Mammee Apple

Mamey (pronounced mah-may) apples are tropical fruits, botanically classified as Mammea americana and related to the mangosteen. Though they are sometimes referred to as Mamey sapote or Mamey Sapote Americana, they are not related to the red-fleshed, mamey sapote. Mammee apple is a popular fruit in Jamaica and South America. You can call it the Santo Domingo apricot or South American apricot. Mamey apples are also known as Santo Domingo apricot, Tropical apricot, or Mammee. Unlike other stone fruits that are considered to be drupes, Mamey apples are botanically identified as berries.

Mamey apples are a peculiar-looking tropical fruit. The fruit, which is oblong or almost oblong, can get as big as a tiny cantaloupe and have a diameter of between 10 and 20 cm. Like a mango, the light brownish-gray skin is firm and has a similar texture. The smooth, golden yellow or orange flavorful flesh has a pleasant scent. Depending on the degree of ripeness, it can either be hard and crisp or soft and juicy. A Mamey apple has a flavor that is similar to passionfruit and apricot with a tinge of berry flavor and some tang. Within the center of the fruit lies a seed much like a peach pit; smaller fruits will have one seed and larger fruits may have up to four. The portion of the flesh nearest to the seeds may be slightly bitter.