2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Ikako (lat. Chrysobalanus icaco) - woody fruit plant from the Chrysobalanaceae family. People call ikako coconut or golden plum.
Description
Ikako is an evergreen tree or shrub, the height of which ranges from one to six meters.
Leathery oval leaves of ikako reach a width of two and a half to seven centimeters, and in length - from three to ten centimeters. And the color of the leaves can vary from light red to greenish.
Collected in compact inflorescences, miniature white ikako flowers usually appear in late spring.
And closer to the end of summer, wonderful fruits appear. All of them are collected in oval clusters and painted in dark purple or pale yellow tones with a slight pinkish blush. And in size and shape, ikako fruits are similar to plums. As for their taste, it is usually sweet and sour and slightly tart. By the way, the white pulp of the fruit separates very poorly from the inside of the seed.
Where grows
Icaco grows mainly in inland areas and near sea beaches throughout tropical Africa, the Caribbean and South America. In addition, this culture can be found in the south of the Bahamas and Florida.
Application
Ikako fruits can be eaten unprocessed or made into excellent jams and jellies. This fruit is no worse for baking.
The bark and leaves of this plant are actively used to treat diabetes, diarrhea and dysentery. And tea made from its leaves is excellent for kidney and bladder problems.
These fruits have a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract, and due to the high content of the most delicate fiber in them, they have proven themselves well in the difficult matter of getting rid of constipation. The pectins contained in ikako help to remove salts of heavy metals and radionuclides from the body, as well as reduce blood cholesterol levels. It is especially good to use these fruits with high blood pressure and various kidney diseases - they have a lot of potassium. In addition, they are very useful for heart ailments - ikako fruits have a pronounced diuretic effect and help to normalize water metabolism. And in Brazil, this fruit is actively used during the treatment of rheumatism and diabetes mellitus.
The pulp of ikako has long been used as a black paint, and oil is squeezed out of the seeds of the fruit, which has gained immense popularity among the local peoples of America. This oil is used in the manufacture of various lubricants, as well as soaps and candles.
Ikako are often planted for decorative purposes. Despite the fact that this culture does not withstand frost at all, its coastal varieties are highly resistant to salt, so they are often planted along the coast - this measure helps prevent erosion, which is destructive for them.
Ikako, like plums, can be stored for a long time. Moreover, not only a refrigerator, but also a basement is suitable for storing these fruits. And thanks to the high density of the ikako fruits, they can be easily transported over long distances.
Contraindications
There are currently no special contraindications to the use of these fruits, so in this case it makes sense to focus only on individual intolerance.
And since ikako is an exotic and unusual fruit for us, you should not eat too much for the first time. For the first sample, one hundred grams will be quite enough - if this is not followed by an allergic reaction or any other unexpected reactions of the body, then the dosage of ikako can be gradually increased to three hundred to four hundred grams.
