Chikoo, also known as sapota, is a tropical fruit with a sweet, caramel-like flavor and a grainy texture. The fruit is oval or round in shape, with brown skin that becomes saggy when fully ripened. The flesh of a ripe chikoo can be pale yellow to earthy brown in color, and contains one to six hard, glossy, black seeds that resemble beans. The seeds have a hook at one end that can catch in the throat if swallowed.
Chikoo is native to the rainforests of Central America, particularly Mexico and Belize, but is also available in India. In India, Karnataka is the largest producer of chikoo, followed by Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal.
When unripe, chikoo has a hard surface and white pulp due to its high latex content. As the fruit ripens, the latex content decreases and the flesh turns brown. Unripe chikoo also contains high amounts of saponin, which has astringent properties similar to tannin and can dry out the mouth.
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