Mamey Sapote
A Warm Sugary Treat
Close your eyes and imagine the flavor explosion of a warm, baked sweet potato laced with granules of brown sugar and honey. This is the essence of the mamey sapote, or – in Spanish – the zapote colorado. Costa Ricans know this exceptional fruit for its distinctive flavor and intricate after tang. Ready to eat right off the tree, oval-shaped sapotes vary in size from a large apple to a small melon. Their interiors have the color of a papaya, the consistency of an avocado and a glassy jet-black pit (with one to four additional, smaller seeds).
Thankfully for the health conscious, this delectable sweet is not as sinful as it tastes – a low calorie count and small fat content make it a guiltless snack. Sapote is technically a berry, and one that is incredibly rich in carotene, potassium, fiber and Vitamin A and C. Oil from its seed is used to treat ailments from toothaches to indigestion, while its ripe flesh is a common ingredient in smoothies, sorbets, jams and ice creams.
Mamey Sapote Mousse
Ingredients:
- 1 mamey sapote
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 box of gelatin mix
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
Directions:
With a sieve, make 1 cup of mamey sapote pulp and mix it with the sugar. Mix gelatin with ½ cup cold water, then dissolve into ½ cup boiling water. Blend with mamey-sugar mix. Chill the concoction until it condenses, then whisk. Beat the cream, and then fold into mixture. Freeze and enjoy – it’s delicious!
