Cholupa

What it is

Colombia's Cholupa del Huila is round to oval and measures 5–9 cm (2–3½ in) across. Inside the thick, hard shell, translucent pulp surrounds the seeds. In Huila, the fruit does not change colour as it ripens.

Brazil's BRS Maçã variety has green fruit with yellow pulp, sweet with a little acidity.

Where it comes from

Passiflora maliformis grows wild in the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico and Jamaica, and in northern South America, including Colombia and northern Ecuador. Cholupa is its Colombian name.

In Brazil, the BRS Maçã variety was released in 2026. Its breeding aimed at larger fruit, a thinner shell and more pulp.

How it's eaten where it grows

In Colombia, jugo de cholupa blends the pulp with water and sugar. For granizado de cholupa, some of the water gives way to ice cubes, turning the drink into a slush.

Tarta mousse helada de cholupa is a frozen tart. Its base is crushed chocolate biscuits mixed with butter; the filling combines cholupa pulp, condensed milk and cream. It is frozen, then cut into portions.

How it's grown

Cholupa grows on a woody vine that can climb 10 m (33 ft) or more, holding on with tendrils. In Huila, the fruit takes about 50–60 days from an open flower to maturity. Ripeness is judged by the fruit separating above the bracts that support it, rather than by a change in colour.

When and where you'll find it

In Huila, Colombia, production continues throughout the year, with larger harvests usually from October through January and again in April and May. A Colombian online fruit seller, Trasaf, lists whole Cholupa Huilense. The fruit also travels as frozen pulp: LatinFoods processes Huila cholupa into packaged pulp for drinks and desserts.