Transvaal red milkwood fruit

What it is

The fruit is oval to almost round and can reach 4.5 cm (1.8 in) long. Its yellow flesh surrounds one or two shiny, pale brown seeds. The sweetness comes with a floury texture, so the pulp is more mealy than juicy.

The tree is Mimusops zeyheri, also called moepel, a member of the sapodilla family. The tree contains latex, a milky sap.

Where it comes from

Its range runs from Tanzania and Angola into Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and northeastern South Africa. Riverside woodland is one of its main habitats, including sandy river deposits, and it also grows on termite mounds and rocky hillsides. The botanical name zeyheri honours the German naturalist Carl Zeyher.

How it's eaten where it grows

In eastern Botswana, milkwood pulp becomes sesema, a dried food eaten during winter. Sun-drying carries the fruit beyond its fresh season, turning its already floury flesh into a form that can be kept.

Across its range, the flesh is also eaten fresh or made into jams and jellies. Its juice can be fermented into an alcoholic drink, while the pulp itself supplies the dry winter food.

How it's grown

The tree grows slowly and lives a long time, reaching up to 25 m (82 ft) with a dense, rounded crown. Young leaves and twigs wear rusty-brown, velvety hairs. Creamy white flowers appear in small clusters beside the leaves.

In Zimbabwe, farmers leave the trees standing in fields, valuing them for soil fertility as well as fruit. The tree is also planted for ornament.

When and where you'll find it

In Zambia, the usual ripe-fruit season runs from March through June. Yellow-orange fruit marks the fresh crop. In Botswana, local communities sell cooked and preserved fruits in towns, as well as making sesema for winter. The fruit therefore reaches eaters both fresh and in forms kept after harvest.