Download Costa Rican Fruits

Costa Rican Fruits
Annona spp.
I. Taxonomy
Annonaceae - 80 genera, 850 species. Native to tropical
Am erica, being used by native Am ericans in pre-Colum bian
tim es.
Several Annona im portant com m ercially or locally; referred to
as "custard apples".
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A. cherimola - Cherim oya (chirim oya, cherim olia, anona
blanca). Highland species from the slopes of the Andes
of Peru, Ecuador. The surface texture is patch-like, but
sm oother than m ost others.
A. squamosa - Sweetsop, sugar apple (anon, anona
blanca). This is the m ost widely grown Annona.
A. cherimola × A. squamosa - Atem oya, (atem oya,
chirim oriñon). This hybrid is m ore like the cherim oya in
eating quality (very good), but has a m ore tropical
adaptation.
A. muricata L. - soursop (guanabana). This is the largest
fruited Annona, having fruits borne on m ain stem s
(cauliflorous) up to 10 or 15 lbs.
II. Description
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sm all to m edium size trees, spreading habit and an unusual 2-ranked phyllotaxy
fairly large, green fruit with a custard or pudding-like texture when ripe; brown or black when ripe.
Fruit is an aggregation of berries (syncarp), 50 or m ore per fruit, fused at m aturity. The surface of the
fruits is distinctly lobed where each individual berry fits into the aggregate.
Many large, brown/black seeds, which are m ildly poisonous.
W ait until the fruit is very soft and brown/black before eating; you should be able to spoon the flesh out
easily.
Often m ade into drinks, ice cream , puddings. Fresh pulp is sweet, arom atic, with slightly astringent
subflavor; often with grit cells.
III. Food value, usage.
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W ater low for fresh fruit, 76%; Carbohydrates 18.2%; Fruits relatively high in Ca, P, and Fe.
Juice of crushed seeds causes tem porary blindness; extracts are used as fish poisons and
insecticides; seed resins of atem oya are used against lice in tropical Am erica.
Tannins in bark and leaves of soursop m ay cause cancer.
Cancer therapy drugs - apom orphine alkaloids are being studied for this purpose from soncoya.
Snake-bite antidotes are m ade from root bark of A. nana (Angola).
Toothache relief - is provided by a m outhwash of bark decoction of A. senegalensis (wild custard
apple of western Africa).
Infusions of bark, leaves, and roots are in “daily use” in folk m edicines for alleviating fevers and
intestinal disorders.
Superstitions - Cuba: Pond apple considered poisonous; actually just unpalatable. Ceylon: The
custard apple is thought to cause leprosy. Central Am erica: Soncoya blam ed for causing chills and
fevers.
Costa Rican Fruits
Avocado
I. Taxonomy
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Persea americana, Fam ily - Lauraceae
(aguacate, cura, cupandra, palta)
Native to tropical Am erica, grown
pantropically and into subtropical areas,
California Florida.
3 races:
1.W est Indian (Florida): P. americana Mill.
var. americana. Large, oval to round, green
fruit, sm ooth skin.
2.Guatem alan: P. nubigena var. guatemalensis. Skin granular or pebbled, som e purple in color.
3.Mexican: P. americana Mill. var. drymifolia. Usually thin, sm ooth skin, often purple or black in color;
m ost cold tolerant, can grow at high elevation (5000 ft).
Hybrids am ong races often the m ost
com m ercially grown types
III. Description:
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Plant: Tall, evergreen tree (30m ) of
the rain or cloud forest.
Flow ers: Sm all, pale-green or
yellow borne in term inal panicles.
Pollination: Cross-pollination
necessary for full production.
Fruit: Pear-shaped or rounded, 3-13
inches long, up to 6 inch diam eter.
Skin yellow-green to dark purple,
sm ooth or pebbled. Flesh yellowgreen in color, buttery/nut-like flavor;
high in fat (5-20%). Large (.2 inch)
single seed in center, ivory in color,
surrounded by brown, papery seed
coat.
III. Food value, usage.
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W ater 65% (low for fresh fruit), High calories 245. Unusually high in fat (up to 20% - m ost fresh fruits
have <1% fat).
Leaves, bark, fruit, and seeds poisonous to cattle, horses, rabbits, goats, fish.
Toothache relief - piece of seed or a decoction of put into bad teeth.
Costa Rican Fruits
Banana and Plantain
I. Taxonomy
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Bananas and plantains belong to the fam ily
Musaceae, genus Musa.
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Bananas are derived from M. acuminata, plantains
from M. balbisiana or hybrids between the 2
species.
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Musa spp. originated in southeastern Asia, from
India east and south to northern Australia.
Bananas are now grown com m ercially in m ore
countries than any other food crop (130). Costa
Rica ranks 8 th am ong banana producers in the
world.
