12 Exotic Tropical Fruits You've Never Heard Of: Snake Fruit Will Amaze Your Taste Buds

9. Black Sapote (Diospyros nigra)

Often known as the "chocolate pudding fruit," black sapote is a kind of persimmon whose rich, dark brown flesh has a texture and flavour somewhat like chocolate mousse when completely mature. This unusual fruit must be picked while still firm and let to ripen off the tree until the flesh turns soft and black, so requiring patience. For first-time tasters, the juxtaposition of its black inside with green outside surprises them.

Advertisement

The fruit is a good substitute for real chocolate sweets since it has great amounts of antioxidants and vitamin C. With hundreds of fruits produced seasonally, black sapote trees are rather easy to grow in tropical areas. Without additional sweeteners, the fruit's natural sweetness and creamy texture fit well for usage in smoothies, ice cream, and other sweets. In native Mexico, traditional medicine has made use of many portions of the tree for its astringent qualities.