Suffering Saponin - Mamey Sapote

They say curiosity killed the cat. Or at least left a bad taste in his mouth.

I am all for new food experiences. I guess I have to come to terms with the fact that I may not "like" everything I try. Meet the Mamey Sapote.

Related to several other types of Sapote, such as Green and Yellow, but not to the Sapodillo or the Black Sapote. Kind of confusing huh?

It's not normally found this far north (Oregon) though I don't remember seeing it in Southern California either. It is native to southern Mexico and equatorial South America. But I found one at New Seasons Market and decided to try it. Regardless of the warnings from the produce guy... Evidently I enjoy living on the edge. I figure the Earth is round, so I can't fall off.

This is what it looks like after cutting it open... Kind of looks like a pointy orange Avocado, if your ask me.

Though the single seed is protected by a much thicker and harder shell.

I peeled it.... It really is an attractive salmony cantelop-ish type color. And it smelled really good.

So before I even tasted it, I had decided that I would try to make Ice Cream with it. I do that a lot when I don't really know what to do with mysterious fruits. So I cubed it up and was ready to puree it.

THEN I tasted it. Nice and sweet, almost like a dry cantaloupe flavor, a little caramelly, in a sweet potato kind of way.... But then.... I got hit with something very tannic, like the dryest red wine you can think of. It was a little strange, and while I enjoy tannin in wines, I don't so much enjoy it when I am eating fruit. My mouth was SO dry that I had to bite down on a lemon just to get my saliva to flow again.... Very Strange.

Maybe it was still not ripe. I don't know.

All in all, not my favorite fruit... At least not at this point. I am going to try one more just to make SURE that I don't like it. After I think it is ripe of course. :)

Mangia!!
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