This is a fruit found in Central America known as “yuplón”; however the literature on vegetation and fruit trees specifically defines it as Jobo, whose family’s name is Anacardiaceae and its scientific name is Spondias mombin L, (Soondrias cvtherea) or Spondias Dulcis (Spondias Cytherea) depending on its variety. I understand the name yuplón comes from the English word Jew plum or Jewish plum. It’s also known as “golden apple.”
It grows easily in tropical climates where moisture is plentiful and sufficient rainfall. This fruit is original from the Polynesian Islands. It is highly nutritious as it contains water, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, manganese, vitamin C, iron, copper, zinc and phosphorus. The whole nine yards in nutrition.
I haven’t eaten a yuplón since I was a kid in Changuinola, trillions of years ago. Below is a picture of a yuplón which I recently found at a street market in San Miguelito. This is it my friends: A yuplón.
Photograph of a man holding three "yuplones" at a street market in Panama City, Panama. The image triggers memories of Changuinola where we feasted with this golden apple of the tropics. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
I like your description of the yuplones and I suppose they are better to the taste than they look. I find that happens in pears. The best pears to just take a bite out of and eat are often found on the ground with bees, flies and everything that likes sweet things, trying to get their bites. I used to love the ones that are almost overly ripe but clinging desperately to the tree. They are not bruised and look almost new. But I was always too short or something and could never reach them.
Hello Abe:
Yuplones are our apples of the tropics and very cheap to buy. When I was a kid in the banana plantations of Bocas del Toro we ate them by the truckloads.
Pears don’t grow in Panama. They are imported from the States and Chile and expensive to buy. Panamanians usually buy pears for the Christmas season. It’s a tradition, together with apples and nuts.
I saw your breakfast early this morning. Yummity-yum-yum-yum.
God Bless,
Omar.-