of chocolate pudding.

The taste is reminiscient, especially when large bites are enjoyed.  I've seen someone eat one by biting a hole in it and squeezing the middle out, although from my understanding they can explode in your hand if you squeeze them wrong.

Cutting them in half and eating with a spoon is the way I go about it. There's lots of flesh and the seeds are obvious, despite the texture of the pudding which makes it very pleasant to eat.  

I was told by the bagger that white zapote is better, but it comes from cold climates.  Sounds like my sort of fruit.

These can be eaten plain or added into a number of desserts, including black sapote pie which I'm interested in trying.

They come from a decent sized evergreen tree that can tolerate light frosts at best.  It takes about 4 years for them to produce from seed but when they do they produce prolifically.  They're generally hermaphroditic, although sometimes you get a tree which is only male. 

The seeds are evidently only viable for a few months and can take a month or more to germinate.  The fact that they produce prolifically in a relatively short time makes them worth it, to me at least.  I've set aside some seeds that I'll probably plant once I finish this article. 

It's a bit of a dainty tree, sensitive to drought but okay with overwatering.  It's something that'd go great by the greywater letout on my house, which is probably where I'll plant at least one of them.  

I'll share the results of these seeds if and when there are any.  For now, keep black sapote on your mind.  If you find yourself in Acapulco or another tropical place, keep your eye out for these as they're definately worth trying.  I somewhat regret eating mine before ready as I enjoyed it more than I expected.

I'll buy these again in the future, hopefully you get a chance to try them yourself.

And now, for the lulz, the funniest picture I've ever seen of @modprobe, as he enjoys his Black sapote.