Sapodilla (Chikoo): Fruit Nutrition, Taste and Chicle History

Sapodilla is the fruit of Manilkara zapota, an evergreen tree from southern Mexico and Central America that is now grown widely across the tropics. It is known as chikoo or chiku in India, naseberry in Jamaica and chicozapote in Mexico. A ripe sapodilla fruit has thin brown skin, soft brown flesh with a grainy texture, and a sweet flavor often compared to pear and brown sugar. USDA data show one sapodilla supplies about 9 grams of fiber, close to a third of the Daily Value. The tree also has a famous by-product: chicle, the latex that launched the chewing-gum industry. Below are the USDA values, the chicle history, and notes on seeds and allergy.

Peptide Labs does not sell sapodilla or sapodilla products. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.

What is sapodilla?

Julia Morton’s reference book Fruits of Warm Climates says the sapodilla is believed native to the Yucatan and nearby parts of southern Mexico, northern Belize and northeastern Guatemala. A 2023 review notes that it is now grown extensively in Mexico and Southeast Asia, and a 2026 paper calls chickoo a popular fruit in India, Mexico and Thailand. The round to oval fruit has rough brown skin.

Morton lists a long string of local names, including chicle in Mexico, chikoo in India, chiku in Malaya and India, naseberry in Jamaica and other British West Indies islands, and sapodilla plum in India. Sapodilla is not related to pawpaw or the custard-apple family, and it is a different fruit from mamey sapote, which shares part of the name.

Sapodilla nutrition (USDA SR Legacy)

The values below come from USDA SR Legacy entry Sapodilla, raw (FDC 167759), using USDA’s portion weights of 170 g for one fruit and 241 g for a cup of pulp. %DV uses FDA Daily Values. SR Legacy does not report a total-sugars value for sapodilla, so none is shown.

What stands out in the USDA data is fiber. Per 100 g, sapodilla lists 5.3 grams of fiber, more than USDA lists for banana, mango or papaya, so a cup of pulp at 12.8 grams covers almost half the Daily Value. Our high fiber foods list puts that in context, and how much fiber per day explains the reference values. Adding a lot of fiber at once can cause gas or bloating, so increase it gradually and drink fluids.

Sapodilla also adds vitamin C and copper. Per USDA, one fruit supplies 25 milligrams of vitamin C, 28% of the Daily Value, less than citrus but useful; see foods high in vitamin C for comparison. The copper figure, 16% of the Daily Value per fruit, is notable for a fruit; our foods high in copper list shows where it fits. Sapodilla is low in protein and fat, and its calories come mostly from carbohydrate, which is why it tastes so sweet. It is not a low-sugar fruit; if you are watching sugar, our low sugar fruits guide is the better place to start.

Is sapodilla healthy?

In USDA terms, sapodilla is a sweet fruit with a high fiber count and moderate vitamin C and copper. Reviews of the fruit list many plant compounds, including phenolic acids, flavonoids and tannins, and summarize lab and animal tests of extracts, but there are no human trials showing health effects from eating sapodilla. Read claims built on those lab results with caution. Like other fruits, it fits a varied diet; people with a medical condition that limits carbohydrate or potassium should ask their clinician how fruit fits their plan.

Chicle: the sapodilla tree and the history of chewing gum

Morton describes chicle as the major by-product of the sapodilla tree: a gummy latex tapped from the trunk that contains about 15% rubber and 38% resin. According to Morton, the dried latex was chewed by the Maya, and General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana introduced it to the United States around 1866. It proved useless as a rubber substitute but worked as something to chew, and once flavoring was added, it became the base of the chicle-based chewing-gum industry.

Morton also notes that chicle is now partly diluted or replaced by latex from other species and by synthetic gums. A related family member supplies another familiar material: gutta-percha, used to fill teeth during root canal work, comes from the latex of Malaysian trees in the sapodilla family, according to a 2016 dental review. If you chew gum today, check the label; many sugar-free gums are sweetened with polyols, which our sugar alcohols guide explains.

What does sapodilla taste like, and how to eat it

Morton describes ripe sapodilla as soft and very juicy, with a sweet flavor resembling pear; many people also taste brown sugar or caramel, and the flesh has a slightly grainy feel like a ripe pear. Ripeness is everything. Morton notes that immature fruit is hard, gummy and very astringent from tannin, and that ripening removes the tannin except for a low level left in the skin. A ripe sapodilla yields to gentle pressure, much like a ripe persimmon, which has a similar astringent unripe stage.

• Eating: cut the ripe fruit in half or quarters, scoop the flesh out with a spoon and leave the skin, which keeps a little tannin.
• Seeds: remove the shiny black seeds. Morton notes they usually carry a curved hook and warns against swallowing one, since the hook might lodge in the throat; the seed kernel also contains saponin and a bitter compound called sapotinin.
• Unripe fruit: if the flesh feels gummy or makes your mouth pucker, it is not ripe; leave it at room temperature until it softens.
• Uses: sapodilla is eaten fresh, blended into milkshakes and smoothies, or added to fruit salads.

Sapodilla allergy

Sapodilla is not one of the nine major food allergens that US labels must declare, and allergy to it is rare. Researchers in India described several cases: in a 2014 study, 6 of 7 people with sapodilla allergy had oral allergy syndrome, meaning itching or tingling of the mouth and throat, and the main allergen was a thaumatin-like protein, part of a protein family found in other allergenic fruits. A 2013 report described one person with oral allergy syndrome to both sapodilla and custard apple. Swelling of the lips or throat, hives or breathing trouble needs urgent care; for milder or unclear symptoms, see an allergist, and read our elimination diet guide before cutting foods on your own.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a food allergy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Last reviewed October 2026.

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