it has yet received. The sap of the sapota tree and juice of the green fruit when concentrated furnish the material known as chicle, from which chewing-gum is made. The compositions of the round and long sapota and the natural preserved pulp of the sapota are given in the following table:
Composition of Edible Portion.—
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| | Composition of Edible Portion.
| Edible +++++-
| Portion. | Solids. | Total | Acids. | Protein. | Total
| | | ash. | | | sugar.
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|Percent.|Percent.|Percent.|Percent.|Percent.|Percent.
Round sapota, | 76.40 | 23.07 | 0.384 | 0.132 | 0.350 | 10.85
Long sapota, | 80.90 | 21.01 | .555 | .162 | .650 | 12.76
Natural sapota preserves, | . . . . | 22.95 | .399 | .086 | .231 | 11.30
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The sapota is also used in the manufacture of preserves by boiling it with sugar in the usual way. The analyses show that the sapota is a fruit which is principally valuable as a carbohydrate food. It has, however, very little acid, and is a much sweeter fruit than the anona and, therefore, more pleasant to the taste.
Star-apple (Cainito) (Chrysophyllum cainito).—The star-apple is one of the less important fruits which abound in Cuba. It is not very extensively used, but medicinal properties are attributed to it. Three different varieties are sold in the Havana markets,—one of a white color and two purple. The first attains the size of a small apple, approaching about seven ounces in weight. There are two kinds of meat in the pulp; the outer portion is a white, gelatinous matter which contains the small black seed and is really the edible portion, and constitutes about one-third the weight of the fruit. The outer fibrous and purple portion of the flesh is inedible. The inner pulp has a sweet characteristic flavor and is eaten raw. No preserves were found made of this in Cuban markets. The composition of the white star-apple is shown in the following table:
Composition of Edible Portion—41.80 percent.—
Solids, 14.23 percent
Sugar, 7.91 "
Protein, .67 "
Ash, .35 "
Acidity, .05 "
These data show that the fruit is not of a very high nutritive order, and on account of its low acidity it is not suitable for the making of preserves.
Tamarind (Tamarindus Indica).—This fruit belongs to the leguminous family and forms a dark brown pod from one to six inches in length and from three-fourths of an inch to one inch in width. The rind is thin and very brittle.
