Where can I buy Sapodilla (aka Chikoo) in London or the UK?

January 21, 2009 5:20 AM

Where can I buy Sapodilla (aka Chikoo) in London or the UK?

A few years back I found something called Chikoo in a London Tesco supermarket. It was actually just a small Express store, so not even somewhere huge that sells rarer items.

Chikoo is delicious - it's a fruit that tastes like caramel. Its official name is Sapodilla - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapodilla, and I want some more! I have not been able to find it anywhere, in large supermarkets or independent fruit/veg shops.

Does anyone know of anywhere to buy it? I thought maybe it wasn't in season, but then I've been looking on and off for over a year.

posted by angryjellybean to food & drink (3 comments total)

Maybe an e-mail to this company which imports exotic fruits (although they don't list this plum).

If it is eaten by South indians maybe the large Tamil population in Brent NW London? It's likely that the Tesco was in an area with a particular ethnic sub-population, do you remember where it was?

Otherwise perhaps a general post to www.thaivisa.com or www.thai-uk.org as I think it is eaten by Thais.
posted by Wilder at 8:33 AM on January 21

I'm somewhat surprised to hear that you've found chickoo in London-- they're so sweet that they go from ripe to rotten very fast. I've never seen it for sal anywhere in the states, or at least I didn't when I lived in New York. Now that I think about it there might be some around down here in Texas that is grown in Mexico.
Not that any of that helps you in the UK. In general I would ask around at asian grocery stores, but it might be very seasonal and generally tough to come by because they rot so fast. Even if a grocer can import them and stock them, unless they sold all of them very fast, they'd be losing money due to the amount that rotted before being sold.
posted by kid_dynamite at 10:59 AM on January 21

There are three or four Indian fruit and veg. stores on Tooting High St. / Tooting Rd. London SW 17 between the junctions with Mitcham Rd. and Derinton Rd. If they haven't got them there they are not available.
posted by Dr.Pill at 11:14 AM on January 21