A flagship Peruvian product with a unique fragrance. Known as "Inca gold", it is a popular ingredient in confectionery for its delicious taste. It has a high anti-oxidant content, and is rich in the vitamin B complex.
In the Philippines it is known as
teissa. It is also called "
eggfruit" in English, a common name also given to the closely related
canistel (
Pouteria campechina). The name "eggfruit" refers to the fruits' dry flesh, which is similar in texture to a hard-boiled egg yolk. The lucuma has particularly dry flesh which possesses a unique flavor of maple and sweet potato. It is a very nutritious fruit, having high levels of
carotene,
vitamin B3, and other B vitamins. Formerly known as
Lucuma obovata, it is now considered a member of the genus
Pouteria, and given the name
Pouteria lucuma. Due to its very dry flesh, the fruit is not commonly eaten by itself.
