South American Super Fruit Lucuma Tastes Like Caramel

 

This ancient South American super fruit called Iucuma tastes like caramel.

It looks like a yellow avocado and has a crumbly-yet-starchy texture, similar to a hard-boiled egg yolk. It’s also said to have a maple or caramel taste. But if you’re excited to track this sweet yellow fruit, you should know it’s hard to find outside of South America, because it spoils really quickly after picking.

Lucuma is native to the Andean valleys in countries like Peru, Ecuador, and Northern Chile. The Incas believed lucuma helped enhance fertility, and it’s said that the fruit is also good for the heart, immune system, and skin. It contains antioxidants and potassium, and is high in beta-carotene, iron, zinc, calcium, protein, and fiber.

Lucuma has been grown in South America for hundreds of years and was even documented in ancient Incan artifacts. The fruit can be eaten as it is when ripe, but it’s also popular as an ice cream flavor.

It has recently gained popularity outside of South America and can be found frozen or in powder form in grocery stores. So if you’re eager to try out this exotic fruit, but don’t live near it, there are other, slightly altered options for you.