See text Manilkara zapota, commonly known as sapodilla (Spanish: [ˌsapoˈðiʝa]),[4] sapote, chicozapote, chicoo, chicle, naseberry, nispero, or soapapple, among other names,[5][6]: 515  is an evergreen tree native to southern Mexico and Central America.

[8] It is grown in large quantities in Mexico and in tropical Asia, including India, Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, as well as in the Caribbean.

[citation needed] The specific epithet zapota is from the Spanish zapote [saˈpote], which ultimately derives from the Nahuatl word tzapotl used for other similar looking fruits.

[13] The trees can survive only in warm, typically tropical environments (although it has low tolerance to drought and heat in its early years),[14] dying easily if the temperature drops below freezing.

Inside, its flesh ranges from a pale yellow to an earthy brown color with a grainy texture akin to that of a well-ripened pear.