The world is consuming too much of chocolate, and by the year 2030, it’s believed that we could be facing a chocolate deficit. But chocolate lovers need not panic, as there will always be substitutes. And one of these already existing substitutes is a relatively healthy fruit called the black Sapote- a fruit that has been
discovered to taste exactly like chocolate pudding!
The black sapote grows in coastal regions and around Central America, and is now being cultivated mainly across the Caribbean, Australia, Mexico, as well as in the Philippines. It is also related to the persimmon. When the fruit is ready to be picked, it looks sort-of like a green tomato on the tree. You must remember not to try and pluck the fruit too early or eat it right after plucking it, because black sapotes that are unripe do not taste anything like chocolate- on the contrary, they are quite disgusting. Also, if plucked too early, the fruit will not ripen and will end up rotting, which also provides no help. And over-ripe sapote fruites are normally dark
brown
If the black sapote is picked on the right time, it will ripen within three to six days upon harvest. The before white pulp will turn a deep brown and develop a taste that, together with a sort of papaya-like texture, has caused many people to say it tastes like chocolate pudding. Thus the name chocolate pudding fruit. The skin
itself cannot be eaten as it is, but the pulp can
The black sapote fruit is also often used as a chocolate substitute for many recipes. Another advantage of the black sapotes flesh is that it is rich, custard-like, and naturally sweet without added sugars. Instead of eating it as chocolate pudding, you can blend the ripe fruit pulp with milk, ice-cream or cream. This will cause
it to taste like chocolate- only without the calories of caffeine that come with real chocolate!