Ilama

What it is

An ilama can be heart-shaped or rounded, about 15 cm (6 in) long. Its rind ranges from pale green to pink or purple, with a grey-white coating and raised bumps. The flesh surrounds hard brown seeds and varies from fairly dry to juicy, with a smooth, custardy texture near the rind. Tierra Caliente also has locally named blue-pulp types.

Where it comes from

Ilama, Annona diversifolia, is native to southern Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador. In Mexico’s Tierra Caliente, it grows among homes and fields as well as in mountain plots. San Antonio de las Huertas has trees in backyards and along the edges of maize fields, keeping the fruit close to everyday farming.

How it's eaten where it grows

In Sinaloa, ilama is eaten straight from the fruit or made into aguas, fruit drinks, and nieve, a frozen dessert. Scooped flesh also makes a simple chilled bowl with cream and sugar, or a squeeze of lime or lemon. The pulp is the part eaten; the hard seeds come out.

Colour matters locally. El Ocotillo favours white flesh, while San Antonio de las Huertas and Tejupilco keep a wider range of colours. Those choices help decide which trees people grow for the next crop.

How it's grown

The small tree usually grows to about 7.6 m (25 ft) and grows best with a dry season followed by heavy rain. Growers save seeds from fruit they value; grafting also carries a preferred variety onto another tree’s roots. Traditionally, fruit stays on the tree until the rind starts to crack. Fruit picked too early does not ripen.

When and where you'll find it

Near San Martín de las Flores, in Atoyac, Guerrero, gathering usually begins in the last week of August and peaks around mid-September. In Sinaloa, fruit from Jesús María reaches sellers outside Mercado Garmendia. Ilama keeps for only days after picking and travels poorly, making markets near its growing areas the natural place to meet it fresh.