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Aroy Mak Mak

Sapodilla

ละมุด

Lamut: brown-skinned fruit with soft, malty flesh that tastes of brown sugar.

Sapodilla

Sapodilla looks like a small, rough brown potato, but inside it is soft, grainy and intensely sweet, with a malty, caramel taste often compared to brown sugar or a very ripe pear.

Pronunciationla-moot
FlavourVery sweet, malty, like brown sugar and pear
SeasonYear-round, best from September to December
EatenFresh, chilled, scooped with a spoon

How to eat it

Cut it in half and scoop out the flesh with a spoon, or peel it and cut it into wedges. Remove the shiny black seeds, which are not eaten. It is best chilled.

Ripeness matters

An unripe sapodilla is full of sticky, bitter latex and tastes chalky. A ripe one gives like a ripe kiwi and has no green under the skin when scratched with a fingernail. Ripen them at room temperature for a few days.

Choosing and storing

Choose smooth, tan fruit without wrinkles. Once ripe, keep it in the fridge and eat within a few days.

Ways to eat it

Most Thais eat lamut simply, chilled and cut into wedges, but its malty sweetness also suits drinks. Fruit-shake stalls blend it with ice and a little syrup or milk, and it pairs well with lime, which cuts its richness. Very ripe fruit can be mashed and frozen into a simple sorbet with nothing more than a squeeze of lime juice.

Outside Thailand

Sapodilla is native to Mexico and Central America and is known by many names: chikoo in India, naseberry in the Caribbean and chicozapote in Mexico. Indian grocers are often the easiest place to find it, sold as chikoo. The tree's latex, chicle, was the original base of chewing gum, which is why underripe fruit feels so sticky. Imported fruit is usually hard, so ripen it at room temperature until it gives to gentle pressure.

Cook’s tip

Scratch the skin lightly with a fingernail. If it is brown underneath, the fruit is ripe; if green, give it more days.

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