I’ll share one more delicious tropical fruit with you. The Star Apple is a magnificent fruit that is also referred to by the names cainito, caimito, star plum, tar apple, milk fruit, golden leaf tree, and a few other names.
I enjoy talking about some of my favorite fruits – milk fruit as well as discovering new fruits to eat. I really enjoy the fruit star apples. And when I spent a few years living in Vietnam, I used to consume them.
You may find out about the star apple’s history, how it grows, what it tastes like, and its health advantages in this page. Since flavor is a personal thing, I’ll only explain how I perceive them to taste. I’ll get to the information now.
WHERE DOES THE MILK FRUIT GROW AND FROM WHAT PLACE?
A member of the Sapotaceae family, the Milk Fruit (Chrysophyllum cainito) is a tropical tree. It is related to both the green and mamey sapotes. The Greater Antilles and the West Indies are the original home of this fruit. In the tropics, including Southeast Asia, it is currently grown after spreading to the lowlands of Central America. The star apple is known by several other names, including a golden-leaf tree in Portugal, cainito and Ajara in Spain, caimito maduraverde in France, and caimite and caimitier in Spain.
There are two different kinds of them: one has purple skin and the other has green skin. Both types must be hand-picked when ripe because they are tree-ripened and, unlike many trees, do not fall off when they are grown. The leaves are 5 to 15 cm long, alternating, simple oval, and whole. The tiny, purplish-white blossoms are aromatic and have a pleasant scent. The plant has a potent aroma and is self-fertile.
The fruit is globose and normally has a diameter between two and three inches. When ripe, it typically has purple skin with a faint green border around the calyx. The fruit gets its name from the gelatinous cells that form a star shape when the fruit is split in half. The Star Apple’s pulp is fragrant and has a sweet, tropical flavor with hints of persimmon, lychee, and apple. The sweet and frequently cooled fruit is utilized as a fresh dessert fruit and milk fruit.
In many locations throughout the tropics and subtropics, they are not grown. India, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, China, Central America, Jamaica, and many other locations are examples.
It is a tree that develops quickly, well from seed, and can reach heights of over 20 feet. The Star Apple tree, when started from seed, can bear fruit in as little as four years. That is moving very quickly.
However, a sapling you purchase from a nursery that was grafted onto rootstock or was grown from a branch can bear fruit as soon as 1 to 2 years after being planted.
They also grow in Hawaii, Florida, and Southern Texas, right here in the United States. Additionally, hobbyists can cultivate them in Southern California and Arizona. as long as the summertime temperatures are warm or hot and the average temperature doesn’t go below 35 or 40 F.
A COMICAL STORY FROM A FRIEND
I still haven’t even tried all the fruits and veggies in Saigon after six months of residence. I adore how every “season” presents a wealth of fresh joys to sample. My favorite fruit has long been sugar apples, but milk fruit may soon overtake them.
Milk fruit translates roughly to “milk breasts” in English. Based on how it looked and how it was eaten, this fruit was given its name. Before eating, the fruit must be well massaged after it has been properly chilled in the refrigerator. The udder is soft to the touch when the water and milk are ready.
Maybe I massaged the milk fruit too hard the first time I ate it because the outer shell split and developed a tiny hole. The hole ended up being advantageous. I simply enlarged it a little and placed the fruit in my mouth before sipping the delectable milk. I requested a photograph, but the setting was a little too suggestive for serious diners. The fruit tastes really sweet and fresh. I can compare the flavor as a thicker form of young, fresh coconut juice. I drank the entire liquid before using a spoon to consume the meat.
WHAT ARE MILK FRUIT’S HEALTH BENEFITS?
aid in enhancing intestinal health. They have a lot of fiber in them.
aids in diabetes control. The fiber aids in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.
a source of antioxidants
aids in preventing anemia due to a lack of iron
HOW TO EAT MILK FRUIT?
Purple star apple being cut around its equator with a knife
Be sure to wash the fruit’s outside. then make an incision parallel to its equator. The top of the stem. Cut in or around a half-inch, and then go around it.
Taking a star apple apart by hand. It may now be carefully pulled apart with your hands to expose the star design. additionally the seeds. Each fruit will contain somewhere between 5 and 10 rather large seeds, though this amount will vary.
A white cutting board is being held up by a hand holding a cut in half star apple.
few things to avoid. Don’t eat the skin of the Star Apple since it contains a sticky latex substance. Additionally, the seeds are inedible. Only the rubbery membrane around the seeds and the white milky flesh are consumed.
A star apple’s white flesh is removed using a spoon.
Typically, the inside is removed with a spoon and consumed immediately. Others would simply bite into the center without using a spoon. If you do that, someone advised applying a little oil to your lips to prevent them from becoming overly sticky from the latex in the skin. I consistently use a spoon.
Although it is frequently consumed fresh, it is also used in ice cream and sherbet. On sometimes, it is also turned into preserves.
WHAT TASTE DOES MILK FRUIT HAVE?
Time to explain the flavor now. The flesh is really juicy, to start. I’m reminded of squid by the texture of the membrane surrounding the seeds, albeit it isn’t as rubbery or chewy.
The flavor of the star apple has a faint lychee or rambutan undertone, a trace of blueberry flavor, and a watered-down version of sweetened condensed milk. Once more, taste is quite personal. It has a star apple flavor.
The fruit is sadly only eaten to roughly a third of its potential. The remainder can simply be composted or discarded. And if you desire, don’t forget to sow those seeds.
After this article, you must have somewhat known the milk fruit if you have never known them and you will understand much more about it if you have been exposed but have not yet discovered it. So find and enjoy them today, you won’t regret it.
Mario Pham