II. Description:
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Plant: Large, tree-like herbaceous m onocots, reaching 15-25 ft. The "trunk" is a pseudostem , the
clustered, cylindrical aggregation of leaf stalk bases. Leaves are am ong the largest of all plants,
becom ing up to 9 ft long and 2 ft wide; 5-15 leaves per plant. The perennial portion is the corm , giving
rise to shoots and roots. Shoots are thinned to 2 per corm -a "parent" for fruiting and a "follower" to
take the place of the parent after it fruits and dies back. A plant bears fruit 10-12 m onths after
planting.
Flow er: The inflorescence is a spike originating from the tip of the corm (rhizom e). Initially, it appears
above the last leaves in an upright position, and consists only of a large, purple, tapered bud. As this
bud opens, the slim , white, tubular, toothed flowers are revealed, clustered in whorled double rows
along the stalk, each cluster covered by a thick, waxy, purple hood-like bract.
Pollination: Not needed; fruit is set parthenocarpically.
Fruit: an epigynous berry; fruit are borne in "hands" of up to .20 fruit, with 5-13 hands per spike.
III. Food value, usage:
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Contrary to popular opinion, bananas provide only about 9% of the daily requirem ent of potassium ;
plantains about sam e. They supply about ½ the daily requirem ent of vitam in C. They contain 80-140
calories, with starchy plantains being the higher of the two.
Ash from burned leaves and stem s is used as salt.
Livestock are often fed banana culls.
Fertilizers are m ade from dried, chopped banana stem s and leaves.
There are dozens of construction and m edicinal uses for banana leaves and other plant parts.
Som e extracts of banana have shown hypoglycem ic activity experim entally. The juice from the
junction of a "branch" with the stem is used for toothache relief in Panam a and South Africa.
The Musaceae is im portant not only for fruit production, but also for providing m an with clothing, tools,
and shelter prior to recorded history.
Costa Rican Fruits
Cashew
I.
Taxonomy
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III.
Family Anacardiaceae
Anacardium occidentale
Originated in northeastern
Brazil and was spread by the
Portuguese to East Africa, Sri
Lanka, India and Malaysia.
Description
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Plant: Smallish, spreading,
evergreen tree of up to 10m in height.
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Leaves: Oval to spatulate leaves have entire margins and blunt tips.
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Fruit: The small kidney-shaped nut is borne on a yellow to bright red swollen
pseudofruit known as the cashew apple. Nuts are surrounded by a thin inner
membrane, a layer of irritant oil, and a though, leathery outer shell. The most widely
produced tree nut crop in the world.
Food value, usage
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The cashew apple and the roasted nuts can both be used for food.
The main food item is the nut, which must be roasted to get rid of the irritant oil.
Nuts contain high quality protein, oils, and starch. The fruits are used to make a
variety of jams, jellies, juices, wines, and vinegars, including cajuado, a popular drink
in Brazil.
Cashews contain calcium, phosphorous and iron; as well as vitamins A, C, D, K and
E.
The apples are rich in vitamin A and contain as much as five times the vitamin C as
citrus juice.
Costa Rican Fruits
Coconut
I. Taxonomy
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Cocos nucifera (Coco) The Arecaceae
fam ily contains over 2600 species.
Coconut is the m ost econom ically
valuable and widespread species.
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Grown pantropically in tropical lowlands.
Coconut production is largely centered in
the eastern hem isphere tropics, although
Brazil produces about 5% of the world’s
crop. Coconut ranks in the top 5 of all
fruit crops in the world in term s of tonnage produced.
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Coconut palm s are often the only tree species present on sm all, isolated, tropical islands. Fruits
can float for years on ocean and still germ inate when beached.
II. Description
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Single-trunked palm to 20 m . Propagated by seed, fruit
production in 6-9 years.
Flowers of different sexes are borne in the sam e
com pound spadix inflorescence in leaf axils. Flowering
is continuous.
Fruits are large, dry drupes in clusters of 10-20. The
edible portion is endosperm , "m ilk" = liquid endosperm ,
“copra” = solid endosperm . Fruit ripen 16-18 m onths
after pollination. The m esocarp is dry and fibrous,
called “coir” and sold for industrial uses such as potting
m edium . Endosperm rich in oil and protein; oil
extracted for cooking. W orld's largest seed - since
m ost of fruit is just the seed.
III. Food value, usage
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Copra contains 39% oil, and 556 calories, on par with oil-rich nut crops. Other products include
“coir”, the dry, fibrous m esocarp (potting m edia), coconut oil (cooking), coconut cake (left over
from oil extraction; livestock), water coconuts - im m ature fruit used for drinking (the water inside is
sterile).
The coconut palm is referred to as the "tree of life", "tree of heaven", or "tree of abundance",
reflective of its essentiality to everyday life in the tropics. The following is a quote from W orld
Bank Technical Paper 136. “The im m ature nut provides a pleasant beverage (coconut m ilk or
liquid endosperm - also used in tissue culture), the raw kernel is an im portant article of food;
pared, shredded and dried it provides the desiccated coconut of com m erce. The oil is used for
cooking, for illum ination and lubrication, and in the m anufacture of m argarine, bakery fats, soaps,
detergents and toiletries. Coconut cake, the residue after extracting the oil from copra, is valuable
as cattle and poultry feed. Tapping the inflorescence produces sap which can be used to provide
sugar, vinegar, sweet or ferm ented toddy (like beer or wine) and, when distilled, arrack (liquor).
