Red Mombin (Spondias purpurea L. (Family: Anacardiaceae)) is a fruit widely distributed throughout Central America especially Mexico. Its most common name is ciruelo meaning plum in Spanish. It has a number of other names too: Mexican Plum, Spanish Plum, Scarlet Plum and Purple Plum. In Trinidad it is known as the Jamaica Plum or the Barbados and Trinidad Chilli Plum. In Mexico it is called jocote.

It is a member of the Anacardiaceae family and is found amongst low deciduous and semi-deciduous forests.

Fruit Characterization

Red Mombin fruit is an oblong drupe, round or ovoid, with a size ranging between 2 and 5 cm and a mass of between 4 and 33 g. They exhibit a thin, smooth to semi-smooth epicarp, that may turn can be reddish, yellow, red-brown, orange, or purple when ripe; a rough, fibrous endocarp and a tasty and aromatic mesocarp.