Star Apple

The Star Apple is also known as the caimito (botanical name: chrysophyllum cainito.) This beautiful shade tree has glossy dark green leaves with a silky bronze color underneath. The trunk provides heavy, excellent wood for fuel and crafts. Star apple (caimito) is a favorite in the Caribbean and central America, where it originated, as well as in southeast asia. The latex of the fruit is occasionally used to treat wounds.

The star apple is a round, baseball sized fruit that has a star-shaped core that becomes visible when the fruit is cut through its width. The star apple fruit usually comes in two forms, either the dark purple skinned variety with a red and purple pulp, or the green skinned variety with a clear white pulp. We ate the green skinned variety in the Philippines. The pulp is soft and sweet, with a mild grape-like flavor, and is best eaten fresh. The pulp is usually spooned out to avoid the bitter tasting skin. The fresh fruit can be added to salads, drinks, and other dishes.