2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Lucuma (lat. Pouteria lucuma) - fruit evergreen tree, reckoned to the Sapotov family.
Description
Lucuma is a tree reaching a height of eight to fifteen meters, covered with dense brown bark containing a large amount of sticky latex, colored milky. The crowns of trees are always very dense, and oval or elliptical leaves are leathery. They are rather pale below, and bright dark green above. As for their length, it ranges from twelve and a half to twenty five centimeters. And the flowers of this plant sit in the leaf axils, one to three pieces.
The fruits of lucuma, which can be either oval or flattened elliptical, reach a length of seven and a half to ten centimeters. The top is covered with a skin endowed with an attractive reddish-brownish blush. The pulp contained within the fruit is sweet, mealy, rather dry and very strong. Until then, until she is overripe, she is generously impregnated with latex. And inside the pulp are glossy black-brown seeds in an amount of one to five pieces.
Each adult tree is capable of producing up to five hundred kilograms of fruit per year. In South American countries in lean years, as well as during epidemics of various diseases or pest outbreaks, Turkish delight regularly saved a huge number of people from inevitable death. It is for this that she received the very flattering name "tree of life", and the Americans affectionately call her "the lost harvest of the Incas."
Where grows
Delight is home to Southeast Ecuador, Chile and Peru. Now this crop is grown not only in its historical homeland - it can often be seen in Mexico and Costa Rica, as well as in Hawaii and Bolivia. Lucuma can grow at an altitude of three thousand meters.
Application
Lokuma is eaten fresh, and also canned, stewed in its own juice, a wonderful refreshing juice is obtained from it, or pulp is added to pies. However, most often this fruit is still dried, and then it is used in a ground form as an additive to ice cream or sweet desserts. And frozen pulp is actively exported to other countries.
These fruits are considered an excellent source of beta-carotene - it is from it that the human body subsequently synthesizes vitamin A. It is rich in Turkish delight and vitamin C, and it also contains a lot of niacin, which prevents the formation of blood clots and plays an important role in the prevention of diseases such as atherosclerosis. And its high phosphorus and iron content makes this attractive fruit incredibly beneficial for dental and bone health. In addition, Turkish delight will be useful for too heavy menstruation, as well as during the recovery period after serious ailments and after all kinds of surgical interventions.
Lucuma is also recommended for people who have problems with tissue regeneration, and the fiber contained in these fruits perfectly helps to cope with constipation and has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
And since lucuma boasts a fairly high sugar content, its powder is often used as a sweetener. By the way, recently it has been actively used in the production of baby food (instead of sugar) - its powder can often be seen in all kinds of milk mixtures. And the calorie content of this fruit is very high - 329 kcal for every 100 g of pulp (chocolate and very fatty meat have about the same calorie content).
As for the seeds of lucuma, they are very rich in oil, which is famous for its high cosmetic value.
Contraindications
You should not eat Turkish delight for obesity and diabetes, as it is very high in calories and rich in sugars. Individual intolerance is not excluded. Also, in order to avoid the appearance of caries, the mouth should be rinsed with water after eating lucuma.
