Large-leaved cordia fruit

What it is

The fruit of Cordia africana is smooth and round, about 1.3–1.5 cm (½–⅝ in) long. Green fruit turns yellow to orange as it matures, with a small cup of old flower parts left at the base. The edible part is the mature pulp around the hard stone.

The tree earns its large-leaved name with broad leaves, dark green above and paler and velvety underneath. Clusters of sweet-scented white flowers cover the crown before the fruit forms.

Where it comes from

Large-leaved cordia grows across much of Africa and into Arabia. Its native range includes Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, extends south to South Africa, and reaches Saudi Arabia and Yemen. In Ethiopia it is wanza in Amharic and waddessa in Oromiffa. It grows in warm, moist woodland and along rivers, and is one of the first trees to return as forest regrows.

How it's eaten where it grows

In rural Ethiopia, children often eat the fruit. In Tigray in the north, it is also dried and stored. Traditional drying leaves the fruit hanging on its branches, much as dates can dry on a palm. The dried fruit is mainly kept for household eating, while the small local trade centres on fresh fruit.

How it's grown

The tree usually stands 4–15 m (13–49 ft) tall, with a rounded or umbrella-shaped crown. It starts flowering at about 3–5 years old and is sensitive to frost. Farmers plant it to shade coffee, or leave it standing in their fields, where its wide crown shades other crops.

When and where you'll find it

In Sudan, fruiting usually runs from January through April. In Tigray, northern Ethiopia, fresh cordia fruit reaches small local markets, where sellers lay it out in open bowls. Dried fruit belongs mainly to household stores there, rather than to the market trade.