Stinking toe

Description

The fruit of the West Indian locust tree may just win the award for the most unappealing nickname given to a fruit! It’s nickname, ‘stinking toe’ is not without reason however, the pods are toe-shaped and some say the flesh inside stinks like feet. Much like the notorious durian fruit though, the smell of stinking toe is regarded as ‘love it or hate it’ so just as many people are fond of it as dislike it. Fortunately, the outer shell of the stinking toe is very hard, keeping the majority of the odour at bay until it’s cracked with a strong knife or hammer.

Stinking toe matures during the rainy seasons and is then harvested during summer months. The presence of an unusual odour is actually a sign of ripeness.

The dry powdery cream coloured pulp, which resembles flour or icing sugar, has a sweet taste – some people say it tastes like dried milk. The miniature soluble fibers dissolve easily in water or milk, which it naturally thickens.

Whilst it can be enjoyed raw, it’s often used in baking, blending, or cooking.

In Jamaica, where the fruit goes wild, locals blend the pulp with water, sugar, and spices to make a refreshing beverage.

In Brazil, where the fruit is known as jatobá, bakers use the dried powder of the pulp to make a biscuit-like pastry known as a broinha.

Stinking toe is considered one of the richest natural foods in the plant kingdom because of its high concentration of starches and proteins. Throughout Central and South America, the fruit is prized for its purported medicinal benefits. It’s rumored to be everything from an aphrodisiac to a remedy for diarrhea.

The seeds are dispersed with the help of the agouti, a tropical rodent with teeth strong enough to break open the pods. They often carry the fruits to other areas and bury them for later. Forgotten fruits germinate and grow into new trees. It’s thanks to the agouti, that stinking toe is now found throughout much of the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.