Jocote

Name	Jocote
Peak season	rainy or dry season, depending on the variety
Uses	hand-fruit, ingredient for other food
Vegetation	tree
Scientific Name	Spondias
Spanish Name	jocote

Jocote, also called Mombin, is a small fruit (2-3 cm in diameter) that can be eaten either when it is still unripe and green, or when the fruit has ripened and has a dark red color. There are two principal species of jocote, both with a large number of different varieties (the total number of varieties in Nicaragua is estimated at 50). One of the species is the yellow jocote, harvested during the rainy season mostly from July thru September; and the other is the red jocote, mostly available in the dry season.

The yellow jocote is grown in many different regions in Nicaragua, but mostly in the Pacific and Central areas. The unripe fruit is green, and it turns yellow as it ripens, and it is normally eaten with some salt. One of the varieties of the yellow jocote can also be cooked.

The other species, red jocote, is also present mostly in the Pacific and Central regions. The color of the unripe fruits varies between green and yellowish, before they turn dark red. Before ripening they are eaten with salt, but ripe fruits are sweet enough to be eaten plainly. They are also used as an ingredient for drinks and during Holy Week these fruits are used in a special fruit salad called Almibar.

During the harvesting seasons, jocotes are offered in abundance by street vendors at main traffic intersections or routes, often sold in plastic bags that include 20-30 jocotes and a small bag of salt that can be used to flavor them. Smaller bags are also sold on the street to pedestrians, again with some salt.