The tim ber can be used for building and furniture construction; the plaited leaves for roofing; fiber
from the husk for the m anufacture of ropes and m atting; the shell for charcoal or the m anufacture
of artifacts (pots, buttons, bowls, etc.). Even the roots are used in dyes and traditional m edicines."
The resin of inner husk used in Panam a for toothache relief. Coconut m ilk is an anthelm intic (rids
intestinal worm s).
Costa Rican Fruits
Fig
I.
Taxonomy
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III.
Family Moraceae
Ficus carica
Originated in the Eastern
Mediterranean region.
One of the most ancient of all
crops, archaeological records
date cultivation as far back as
4000BC. Today figs are
grown in all temperate regions
of the world.
Description
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Plant: A small deciduous tree or shrub 4-7m high.
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Leaves: Fairly large, lobed leaves; distinctive shape.
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Fruit: The fig is type of multiple fruit known as a syconium; basically an inverted,
hollow inflorescence, bearing numerous small flowers and fruits on the inside, with a
small hole at the tip through which the pollinators can enter.
Food value, usage
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Figs can be eaten fresh or dried.
Figs are used in cooking, desserts, confectionery, jams, preserves, and drinks.
Figs are among the sweetest of fruits.
Available carbohydrates are 13% in fresh and 55% in dried.
They are very rich in vitamins and minerals and have a mild laxative effect.
Costa Rican Fruits
Grapefruit
I. Taxonomy
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C. paradisi, family Rutaceae
introduced to Florida in 1809, and was not
known by m an beforehand. Probably
derives from Caribbean 'Forbidden Fruit'
which was a natural hybrid between
pum m elo (C. grandis) and sweet orange.
Citrus’ native range is from northeastern
India through the Malay archipelago and
Australia. Grapefruit is the only citrus fruit
to have originated in the new world. The
USA leads the world in production; Costa
Rica produces very little.
II. Description
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Plant: Sm all, spreading, evergreen trees or tall shrubs. Stem s often arm ed with long thorns.
Leaves are unifoliate, thick, ovate with acute to obtuse tips, having entire or crenulate m argins
and a wide petiole wing. Leaves contain characteristic citrus oils in glands (“pellucid dots”) which
m akes them fragrant when crushed.
Flow er: Fragrant flowers are in short cym es, borne axillary on current flush of growth, and also
from the previous flush of growth. 5 petals and sepals; petals linear, som etim es curved
lengthwise, white, waxy, and thick; sepals fused at base to form a sm all cup. Ovary with 10-14
locules in m ost com m ercial cultivars, each with potentially 4-8 seeds. Ovary, superior, subtended
by raised nectary disc.
Pollination: Self-pollinating or parthenocarpic
Fruit: A hesperidium . The endocarp (edible portion) is divided into 10-14 sections, separated by
thin septa. Each segm ent is com posed of juice vesicles ("pulp"), with long stalks attached to the
outer wall, containing juice. The m esocarp is the white tissue usually adherent to the outer surface
of the endocarp; it is also called the albedo. The exocarp, or flavedo, is the thin, pigm ented outer
portion of the rind, with num erous oil glands.
III. Food value, usage
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Supplies 84% of vitam in C; 40 calories in 100 g serving.
Sweeteners -. Naringin (flavonoid) - in grapefruit, has 1000x the sweetness of sugar. Said to be a
long-lasting sweetness that is slow to develop - aftertaste like licorice or m enthol and
Neohesperidin (dihydrochalcone) - flavonoid in C. grandis, a parent of the grapefruit.
Costa Rican Fruits
M yrtaceous Fruits, Guavas
I. Taxonomy
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The Myrtaceae fam ily is a broadly distributed
group of (m ostly) tropical trees and shrubs,
with centers of origin in Australia and Brazil.
80 genera, > 3000 species, m any native to
or naturalized throughout tropical Am erica.
exam ples include Eucalyptus, Callistemon
(bottle-brush tree), Melaleuca, clove (dried
flower buds of Syzygium aromaticum),
allspice (unripe berries of Pimenta
officinalis), and bay rum (Pimenta racemosa)
The com m on guava, Psidium guajava , (guayabo) is the
m ost im portant species (pictured at top).
Other “guavas”: pineapple guava (Feijoa sellowiana),
Arazà or Brazilian Guava (Eugenia stipitata - pictured at
right)), Cattley guava, (Psidium cattleianum), and Costa
Rican guava (Psidium Friedrichsthalianum).
