Considered to be the original Nahuatl sapote and also known by the Mayas as tauch, the black sapote (Diospyros nigra) is a very sweet fruit with a creamy texture and dark flesh. Native to the tropical parts of Mexico, it is both foraged and cultivated. The tree can grow to between 6 and 25 meters tall and has finely fissured to scaly bark. The elliptical leaves are olive green. The fruit is a berry that is dark green in color and changes to blackish when ripe, measuring 5 to 8 centimeters of more in diameter. It contains six to ten seeds which measure 1-2.7 cm wide. The ripe fruit is eaten fresh. The flesh is often mixed with orange juice. It is also made into desserts, mixed with cold water, or made into ice lollies. Its availability is highly seasonal and it has a very short shelf life as it ripens quickly and can ferment. For that reason, although the fruit is well known and commercially available, demand for it is not as high as for other tropical fruits of its kind. This tree has been domesticated in Mexico for more than 2,000 years and the fruit has been highly prized since ancient times. It has historically been grown by both Nahua and Maya communities. Today, the tradition of eating it has also decreased drastically in the country.
Back to the archive >El árbol puede tener de 6 a 25 m de altura, corteza externa finamente fisurada a escamosa. Las hojas son de color verde olivo, elípticas. El fruto es una baya solitaria, de color verde oscuro y cambia a negruzco al madurar, de 5 a 8 cm de diámetro o más, pulpa negra con 6 a 10 semillas de textura brillante, de de 1 a 2.7 cm de largo. El fruto maduro se consume en fresco. Su pulpa con frecuencia se mezcla con jugo de naranja. También se prepara en postres, en agua fresca o en nieves. Su disponibilidad es muy estacional, además de que tiene una vida de anaquel muy corta pues madura rápidamente y puede fermentar. Por esta razón, aunque es una fruta conocida y comercial, su demanda no es tan alta como otros frutos tropicales de su tipo. Este árbol ha sido domesticado en México desde hace más de 2000 años, ya desde esas épocas ha sido un fruto muy apreciado; Su manejo lo han hecho históricamente tanto pueblos de origen náhuatl como de origen maya. Hoy, la tradición de su consumo también ha disminuido drásticamente en el país.
