What is a Ciku?

Ciku are known as sapodilla, it’s a round to oval shape looking fruit with a sweet flavour to it. The sapodilla has a grey/brown, sandy, kiwifruit-like outer surface. The sapodilla composes of soft, easily digestible pulp made of simple sugars like fructose and sucrose. Ciku’s are thought to have originated in the Central American forests like Mexico and Belize. Its cultivation today has spread to countries like Malaysia and Indonesia. The tree is known to have fast growing capabilities, able to have good wind and drought resistant. It grows well in dry arid regions with brief rains from time to time. There are four varieties of sapodilla grown worldwide today. These four varieties are the brown sugar variety, prolific variety, russel type, and tikal.

What Are The Health Benefits of a Ciku?

Sapodillas are very high in calories which can be considered the same as that of calories in sweet potato, and banana. It’s an excellent source of dietary fiber, which make it a good bulk laxative. This fiber content helps relieve constipation episodes and help protect mucosa of the colon from cancer-causing toxins. The fruit at the same time is also rich in antioxidant polyphenolic compound tannin. Research studies suggested that the tannins have astringent properties which have potential to have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-parasitic effects. Fresh ripe sapodilla has a good source of minerals like potassium, copper, iron, and vitamins like folate, niacin, and pantothenic acid. These compounds are essential to health as they involve in various metabolic processes in the body as cofactors for the enzymes.

Did you Know?

Mature but unripe fruits must be kept at room temperature for 7 to 10 days to ripen. Sapodillas can be kept well for several days in a home refrigerator and if set at 35 Fahrenheit, they can be kept up to 6 weeks!