II. Description
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The com m on guava is a sm all, often m ulti-trunked tree,
and has striking bark- sm ooth, thin, copper-colored,
exfoliating to reveal a m ottled tan/brown appearance
(like a crape m yrtle). The m ain stem s are “bony” or
“m uscled” in appearance. Young twigs are downy and
arom atic when crushed.
Flowers are white and have a raised tuft of white
stam ens (m aybe 200 or m ore).
Fruit is round or pear-shaped, yellow when ripe, 2-4" in diam eter, with prom inent sepal rem nants at
the tip (like a pom egranate or quince). The flesh is generally salm on pink, but can be white, yellow, or
red, and contains m any sm all (1/8"), hard, yellowish seeds. They appear to be self-fruitful.
III. Food value, usage
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50-100% of Vitam in A and 100-600% of Vitam in C
(found m ostly in the outer skin). Calories 40-50.
The wood is strong and fine-grained; useful in
furniture. Good for fuel wood or charcoal.
The leaves and bark are high in tannins, and
therefore used for tanning hides. Also used to
m ake dark colored dye.
Leaves, roots, bark and im m ature fruit for halting
diarrhea, vom iting, dysentery, upset stom ach;
crushed leaves applied to wounds as a poultice or
chewed for toothache relief; leaf decoctions for
cough, throat and chest ailm ents.
Costa Rican Fruits
Inga
I.
Taxonomy
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III.
Family Fabaceae, genus
Inga.
There are about four
hundred species in the
tropics; about twenty-five
to thirty occur in Costa
Rica.
Description
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Plant: Inga species are large, canopy and sub-canopy trees recognizable by their
alternate, even-pinnate, compound leaves, often bearing a winged rachis, and usually
having glands between opposite leaflets.
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Flower: Inga flowers are arranged inflorescences that are “puffballs”: the main part
of each flower is the stamens, and it is the white filaments of the numerous stamens
that provide the visual attraction.
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Fruit: Inga fruits are large, leguminous pods of many shapes and sizes. They can be
flat green pods, square brown fuzzy pods, or long twisted pods. The seeds are usually
covered with white, sweet, edible pulp that aids in their dispersal by bird and
mammals.
Food value, usage
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Many species of Inga are economically important as shade trees in coffee and cacao
plantations.
The fruits can be eaten and are commonly know as “guaba.”
The though skin is easily removed by hand the white flesh may be eaten on its own.
Costa Rican Fruits
Jackfruit
I.
Taxonomy
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III.
Family Moraceae
Artocarpus heterophyllus
Believed to be indigenous to
southern India but cultivated
in Southeast Asia since
ancient times. From here it
spread to all tropical regions
of the world.
Description
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Plant: Jackfruit is a fast
growing tree of 10m or more in height, with the overall appearance of a wild fig tree.
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Leaves: Ovate, glossy leaves have entire margins; no lobes or teeth in contrast to its
close relative the breadfruit.
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Fruit: Cauliflorous; borne directly on the trunk or large branches. Fruit are
potentially the largest of any plant in the world. Oblong in shape, up to 1m long,
sometimes upwards of 100 lbs, green in color and have a distinctive surface texture
due to regularly spaced, small soft protuberances. The multiple fruit is formed from
an entire flower cluster that becomes fleshy. It contains several hundred individual
fruits, each with a large seed surrounded by orange-yellow flesh.
Food value, usage
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Jackfruit is relatively low in carbohydrates and energy value. It is a good source of
potassium, iron and nicotinamide.
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The yellow timber is popular for woodcarvings and furniture.
Costa Rican Fruits
Lime
I. Taxonomy
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Genus Citrus, Rutaceae fam ily
C. aurantifolia - lim es and lim e-like fruits.
Two m ain cultivars include the 'Key', which is sm all,
round, and seedy, and 'Tahiti', which is larger, oval,
and seedless.
Lim es are native to southeast Asia; they are m ore
tropical in adaptation than the other m ajor citrus
fruits. Mexico produces over 10% of the world’s
lim es, and Costa Rica produces < 0.1%.
III. Description
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Plant: Sm all, spreading, evergreen trees or shrubs. Stem s arm ed with short thorns. Leaves are
unifoliate, relatively thick and sm aller than other citrus, ovate with acute to obtuse tips, having
entire or crenulate m argins and a narrow petiole wing. Leaves contain citrus oils in glands
(“pellucid dots”) which m akes them fragrant when crushed.
Flow er: Fragrant flowers are solitary or in short cym es, borne axillary on current or previous flush
of growth. 5 petals and sepals; petals linear, som etim es curved lengthwise, white, waxy, and
thick; sepals fused at base to form a sm all cup. Ovary with 10 locules in m ost com m ercial
cultivars, superior, subtended by raised nectary disc.
Pollination: self-pollinating; ‘Tahiti’ lim es are parthenocarpic.
