Guapeva

What it is

Guapeva here is Pouteria torta, the fruit also called abiurana pilosa. Its rounded fruit measures about 4–6 cm (1.6–2.4 in) across. The yellow coat has fine hairs, and the white pulp wraps around one to four seeds.

The flesh has a thick, gelatinous texture. Large seeds take up space inside, and the fruit holds some latex. The white pulp is the part eaten; for cooking, it is scooped out and separated from the seeds.

Where it comes from

Guapeva grows across a long stretch of Brazil, from the Amazon region to Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Goiás, Bahia, São Paulo and Paraná. It is a rainforest tree that also grows in forests that shed part of their leaves, and where those forests give way to the cerrado. It grows most often along riverbanks and on low, flood-built ground beside rivers.

How it's eaten where it grows

In Brazil’s Centre-West, doce de guapeva turns the pulp into a spoonable sweet. The fruit is cut open, the seeds removed and the flesh lifted out with a spoon. It then cooks in sugar dissolved in water until it sets to the right thickness.

The pulp also goes into cake fillings and ice cream. To keep it, the pulp is packed in plastic bags and refrigerated.

How it's grown

Guapeva comes from both wild trees and home orchards. Under cultivation, a young tree can begin to bear fruit at three to four years. Its seeds need a quick start: drying them destroys their ability to sprout, so they are planted fresh after the pulp is removed.

When and where you'll find it

In Goiás, the fruit usually ripens from January through March. Wild gathering and home orchards are routes to the fresh fruit in Brazil. In Campina do Monte Alegre, São Paulo, the private Jardim Botânico das Frutas Raras grows abiurana pilosa among its fruit trees and welcomes visits by arrangement.