damsel

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noun

A round fruit about the size of a tennis ball. It has a glossy leathery skin that is either green, purple, or some combination of the two colours. Inside is a purple and white milky flesh that exhibits a distinct star pattern. The fruit is sweet and eaten raw

food

plant

fruit

alternatives

apra, caimite, cainit, chulo, estrella, goudblad boom, jamoon, kaimit, pied caimite, pomme surette, star apple, star plum, sterappel

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noun

The tree and fruit of Phyllanthus acidus. The intermediate sized tree produces small, flattened, multi-lobed, berries with a high acid content. The tart yellow berries are edible raw, but most often stewed with sugar, ginger and other spices.

food

fruit

plant

alternatives

chellomello, cherimello, cherrymeena, damzel, gooseberry, grosella, jimbilin, raspberry, sapra, siwet, sour cherry

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10 comments

Abi

9 years ago

Sapra...

ANA

7 years ago

How can you get this fruit in southern USA.

dr.trini

4 years ago

i know it as kymate

CNCCreations

3 years ago

We call it damsel, it is used to make stew and can be also eaten with salt or not. I haven't had it in years.

Dorothy

2 years ago

In Jamaica we call it Star Apple. Two types - one with purple skin and one with light green skin.

Ashley

2 years ago

In Guyana we call this Gooseberry

Mia

last year

We make tea with it

José

last year

In the mountains here, it is called "chulo". It is normally eaten as a paste like guava paste.

Sonia

6 months ago

Damsel is a small fruit, it is a mini starappple, even the tree and the seed seem similar. We chewed the fruit sometimes until it becomes chewing gum.

Thelma Walcott

last month

I agree with Sonia. From my childhood memories, damsel is a mini, mini starapple. The small fruit is chewed until it becomes gum. I also note that this fruit is not popular in Jamaica so few people would know it.