Fruit: A hesperidium . The endocarp (edible portion) is divided into 10-14 sections, separated by
thin septa, each containing up to 8 seeds, but usually only one seed/segm ent. Each segm ent is
com posed of juice vesicles ("pulp"), with long stalks attached to the outer wall, containing juice.
The m esocarp is the white tissue usually adherent to the outer surface of the endocarp, except for
m andarins; it is also called the albedo. The exocarp, or flavedo, is the thin, pigm ented outer
portion of the rind, with num erous oil glands.
III. Food value, usage
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Less vitam in C than other citrus, but still about 75% of RDA. Low in sugars, and up to 6% organic
acids.
Lim onene oils - in peel and leaves m ay cause contact derm atitis. These are also "photosensitizing
com pounds", m eaning that one m ay get a sunburn rash if juice gets on skin while exposed to UV
light. (agent = furocoum arin?).
Volatile oils - In m any species these are used to scent cream s, sham poos, etc.
Costa Rican Fruits
M ango
I. Taxonomy
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The Mango, Mangifera indica, is the m ost
econom ically im portant fruit in the
Anacardiaceae or poison ivy fam ily.
Two m ain types: 1) Indochinese - flattened,
kidney shaped, green-yellow, pictured at left,
2) W est Indian - rounded, red blushed. In the
USA, W est Indian is com m on.
Native to southeastern Asia to India.
Over half of world production is from India, with Mexico (#2), Brazil, and Haiti the only im portant
producers in tropical Am erica. Costa Rica produces <1% of the world crop.
II. Description
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Plant: Large, long-lived tree with broad, rounded canopy (to 20-30m , <10m in cultivation).
Long, narrow leaves
Flow ers: Tiny, red-yellow; 25-98% %, the rem aining perfect or fem ale, in panicles of hundreds or
a few thousand individuals. Flowering occurs in the dry season
Pollination: m ostly self-fertile
Fruit: Large drupe. Large, kidney-shaped central stone contains one or m ore large, starchy
em bryos. The skin has yellow or green background color, with red/orange blush in W est Indian
cultivars. Skin contains irritating oils; skin reactions sim ilar to poison ivy exposure often occur fruit should always be peeled, and a clean knife used to slice flesh. The flesh is yellow/orange in
color, som etim es astringent (turpentine-like) and stringy in lower quality cultivars. Fruit ripens in 47 m onths. Alternate bearing m ay occur in trees over 10 years; fruiting m ay be sporadic across the
canopy.
III. Food value, usage
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High in Vitam in A (20% of RDA) and
Vitam in C (up to 200% of RDA). Calories 63.
Milky sap or latex causes derm atitis m uch
like poison ivy. Cattle m ay be killed by
ingestion of m ango leaves.
Chew sticks are m ade from twigs and
leaves in India and Panam a.
Astringents, and rem edies for bronchitis,
internal hem orrhage, and toothache are
m ade from twigs and leaves.
Uterine hem orrhages are treated with
m ango fruit skin in som e tropical countries.
Costa Rican Fruits
Mombins (Jocote)
I.
Taxonomy
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Description
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III.
Family Anacardiaceae
Spondias mombin (previously known as
S. lutea); called “jocote” in CR.
Spondias purpurea also called Spanish
plum or Jamaican plum (pictured right).
Indigenous to Tropical America.
Plant: Small to medium tree of up to
10m in height. Purple mombin is deciduous in dry forest regions.
Leaves: Compound leaves comprising
seven to nine pairs of pointed leaflets.
Flowers: Small white flowers are
arranged in loose clusters.
Fruit: Yellow, orange, or red plumlike fruits the size of eggs. The fruit is
crisp and tangy when unripe, turning
sweet, soft, juicy, and somewhat fibrous
when ripe.
Food value, usage
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Fruits are used both ripe and unripe.
Fruits are eaten raw sometimes with salt.
The ripe fruits are turned into jams, jellies, pickles, and chutney.
The fruits are also included in tropical fruit mixes and can be blended with milk,
ice cream, or liquors to create sweet cold drinks.
The fruits contribute small amounts of minerals, carotenoids, and vitamins to the
diet.
Costa Rican Fruits
Sweet Orange
I. Taxonomy
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Citrus sinensis (naranja)
Rutaceae fam ily
Sweet oranges probably arose in
India. Oranges are cultivated in
greater quantities than any other
citrus fruit. They achieve best
quality in subtropical, not tropical
clim ates. Brazil leads the world in
production, with 28% of the crop, and
Costa Rica produces <1% .
4 m ajor types:
1. Com mon or round oranges (juice,
fresh m arket; e.g. ‘Valencia’)
2. Blood oranges (red-juiced variants,
‘Moro’)
3. Navel oranges (a secondary ovary
em bedded at the stylar end; ‘W ashington’)
4. Acidless oranges (odd group with low
acid, insipidly sweet).
II. Description
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Plant: Sm all, spreading, evergreen tree. Vigorous stem s arm ed with long thorns. Leaves are
unifoliate, relatively thick, ovate with acute to obtuse tips, having entire or crenulate m argins and a
m oderate petiole wing. Leaves contain citrus oils in glands (“pellucid dots”) which m akes them
fragrant when crushed.
