Zabrico Zabrico (F)

This is the Mammee-Apple tree, which gets its Creole name from the French, abrico, for apricot. Neither the tree nor the fruit resembles a European temperate climate apricot, but the colour of the inside of the fruit and its taste reminded French settlers of it. The Zabrico is native to South America and the Caribbean and the Caribs called the fruit masioui. Like later Caribbean people they planted it mainly for its fruit, but it was also much used for its wood in the form of post, piling and general construction. The fruit is eaten raw or after being soaked in wine and sugar, and is used to make excellent jam. In the neighbouring French islands the flowers, distilled in white rum, was made into a liqueur known as eau creole. The gum when melted with fat was applied to the sores made in the flesh by jiggers. Like the Ficus or Fidjay trees and the Formager or Silk Cotton (Ceiba pentandra), the Zabrico was considered by the Caribs to be the home of the tree spirits.

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