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The fruit is almost round with a short fat stem (should still be attached when you buy), the skin is leathery, a light brown to a silvery-gray brown with a slightly rough texture. It grows to about 6 to 8 inches and is a pretty heavy fruit.

It is important to know that under the skin is a thin, cream colored membrane that is astringent and often quite bitter, and needs removing. The flesh itself is a rich orange colour, thick starchy and creamy similar to banana in texture. There is one seed/stone, make sure you remove the outer membrane and the inner membrane before you eat this fruit.

This fruit is native to the West Indies, South and Central America. Records show that this fruit was growing in English greenhouses since 1735. California has tried cultivating these fruits for their commercial value with little or no success so far.

How do you know if the fruit is ripe or not? Scratch the surface of the fruit very lightly with a fingernail and if it reveals green underneath, the fruit should not be picked. If the fruits fall to the ground when ripe they will get bruised very easily. When you buy the fruit in the local market try to buy those that have part of their stem still attached.

The flesh of the mamey can be eaten cooked or raw in fruit salads, in pies and tarts. The spices cinnamon and ginger go really well with this fruit. The mamey is commonly used to make preserves such as spiced marmalade, jam and pastes like guava paste, they are often added to other fruit products. Slightly under-ripe fruits are rich in pectin ideal for making into jelly and jam. In smoothies the fruit adds smoothness and richness in texture, like a banana.

In Jamaica, the prepared mamey is steeped in wine and sugar for a while before eating. In the Bahamas, some prefer to let the flesh stand in lightly salty water before cooking with much sugar to a jam-like consistency. Wine is made from the fruit and fermented “toddy” from the sap of the tree in Brazil. In the Dominican Republic, the uncooked flesh is blended with sugar and made into frozen sherbet. The juice of stewed flesh is seasoned with sugar and lemon juice to make “mamey-ade”. In the French West Indies, an aromatic liqueur called Eau de Creole, or Creme de Creole, is distilled from the flowers and said to act as a tonic or digestive aid.

Nutritionally it contains calcium, iron, beta carotene (due to its orange flesh, various B vitamins, vitamin C, tryptophan, methionine and lysine.

However, it is well known that the mamey tree contains toxic properties and in Puerto Rico they wrap mamey leaves around young tomato plants when planting them to protect them from insects. In Mexico and Jamaica, the thick, yellow gum from the bark is melted with fat and applied to help animals get rid of fleas and ticks. The bark has strong astringent properties. In El Salvador a paste made from ground seeds is used against poultry lice, mites and head lice. In the Dominican Republic a preparation of the seeds is used to eliminate head lice.

Don?t let me put you off this fruit, some people love it, you might too. Just remember when you prepare this fruit be sure to remove both the inner and out membranes.

Sonia Jones – I am a Brit living and working in Panama for the last five years. A naturopath, nutritional therapist and reflexologist with 20 years experience. A published author of three books. Owns her own spas and clinic, launched her own natural organic skin care range. Married for 34 years – husband and business partner who is also an acupuncturist. http://arthritisalternativetreatment.com http://nutritionwithsonia.com