Caimito (Chrysophyllum cainito) is an extremely common backyard and roadside fruit in the Philippines. It would seem reasonable to assume that it has centuries of history here but it turns out it’s only been around for 100 years. A native to the West Indies and Central America, the first seeds/trees were apparently introduced by W.S. Lyon, a horticulturalist with the Philippine Bureau of Plant Industry, in 1905. Happy 100th anniversary, Caimito! The Caimito fruit has a star like design when it is sliced, hence its common name Star Apple. It has a soft, extremely sweet flesh that is delicious when cold. It is another one of those summer fruits that bring back childhood memories of kids on summer vacation and hanging out under a tree laden with ripe fruit. Caimito are right smack at the peak of their harvest season just now. If you don’t have a tree in your neighborhood get some fruit at the markets. They taste best when picked ripe from the tree, they don’t keep too well nor travel without bruising so they are generally consumed near the tree… At the market today there were these brilliant specimens at P30 a kilo with roughly 3 fruit to a kilo.
While the fruit is available elsewhere in Asia, it is not as common as here in the Philippines. We generally have two varieties: (cainito blanco) or white caimito and (cainito morado) or purple caimito as shown in the photograph above. Besides the fruits, the tree has spectacular foliage, with dark green leaves possessing a golden underside. The wood is also apparently a favored anchor for orchid plants. I have only consumed this fruit in its fresh state though I have read that people make preserves or other dishes with it in other parts of the world.