Flow er: Fragrant flowers are in short cym es, axillary on current or previous flush of growth. 5
petals and sepals; petals linear, som etim es curved lengthwise, white, waxy, and thick; sepals
fused at base to form a sm all cup. Ovary with 10-14 locules, each with 4-8 seeds. Ovary, superior,
subtended by raised nectary disc.
Pollination: Self-pollinating or parthenocarpic
Fruit: A hesperidium . The endocarp (edible portion) divided into 10-14 sections, separated by thin
septa. Each segm ent is com posed of juice vesicles ("pulp"), with long stalks attached to the outer
wall, containing juice. The m esocarp is the white tissue usually adherent to the outer surface of
the endocarp, except for m andarins; it is also called the albedo. The exocarp, or flavedo, is the
thin, pigm ented outer portion of the rind, with num erous oil glands.
III. Food value, usage
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up to 109%RDA of vitam in C; Calories - 44.
Sweet orange peel is used in Panam a for toothache relief.
Leaf decoctions of sour orange used as m outh m outhwash or gargle for sore throat. Sour orange
- Said to be good for headache, fever, dysentery, ophthalm ia, oral infections, verm ifuge, vom iting.
wash or gargle for sore throat.
Myth/folklore - Because the orange tree bears flowers and fruits at the sam e tim e, it was used in
fertility rituals and weddings - the white flower sym bolized virginity, and the fruits sym bolized
fertility.
Costa Rican Fruits
Papaya
I. Taxonomy
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Carica papaya, Caricaceae fam ily.
Native from Southern Mexico through Central Am erica.
It was spread to the south by Indians, and throughout
the Caribbean with Spanish exploration.
Papaya ranks about 18 th in im portance as a fruit crop
worldwide, with Brazil producing 25% of the world’s
crop; although abundant in m arkets in Costa Rica, it
produces < 1% of the world crop.
II. Description
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Plant: Large, herbaceous perennial, to 10m , <6m in cultivation. Leaves are spirally arranged on a
hollow stem (“trunk”), with petioles 1-3.5 ft in length and blades deeply lobed, 1-2 ft in width. Stem
and leaves produce white latex.
Flow ers: Plants are dioecious or herm aphroditic, with only & or herm aphrodites used in
cultivation. Pistillate flowers are waxy, ivory white, and borne on short stalks, perfect flowers are
sim ilar with bright yellow anthers.
Pollination: Herm aphrodites self-fruitful, fem ales m ust be cross-pollinated.
Fruit: Large, oval to round berries; m elon-like. Fruit borne axillary on the m ain stem . Fruits from
fem ale flowers are m ore round in shape and thin-skinned, whereas fruits from bisexual flowers
are the typical pyriform /oval shape with thicker skin. Flesh is yellow-orange to salm on at m aturity,
the edible portion surrounding the large, central seed cavity. Hundreds of sm all black seeds (3/16
inch). Fruit production occurs year-round since flowering is continuous; individual fruits m ature in
120-150 days. Plants begin bearing in 8-10 m onths.
III. Food value, usage
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Vitam in A @ 48% of RDA, Vitam in C @ 80%.
Calories - 43.
Milky latex m ay cause derm atitis.
Toothache relief - the inner bark is used for this in
Sam oa.
Am ebicide - latex and seeds used in C. Am erica
to kill Entamoeba histolytica which causes
dysentery and liver abscesses.
Cosm etics - papaya fruit pulp is the basic
com ponent of m any facial cream s, salves, and
sham poos.
Papain - is one of two proteolytic enzym es (the
other is chym opapain) found in papaya latex.
Papain is extrem ely useful since it retains
proteolytic activity over a wide pH range, unlike
other proteases. Papain is used during surgical
procedures to dissolve ruptured spinal discs; it is
referred to as “nature’s scalpel” because it
preferentially degrades dead tissue.
Costa Rican Fruits
Passion Fruit
I.
Taxonomy
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II.
Description
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Plant: A vigorous climbing vine with
smooth, deeply lobed, toothed leaves and
spiraling climbing tendrils.
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Flower: The white/purple flowers are
strikingly beautiful and contain
numerous stamens and characteristic curved styles.
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Fruit: An egg-shaped berry with a tough skin. It can be purple or yellow, and is
somewhat wrinkled at maturity. It contains numerous seeds with fleshy, sweet or sour
arils, containing the juice.
Two types are grown: the common purple-fruited, sweet, black-seeded type which has
the flowers open in the morning and the yellow-fruited sour, brown-seeded type
which has the flowers open in the afternoon.
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III.
Family Passifloraceae
Passiflora edulis is main species
(pictured right); several other edible
Passiflora species, such as sweet
granadilla (P. ligularis pictured below).
