Manzana de Agua
My first taste (and sight) of this fruit was thanks to a local landowner who treated us to a few ripe Manzanas de Agua under a sprawling Manzana tree. Never having seen or heard of this strange fruit before, I bit into the ripe flesh with curiosity, noting the sweet and tarty taste combined with an unusual and watery texture. I decided to dig into the story and history of the Manzana de Agua and found that, amongst other interesting facts, this fruit has played a very key role in the colonization of the Pacific Islands by the Polynesian people. Who would have thought???
MANZANA DE AGUA
Manzana de Agua means, quite literally, ‘water apple’. This is due to the fruit’s high water content. Belonging to the Syzygium genus, the plants are native to a wide area of the globe – their range extends from Africa, through the Southesast Asis and into the Pacific Islands. But our specific specie, Syzygium malaccense, is native to tropical Asia and Australia and is named after the southern state of the Malay peninsula, adjacent to Singapore. These days the plant can be found in tropical areas throughout the world. Its fruit is not particularly popular and, to an extent, underappreciated – and this is a shame as a cool manzana de Agua, straight out of the fridge, is one of the most refreshing snacks you can imagine in our tropical climates.
KNOWN BY MANY NAMES
Manzana de Agua is known by different names around the world: most popular is Malay Apple, but it is also called Poma Rosa, Mountain Apple, Water Pear, Norwegian Pear (???), Plumrose, Yambo, Makopa, Pommerac, Morita del Peru, Perita, Japanese Cashew (???), Pomo and many many others.
THE TREE
The tree, with its thick foliage, prefers tropical temperatures and high rainfall of at least 1,500mm/y- so it has made a nice home for itself in many areas of Costa Rica. While it prefers year-round rain, it can withstand shorter periods of dry-season drought, otherwise watering is needed – so northern areas of Costa Rica with their longer dry seasons may not be too ideal. It is not as discriminating about altitude as, for example, the coconut, growing at elevations of 2,800 meters (over 9,000 feet) or higher – as long as it does not get too cold! In ideal conditions tree heights of 18 meters plus (60 feet+) can be surpassed. The trees flower early in the dry season and bare fruit over the course of the following three months. In ideal conditions stablished trees can produce 2-3 harvest per year, with about 2,000 fruit per harvest – a very respectable effort from a single tree!
Manzana de Agua carries many purported medical properties – rich in fiber, it aids digestion, and the high water content helps with hydration. The fruit, containing epicatechin, are said to help lower blood pressure and help with respiration. Traditional uses around the world use the fruit, leaves, bark and roots to heal various ailments – from cracked tongues to fevers, constipation, dry coughs, diabetes, headaches, and many others. Please conduct necessary research and speak to a health professional before utilizing the medicinal properties of this plant.
THE FRUIT
The fruit are oblong, of a deep red color when ripe and roughly the size of a small apple – some less popular varieties are green or white. They smell like roses when ripe, hence a few of its global names include the word ‘rose’. The skin is fairly thin and the flesh is white, surrounding a relatively large central seed – or two.
Other than biting into the Malay Apple on a hot day, a popular recipe is Manzana de Agua Jam – all you need is slightly under-ripe fruit, ginger and brown sugar. Try also blending the fruit for a delicious shake. Manzanas de Agua are also fermented to make s sweet fruit wine, or sliced to accompany crisp drinks like Gin & Tonic. They can be chopped for fruit salads or finely chopped for salsas. Some enjoy the raw fruit with a sprinkle of salt (not a bad idea in the tropical climates).
THE TASTE
Reasonably sweet, aromatic, juicy but a bit tart – close in taste to an apple or pear, but not quite. Being a watery fruit it is perfect for our hot climate – especially if chilled in the fridge. No need to peel, just give the manzana a wash or a wipe and enjoy!
ALSO AN ORNAMENTAL PLANT!
The flowers of the Manzana de Agua are considered the most beautiful of the entire tree family. In fact the whole tree is prized for its beauty, and this also includes the shape of the tree and the aesthetic of the fruit. For this reason, this tree is prized by gardeners as a beautiful ornamental addition to landscaped areas – and a bonus producer of delicious and refreshing fruit.
WHAT IS A ‘CANOE FRUIT’?
One of the biggest human migrations in history was the settlement of the Indo-Pacific region, starting about 6,000 years ago. Madagascar and island areas of SE Asia such as Philippines, Indonesia, New Guinea, as well as more distant location like Tahiti, Easter Islands, Hawaii, Cook Islands and many others were progressively settled by Asian migrants in small boats – catamarans and outriggers. These explorers brought important plants and animals along for the voyage – and Manzana de Agua is recognized as one of the most vital plants to make the trip. Thus the plant spread all throughout the tropics, from Africa to Indonesia to Hawaii and, potentially, onwards to South and Central America. It is also responsible for facilitating the expansion of humanity throughout a large chunk of our planet.
MAKE THE BEST OF THIS REFRESHING FRUIT!
Summer months centered around April are ripe time for getting your hands on fresh Manzanas de Agua. While the fruit may not be widely available at all supermarkets you are sure to find many sellers offering it at markets or roadside fruit stalls. Some established & happy trees may give multiple harvests per year so keep out a keen eye!
