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Sapota, Star Apple, Cocoa Plum And

EGG FRUIT (or "Ti-es") T HESE fruits come under the Sapotacea and are a very delicious group. The Sapodilla, or Sapodilla Plum, or "Dilly," (Achras sapota) at first sight invariably reminds one of a russet apple, though in flavour it is rather a combination of pear and peach and the soft pulp is coarse-grained. Its homely, rusty coat is a deceptive covering for it is an excellent fruit, uncooked or preserved, and may be treated very much as are peaches.

The Wild "Dilly" (Mimusops Sieberi) is a delicious, berry-like little fruit very much liked.

The Mammee Sapota or Lucuma mammosa, has rather unusual fruit which much varies in size-from that of a muskmelon down to that of a goose-egg-and the bright, reddish pulp, which has been compared to both pumpkinpie and to muskmelon, is eaten uncooked, just as it is. It contains from one to three long seeds.

The White Sapota (Casimiroa edulis) is about the size of a peach and resembles it somewhat in flavour.

The Star Apple (Chrysophyllum cainito) varies in colour with variety, (being purple or green), described by Kingsley as "an evergreen peach, shedding from the under side of every leaf a golden light-call it not shade." It is larger, however, more like an apple in form and smoothness of skin. Its star-shaped core contains numerous brown seeds, rather large and flat. The flavour is somewhat peculiar, but the apple may be varied in preparation. Its pulp mixed with orange juice is in Jamaica called "Matrimony." The Cocoa Plum (Chrysobolanus icaco), with its pink and white fruit, was so named because the seeds were thought to resemble the cocoanut in form and the fruit the common plum.

The egg Fruit (Lucuma rivicoa), called in Key West "Ti-ess" or "Ti-es," is like a small Mammee Sapota and considered equally delicious.

CHAPTER XXXI SIX OF THE MORE FAMILIAR TROPICAL AND