Indigenous to southern Brazil, Paraguay
and Argentina. Introduced to the rest of
the world by the Spanish; commercially
important worldwide.
Food value, usage
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Passion fruit is mainly eaten fresh or the fruit pulp is used in drinks, yogurts, and
desserts. Purple fruits are preferred for eating, while the more acidic yellow type has
become an important commercial source of juice for the beverage industry.
The fruit pulp yields fair amounts of Vitamin C, carotenoids, Vitamin A,
Phosphorous, and Potassium.
Costa Rican Fruits
Pineapple
I. Taxonomy
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Ananas comosus, Brom eliaceae fam ily
‘Sm ooth Cayenne' is the m ain variety, selected and cultivated
by Venezuelan Indians for its large, juicy fruit and lack of
spines on leaves.
Native to southern Brazil and Paraguay, probably distributed
throughout tropical Am erica and the Caribbean by Carib
Indians. Pineapple achieves best quality in hot, tropical
lowlands, and is drought tolerant enough to tolerate an
extended dry season. Tiny Costa Rica boasts a #6 ranking in
world pineapple production, and is the m ain exported to the
USA.
II. Description
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Plant: Herbaceous m onocot, 1-1.5m tall and 1m wide. Short, central stem inconspicuous in the
center of rosette of long (1-2m ), linear leaves, with spines at tips and m argins, except m any
cultivated types which are spineless.
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Flow ers: Sm all, purple-red, subtended by a single yellow, green or red bract, borne laterally on
elongating central stem in a spike of 100-200 individuals. Apex of inflorescence is vegetative,
becom ing the "crown" on the fruit, which can be used for propagation. Flowering induced by
chem ical/ethylene exposure when plants are 6-12 m onths.
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Pollination: Flowers self-sterile; seedless fruit are set parthenocarpically.
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Fruit: A cone-shaped, m ultiple of berries, form ed from the fusion of adjacent flowers on the spike,
and developm ent of ovaries into the fleshy, edible portion. The "core" is the fleshy rachis of the
spike. Fruit covered with waxy, leathery rind, m ade up of hexagonal "eyes", arranged spirally,
which denote the position of individual flowers. One
fruit per plant is produced. Plants generally produce
fruit in 15-18 m onths from transplanting.
III. Food value, usage
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More flavor than substance - only 20% of
RDA vitam in C, 49 calories.
Young, tender shoots and term inal buds
(inflorescences) are eaten in salads or
cooked in Africa and Guatem ala.
Brom elain - Proteolytic enzym e obtained
from juices; sim ilar to papain of papaya.
Tenderizes m eat, chill-proofs beer,
stabilizes latex paint, useful in tanning
leather; m ay cause derm atitis.
Fibers - from leaves used in coarse textiles,
thread, casting nets, underwear (!)
Costa Rican Fruits
Pitahaya
I.
Taxonomy
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II.
III.
Family Cactaceae
Hylocereus undatus
Native to Central America,
widely cultivated in tropical
regions of the world. Crop
development and commercial
production is underway, mainly
in Columbia, Nicaragua, Israel
and Vietnam; marketed as
“dragon fruit”.
Description
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Plant: An epiphytic cactus,
where cladodes arranged end-toend give the appearance of a
succulent creeping vine. Stems
are three-angled, thorny, and
climb by means of fibrous aerial
roots.
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Flowers: Large, white,
terminally borne flowers open at
night and last for only one night.
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Fruit: Pink, red, or purple
outside, and purple inside with numerous small black seeds embedded in the pulp.
They are self-incompatible and have to be cross pollinated by bats and moths, or by
hand.
Food value, usage
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Pitahaya can be eaten fresh or chilled by cutting in half and scooping out the flesh
with a spoon. They can also be processed to make juice, wine, liqueur and puree for
ice cream.
Ripe fruits contain 10-12% carbohydrates. The vitamin C content is about 8mg per
100g, or about 1/5 the daily amount required in diet.
Costa Rican Fruits
Rambutan
I.
Taxonomy
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II.
III.
Family Sapindaceae
Nephelium lappaceum
Originated in Malaysia,
commercial cultivation has
spread throughout Southeast
Asia and more recently to
Zanzibar, Madagascar, Central
America and Australia.
“Rambutan” is derived from
rambut, the Malay word for hair.
Description
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Plant: An evergreen tree of up to 15m in height with large leaves and small,
yellowish flowers that develop into clusters of about ten.
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Flowers: Very small, green, apetalous flowers are produced terminally in panicles of
several hundred flowers. Can be male, female, or hermaphroditic.
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Fruit: Small, red or yellow fruits are covered with a thick rind having many
prominent, soft hairs. Each fruit has a single large seed surrounded by a soft white
fleshy aril.
Food value, usage
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The ripe fruits are used for food.
Trees are grown from seeds or cuttings.
The trees thrive in moist, tropical conditions.
The though skin is easily removed by hand the white flesh may be eaten on its own.
Rambutans may also be processed into jams and are available in canned form.
