Monkey plum

What it is

Monkey plum is Dacryodes klaineana, also called African cherry fruit. Each oval fruit is about 2 cm (0.8 in) long and 1.5 cm (0.6 in) across, a little flattened at the sides and pointed at the tip.

The outside turns orange when ripe. Beneath it is fragrant, fleshy pulp surrounding one stone about 2 cm (0.8 in) long, with a single seed inside. The pulp is the part eaten raw or cooked.

Where it comes from

The tree grows in the forest belt from Sierra Leone east and south to Gabon. It mostly grows in the lower layers of evergreen forest, forest that loses its leaves seasonally, and forest along rivers. In Côte d’Ivoire, people retain and protect existing trees when clearing land for agriculture.

How it's eaten where it grows

Among the Ehotilé people around Aby Lagoon in Côte d’Ivoire, the fruit is called Klènja. Its pulp is eaten as a snack, and it is one of the community’s preferred wild fruits.

Monkey plum can also be cooked. Boiling or roasting the pulp yields a butter-like preparation, giving the same fragrant fruit a different way onto the table.

How it's grown

Monkey plum grows slowly into an evergreen tree with a dense, rounded crown. Male and female flowers grow on separate trees; the flowers are pale cream. New plants come from seed, which usually sprouts in 15–30 days. Seedlings in a nursery are kept in shade.

When and where you'll find it

Around Aby Lagoon, monkey plum is usually available from December through April, sold in bunches at local markets. In Liberia, the fruit usually ripens in January and February after flowering near the start of the dry season.