Black Sapote Is the Must-Try Fruit That Tastes Just Like Chocolate Pudding

From pineapples, coconuts, and papayas to passion fruit and cherimoyas, tropical fruits open up a new world of flavor with each taste, whether sliced into fruit salads, mixed into cocktails (hello, piña coladas), or added to savory dishes. Lesser-known and more exotic is black sapote, dubbed the "chocolate pudding fruit" by those in the know. A fruit that draws comparisons to everyone's favorite childhood dessert (or guilty pleasure) is certainly intriguing. We reached out to tropical fruit specialists to learn more about black sapote, including what it looks like, if it really does taste like chocolate pudding, where to find it, and the best ways to enjoy it.

What Is Black Sapote?

Rich in antioxidants, black sapote is a tropical fruit that resembles a flattened tomato and tastes like chocolate pudding.

A Cousin of the Persimmon

"Black sapote, also called black soap apple, is a close cousin to the persimmon and is sometimes referred to as black persimmon,” says Desiree Pardo Morales, founder and president of Tropical Fruit Box. This Miami-based online purveyor grows and procures tropical and exotic fruit. The botanical name for black sapote is Diospyros digyna. It is part of the Ebenaceae family and grows on medium-sized trees with evergreen leaves. High in vitamin C and vitamin A, it has many cultivars, including Bernicker and Reineke (aka Merida), which are round or oval, sometimes resembling a flattened tomato, and range from two to five inches in diameter.

Not Botanically a Sapote

Another fun fact: this delicacy has no botanical links to other fruits called sapote. "Black sapote is not at all related to mamey sapote or white sapote," says Morales. Julian Lara, owner of Lara Farms Miami, which specializes in rare tropical fruit trees and fruits in South Miami-Dade County's agricultural district, says that the word sapote can apply to a range of fruits. "Sapote is an Indigenous word in Central America, where it's from, and it means sweet, soft fruit."

Tracking Down Black Sapote

Black sapote is native to Mexico, Central America, and western South America. The Mayas called it tauch, the Aztecs, tzapoti, and they spread it around Central America, while the Spanish colonists brought the fruit to the Caribbean, parts of the Philippines, and Indonesia. Stateside today, it's cultivated in Hawaii and South Florida. "Black sapote thrives in warm subtropical and tropical climates like Florida," says Morales. "It is not widely grown and usually consumed by locals familiar with the fruit." 

That said, both Morales and Lara ship nationwide and have found ardent fans of black sapote and other tropical fruits far from the palm trees and postcard-perfect beaches of Miami. "Pretty much the whole country is filled with people with greenhouses that want to grow black sapote or mango or guava—even in greenhouses in Minnesota!" says Lara. Adds Morales: "For consumers looking for rare fruit, black sapote is highly sought-after."

When Black Sapote Is in Season—And How to Tell When It's Ripe

In Florida, black sapote is harvested from late November through February or March. The fruit is picked and shipped when it's still hard and the skin is olive-green. It takes anywhere from five to 14 days to ripen at room temperature; once ripe, it can be refrigerated for up to a week. As it softens, the fruit develops a faint sweet aroma and wrinkly skin."You have to wait until they are dark brown, almost black, then, that's it, you go at it, grab a spoon, and start scooping it out," says Lara.

What Does It Taste Like?

Black sapote's flavor is similar to a low-sugar chocolate pudding or chocolate whipped cream, says Lara. Morales notes that the flesh is a dark brown chocolatey color with a custard-like texture similar to avocado. "It actually has a medley of tastes that can best be described as a sweet, subtle flavor, with a hint of butternut squash and a honey finish," she says.

That sweetness, Lara adds, doesn't announce itself straightaway. "You don't get the sugar till the aftertaste—it takes your palate a few moments to get a taste of the sugar, and once your palate picks it up, it's really sweet."

How to Use Black Sapote

Delicious on its own, black sapote is also a versatile ingredient. "Black sapote can be enjoyed raw or as part of a nutritious yet decadent dessert," says Morales. "It's commonly used for brownies, and it also emulsifies well for ice cream and makes a great smoothie."

"In Mexico, they take it and put it in the blender with orange juice and serve it as a refreshment," says Lara. In Central America and especially Mexico, he says, it's also made into a pudding with roasted peanuts and a splash of rum. 

At home, Lara also uses black sapote to unleash his culinary creativity. He makes black sapote milkshakes fortified with a tablespoon of cream cheese, and he dehydrates it, too, which makes it chewy and interesting. His neighbor, he adds, swaps black sapote for the bananas in banana bread. The fruits have a similar consistency. "It's excellent," he says.