Fresh arils contain about 15% sugar and are rich in vitamin C.
Costa Rican Fruits
Sapotaceous Fruits - Zapote, zapote
mamey, chico
I. Taxonomy
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Sapotaceae; 40 genera, 600 species, native to the Old
W orld tropics and tropical Am erica. Distinguishing features:
milky sap, which is used for latex in the chewing gum tree.
“Sapote” derives from the Aztec “tzapotl”, a term they applied
to all small, soft, sweet fruits.
Sapodilla - Manilkara zapot [sapodilla, chicozapote,
chicle, chico].
Sapote or Mam ey sapote - Pouteria sapota [zapote
colorado, zapotillo, m am ey colorado, m am ey rojo].
II. Description.
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Sapodilla - tall (to 30m), slow growing tropical tree. Fruit
round/ovoid, 2-4", borne prom inently near shoot tips. Skin
light brown, scurfy textured, thin, flesh tan/red-brown, with
grit cells. Several large (3/4") black seeds, hooked at narrow end.
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Mam ey sapote - tropical lowlands from S. Mexico to
Nicaragua. Large leaves (12"), conspicuously whorled at
branch tips. Cauliflorous; flowers borne in axils of longfallen leaves. Fruit larger, up to 9", football shaped, up to
5 lbs. Scurfy brown, leathery skin and bright orange
m ealy flesh; tastes like pum pkin. 4 very large (2-3"),
glossy, pointed, black seeds.
III. Food value, usage
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Sapodilla - ripe fruit can reach 17-24% sugar, and are
rather low in acid; the flesh is pleasantly sweet, rich and
juicy, with the texture of a pear.
Sapodilla seeds can cause abdom inal pain and vom iting
if eaten. Fruit skin high in tannin; decoctions of young
fruit and other plant parts are used to halt diarrhea. The
latex is used for chewing gum com m ercially, in dental
surgery, filling of cavities, and the ancient Aztecs used it
to m odel figurines. The wood is excellent for supporting
beam s, railway ties, flooring, furniture, tool handles,
archer’s bows, and cabinetry. Mayan tem ples have been
unearthed with intact beam s of this wood.
Mamey sapote fruits were said to have sustained Cortez and
his army during his conquest Central America. Fruit eaten like
sapodilla; halved and spooned out. Makes great ice cream, sherbet, milk shakes. The large seeds are very
useful: The kernel is boiled, roasted, then mixed with chocolate (as an adulterant!!) or with corn, sugar and
cinnamon to make a “smoothee” called “pozol” in southern Mexico. The seed meal can be used to starch
linens, and the kernel yields about 50% gelatinous oil which is edible but holds most promise in soap or
cosmetic manufacture. The oil is diuretic, and was used against epilepsy by the Aztecs. W ood can
be used for furniture/cabinetry, but trees are rarely cut. The m ilky sap has anthelm inthic (com bats
worm s) properties, and is used to treat warts and skin fungus
Costa Rican Fruits
TAMARIND
Taxonomy
a.
Family- Fabaceae,
Tamarindus indica.
b.
Native to eastern Africa, and
the dry deciduous forests of
Madagascar.
Description
a.
PLANT: A tree, it can grow up
to 20 m tall and has complex
leaves with 10-40 leaflets.
Stays evergreen in areas
without a dry season.
b.
FLOWERS: Inflorescence is a
raceme.
c.
FRUIT: Within the brown
legume pods is the soft edible
pulp with many hard seeds.
Food value, commercial usage
a.
Spice- Immature fruit pulp is an ingredient in Worcestershire sauce
because it is sour and acidic, however after ripening it is sweet and used
in desserts, drinks, or snacks. It is used in many other recipes for soups,
chutneys, etc., and in some areas as a candy.
b.
Wood- The wood is very hard, durable, and an attractive red color which
making it ideal for furniture.
c.
Medicinal- The pulp, leaves, and bark are used traditionally as an aid to
malaria fever and gastric/digestion problems.
Costa Rican Fruits
Water Apple
I.
Taxonomy
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II.
Family Myrtaceae
Syzygium aqueum
Indigenous to Malaysia.
Description
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Plant: A large,
evergreen shrub or
small tree with leathery
leaves and
Flowers: Striking, white or pinkish flowers are borne in clusters along
branches. Typical myrtaceous floral morphology with inferior ovaries,
tetramerous perianth, and numerous, protruding stamens.
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III.
Fruit: Pear-shaped, white to pink colored fruit with a spongy or mealy texture
and weak, floral flavor.
Food value, usage
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Trees are usually grown for ornamental purposes.
They are rarely grown in commercial plantations.
The fruits are usually eaten fresh and are enjoyed more for their crisp texture
than for their flavor.
They have a low energy value of about 17Kcal per 100g.
The carbohydrate level in ripe fruits is about 4g per 100g and there is a fair
amount of vitamin C about 15g per 100g.
Costa Rican Fruits