The red mamey , Pouteria sapota . Known by other names such as sapote , sapote , mamey sapote or red mamey , it belongs to the Sapotaceae family , like the sapodilla or Venezuelan loquat, Manilkara zapota , also called sapote or chicozapote. A close relative is the green sapote or grafted sapote, Pouteria viridis , which grows in colder areas and has good quality fruits.
The red mamey is not related to the Santo Domingo mamey, Mammea americana , of the Gutiferae family , although its fruit is similar externally; nor to the white sapote , Casimiroa edulis , of the Rutaceae family .
Taxonomy
Scientific name
- Pouteria sapota (Jacq.) HE Moore & Stearn [1] [2] [3] [4]
Authors
- Moore, Harold Emery and Stearn, William Thomas
- Published in: Taxon 16(5): 383. 1967 . [5]
Basonym
- Sideroxylon sapota Jacq. [6]
Basonym combinations
- Calocarpum sapota (Jacq.) Merr. [7]
Synonymy
- Achradelpha mammosa (L.) OF Cook
- Achras mammosa L.
- Achras zapota major Jacq.
- Bassia jussiaei Tussac
- Calocarpum huastecanum Gilly
- Calocarpum mammosum (L.) Pierre
- Calocarpum mammosum var. bonplandii (Kunth) Pierre
- Calocarpum mammosum var. candollei (Pierre) Pierre
- Calocarpum mammosum var. ovoideum (Pierre) Pierre
- Calocarpum sapota (Jacq.) Merr.
- Calospermum mammosum var. bonplandii (Kunth) Pierre
- Calospermum mammosum var. candollei Pierre
- Calospermum mammosum var. ovoid Pierre
- Lucuma bonplandii Kunth
- Lucuma mammosa (L.) CF Gaertn.
- Pouteria mammosa (L.) Cronquist
- Sapota mammosa Mill.
- Sideroxylon sapota Jacq.
- Sideroxylum sapota Jacq.
- Vitellaria mammosa (L.) Radlk. [8]
- Calospermum parvum Pierre [9]
Common name
Trunk
Mamey, red mamey, ground mamey, mamey sapote, mamey sapote, sapota, sapote, red sapote, mountain sapote, sapote, sapote mamey. [10]
Etymology
Pouteria , Latinized form of a native name. Sapota , refers to its popular name.
Origin and distribution
Its center of origin extends between southern Mexico and northern Nicaragua . It is cultivated throughout Central America , the Caribbean and northern South America . In Cuba it is very popular in home gardens and is abundant in Guatemala
Description
The red mamey is an open-structured tree . The leaves are obovate, 20 to 30 cm long and up to 10 cm wide.
The flowers are small, white or pale yellow and are arranged in groups along the branches.
Fruits
The fruit can be round or elliptical, up to 20 cm long, and can weigh over 2 kg. It has a rough, thick, leathery, brown skin. The pulp is creamy and sweet, reddish salmon in colour. It contains 1 to 4 large, brown, shiny, spindle-shaped seeds.
The fruits take two years to mature, so at the time of harvesting it is common to see on the same tree mature fruits, one-year-old fruits and flowers that will produce the third generation of fruits. The tree behaves as a semi-deciduous tree, shedding most of its leaves at the end of winter, before emitting the new vegetative shoots.
Climate, soil and cultivation
Leaves
In Central America it grows in tropical climate zones from sea level to 600-900 m. It needs abundant rainfall and does not tolerate drought . It tolerates different types of soil as long as they have good drainage. Its cultivation does not require much care, although it is advisable to keep the soil moist and fertilize it throughout the year in a balanced way.
Grafted trees must be planted to maintain the characteristics of the variety and to advance the entry into production, in this way fruiting is obtained after 4 years. To date, no pests or diseases of special note have been known in the Canary Islands in established trees. Damage caused by the sugar cane borer has been observed in the nursery . Harvesting takes place in the months of August and September .
To know if the fruits of a tree are ready to harvest, a small notch is made in the skin to reveal the color of the pulp. If it is green and exudes latex , it is a sign that they have not reached maturity; they will be ready when they are pink and without latex. The fruits reach the maturity for consumption a few days after being collected, when they begin to soften.
Uses
The mamey colorado is consumed fresh, alone or in fruit salads. It is often used to make milkshakes and ice creams. In Cuba, the milkshake made with mamey pulp, milk , ice and sugar is famous . It is also used in jams , cakes , puddings and other desserts. The mamey is rich in vitamins A and C , potassium and fiber. The pulp can be kept frozen, maintaining its organoleptic characteristics.
Chemical composition
Chemical analysis shows that 100 g of sapote pulp contains 65.6 percent water, 1.7 g of protein, 0.4 g of fat, 31.1 g of carbohydrates, 2 g of fiber, 1.2 g of ash, 40 mg of calcium, 28 mg of phosphorus, 1 mg of iron, 115 mg of vitamin A, 0.01 mg of thiamine, 0.02 mg of riboflavin, 2 mg of niacin and 22 mg of ascorbic acid.