What in the World is a Mamoncillo?

I moved to southern Florida in late August to complete my dietetic internship, and I

noticed a trend of locals who were selling bags of tiny green fruits to people on the
side of the road every day. I kept wondering what these tiny green fruits were until I
met a few residents in the area, who told me that they are called, mamoncillos.

Whats a mamoncillo? A
mamoncillo, also known as
the Spanish Lime, is a
small green oval-shaped
fruit that is grown in
bunches on the trees of
South America, Caribbean
Islands, and the southern tip
of Florida. It is scientifically
classified as the Melicoccus
bijugatus fruit, and has
different names depending
on what geographic location
youre in. In Florida,
mamoncillos ripen in the
summer months (usually July to September) and are commonly found growing wild
in backyards and along roadsides. Street vendors, often children, sell these fruits
to tourists or locals seeking refreshments in the summer heat.

With only 58 calories in a healthy serving, the mamoncillo contains protein, fat,
carbohydrates, fiber, ash, calcium, thiamine phosphorus, iron, carotene, riboflavin,
ascorbic and amino acids. According to Bystrom et al., mamoncillos contain many
phytochemicals used for the treatment of hypertension, asthma, sore throat, and
gastrointestinal issues!

Did you know that in Venezuela the roasted seeds are pulverized and mixed with
honey and consumed as a syrup or tea to stop diarrhea? In Nicaragua, the use of
the seed milk or horchata is reported to treat parasites. The health benefits of
this fruit are commonly overlooked due to limited funding for research, but have
been proven in many other countries!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpBiV-1Y9AY

Mamoncillos are mostly consumed as a food or beverage. The juice from the pulp
of the fruit is usually sucked until all that remains is the fibrous material attached
to the seed. Watch this video to see how its done, and if you ever come across a
mamoncillo, you can try one out for yourself!

By Angela Misko, Dietetic Intern, Sodexo Distance Education Dietetic Internship,
graduate of Rutgers University, NJ.





References:

Bystrom, A. Laura. The Potential Health Effects of Melicoccus bijugatus Jacq. Fruits:
Phytochemical, Chemotaxonomic and Ethnobotanical Investigations. 2011 December 4.
Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University Ithaca, NY.

Bystrom, Laura M., B. A. Lewis, and R. L. Obendorf. Characterization of phenolics by
LC-UV/vis, LC-MS/MS and sugars by GC in Melicoccus bijugatus Jacq. Montgomery
fruits. Food Chem. 2008 December 15; 111(4):1017-1024. Accessed web <
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3123376/#!po=35.1852>

"Melicoccus Bijugatus Jacq." USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
<http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=MEBI>.

"Guinep. OrganicREADY. Organic Ready, 29 Aug. 2012.
<http://organicready.org/2012/08/29/guinep/>.

"The Healing Power Of Limoncillos." Dominicanroots.
<http://dominicanroots.com/2011/08/26/the-healing-power-of-limoncillos/>.

Morton, Julia F. "Mamoncillo." Mamoncillo. Fruits of Warm Climates, 14 Nov. 2013.
<http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/mamoncillo.html>.

Pati, Dr.Abhay K. "Mamoncillo Fuit (Melicoccus Bijugatus), Dr.Abhay KLumar Pati,
Biotecahyur, Odisha, India." Free Press Release Distribution Service. Best Nutrition, 21
June 2010. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. <http://www.prlog.org/10748706-mamoncillo-fuit-
melicoccus-bijugatus-drabhay-klumar-pati-biotecahyur-odisha-india.html>.