Velvet apple

What it is

Mabolo is Diospyros blancoi, also known by the older name Diospyros discolor. The fruit measures 5–10 cm (2–4 in) across and wears short golden-brown or coppery hairs. Inside, the flesh is creamy white to yellow, moist rather than juicy.

A seeded fruit can hold four to eight large wedge-shaped seeds around its centre. Seedless fruit also occurs. The fuzzy skin is peeled away before eating; its hairs can irritate sensitive skin.

Where it comes from

Mabolo comes from the low- and middle-elevation forests of the Philippines, from Luzon south to the Sulu Islands. At home, it grows for its fruit and as a roadside shade tree. It reached Calcutta, now Kolkata, in 1881. Seeds from the Philippines reached the US in 1906, and later seedlings grew well in Miami.

How it's eaten where it grows

Recipes developed in Tagbilaran, on the Philippine island of Bohol, put mabolo into pancakes and fritters. The pancake batter includes shredded fruit and evaporated milk, with syrup or honey at serving. For fritters, slices of fruit are dipped in batter, fried golden and sprinkled with sugar.

For a simpler dessert, peeled mabolo is sliced and dressed with lime or lemon juice, or diced into a fruit salad. Its mild flesh and strong-smelling skin give quite different impressions.

How it's grown

Mabolo is an evergreen tree with glossy green leaves above and a silvery, hairy surface underneath. Male and female flowers grow on separate trees. New trees can be raised from seeds or by grafting. In the Philippines, budding joins a bud from a good fruiting tree to another plant, keeping that selected type.

When and where you'll find it

In India, mabolo usually ripens in July and August. Florida’s main season usually runs from June through September. The fruit also turns up in edible gardens farther afield: Finca Exótica, on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, lists mabolo among the plants on its garden tour, which includes fruit and herb tasting.