Masuku

What it is

Masuku is the fruit of Uapaca kirkiana, also known in English as wild loquat. The round fruit reaches about 3.3 cm (1.3 in) across. Inside the tough skin, the yellowish pulp surrounds three or four seeds. The sweetness and pear-like flavour are in that flesh, which is eaten fresh or separated from the seeds for jam.

Where it comes from

The tree is native to a broad stretch of Africa that includes Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. It grows in miombo woodland, including open areas and gaps between trees. Its names change with the language: musuku in Bemba and muzhanje in Shona. Spreading branches give it a dense, rounded crown.

How it's eaten where it grows

In Zimbabwe, mazhanje is a fresh snack and a fruit for preserves. Cook Princess Tafadzwa scoops out the flesh and seeds, presses them through a sieve, then cooks the strained pulp with sugar and lemon juice for jam. Her mazhanje hand pies sandwich the jam between two sheets of pastry and are eaten warm.

In Malawi, masuku also goes into napolo ukana, an opaque beer. In Malawi and Zambia, it is also made into wine.

How it's grown

The trees reach 5–12 m (16–39 ft) tall. Well-drained, acidic sandy or gravelly ground suits them, with frost-free sites giving the best conditions. Flowering peaks in the rainy season. The fruit then takes five to eight months to develop, carrying on through the dry season into the next rains.

When and where you'll find it

In Dedza, Malawi, the usual market season runs from October through January. The people selling at roadside markets also gather the fruit. All season they knock mature but unripe fruit from the trees and ripen it in soil, bags or clay pots. In December and January, they also gather fruit that has fallen on its own.

Fresh masuku has a short life. In Dedza’s roadside trade, the fruit keeps for only about three or four days after ripening before it shrivels, softens too far or the pulp browns and dries.