The Black Sapote Post

I've blogged about it before, and maybe even posted a picture or two, but this post is dedicated to one of my favourite fruits, the Black Sapote. Originally from Mexico, it grows really well in tropical North Queensland so it's a great market buy. Related to the persimmon, it is often called the Chocolate Pudding Fruit. When ripe, the flesh is soft and creamy with a mild flavour that is reminiscent of mellow chocolate.

Buy sapotes when they are green and hard, and then leave them on the counter until they get very soft and mushy. Then cut them open, pick out the seeds, and scoop the flesh from the skin.
The market people suggest making it into a milkshake or an ice cream. One former housemate from Mexico suggested mixing it with the juice of an orange, which sweetens up the flavour. You could very easily make a raw pie filling, pudding, or ice cream out of this gem of a fruit. My favourite way to eat it is plain: we usually cut it in half and scoop it from the skin straight into our mouths.
If you're ever in a tropical location and see black sapote (apparently they're grown in Florida, even), give it a try. In addition to being delicious and versatile, they are also low in fat and packed with vitamin C--about 4 times the amount found in oranges.