Chikoo
As a child, I could never tell if a chikoo was ripe or not. I’d grow impatient, bite into one too early, and end up with that dry, puckering taste sticking to my tongue. My mother, on the other hand, always seemed to know. She would sprinkle a touch of black salt on sliced chikoo, saying it brought out the flavour.
— Sudiksha Samanta, Hyderabad
What is it?
Sapodilla, commonly known as chikoo, is a sweet fruit with a flavour profile resembling a blend of brown sugar and beetroot. The fruit is typically oval to round, measuring about 5–9 centimetres in diameter. Its outer skin is generally rough and brown. In contrast, the pulp is red or yellowish-brown, soft, slightly sandy, but sweet and easily digestible. The fruit’s sweetness comes from simple sugars like fructose, glucose, and sucrose. Chikoo also contains black, bean-shaped seeds.
What other names does it have?
Botanical Name: Manilkara zapota
Regional Names: Chikoo (Hindi, Urdu), Chikku (Malayalam), Chiku (Marathi, Gujarati, Konkani), Sapota (Kannada), Chappotta (Tamil), Sapeta (Bengali).
When is it in season?
Where is it found?
Sapodilla plants are typically cultivated in tropical wet to sub-tropical cool and dry regions. While they primarily thrive in tropical areas, they can also be grown in semi-tropical regions within greenhouses. Sapodilla can be cultivated up to 1,200 metres above sea level. As a tropical fruit, it requires a warm and humid climate for optimal growth. The best environments for sapodilla include alluvial, sandy loam, red laterite, and medium black soils with good drainage and an acidic to neutral pH. Source.
What is its history/cultural significance?
The chikoo is a tropical fruit believed to be native to Central America, particularly Mexico and Belize. Spanish colonisers introduced it to the Philippines during the 17th century, from where it spread to India and other parts of Asia. Source.Today, it is grown widely in India, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, among other regions.
In India, chikoo is not just a fruit but a part of everyday life, especially along the western coast in Maharashtra and Gujarat. The famous Kalipatti variety from Gujarat’s Valsad district is particularly sought after. The tree is also valued for its latex—called chicle—once used in the production of chewing gum.
How can you use it?
As chikoo is easily perishable, it is usually processed into squashes, jams, jellies, osmo-dehydrated slices, candies, nectars, chutneys, pickles, and blended sapodilla drinks.
What states can I find it in?
What parts of the plant are edible?
Fruit
Is it nutritious?
Sapodilla is a rich source of nutrients, including sugars, protein, amino acids, and minerals like potassium, calcium, and iron. Source
How do you store it?
The fruit has a limited shelf life of about 6-9 days at room temperature. When refrigerated, the fruits can be stored for up to two weeks.
Stories
Amalsad Chikoo from Gujarat’s Navsari gets GI tag by The Indian Express
This article reports that the Amalsad Chikoo—a sapodilla variety grown in Gujarat’s Navsari district—has received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in recognition of its distinctive sweetness, fine texture, and deep regional heritage.
Recipes
Chikoo Kulfi Recipe by Mayuri Jokini
‘Know Your Desi Ingredients’ is an ever-expanding repository of knowledge for ingredients that are native to the Indian subcontinent and adapted into the mainstream culinary narratives of people, places, and cultures across India. If you would like to share more information about the write-ups featured here, send us an email at connect@thelocavore.in with your inputs and any verified sources we should look into.
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