The sapodilla fruit is round or oval with pointed ends, 2 - 4 inches in diameter. The skin is brown and scruffy when ripe. The flesh varies from yellow to shades of brown and sometimes reddish-brown, and smooth. The flesh tastes like a sweet mix of brown sugar and root beer. These fruits are usually having about 3 to 12 hard, black, shiny, flattened seeds which are size about 3/4 inch long.The fresh ripe fruits can be eaten raw. The ripe fruits have been successfully dried by pretreatment with a 60% sugar solution and osmotic dehydration for 5 hours, and the product has retained acceptable quality for 2 months.
The bark of the tree is rich in a white, gummy latex called chicle(containing 15% rubber and 38% resin); which is used to be a primary ingredient in chewing gum.
Immature sapodillas are rich in tannin (proanthocyanadins) and because of the tannin content, they are boiled and the decoction taken to stop diarrhea. An infusion of the young fruits and the flowers is drunk to relieve pulmonary complaints. A "tea" of the bark is regarded as a febrifuge and is said to halt diarrhea and dysentery. A combined decoction of sapodilla and chayote leaves is sweetened and taken daily to lower blood pressure. The latex is also used as a crude filling for tooth cavities.
[image: sapodilla fruit is now ready to eat]
