Cocoplum
Chrysobalanus icaco · Chrysobalanaceae · also known as Coco plum, Icaco, Paradise plum, Fat pork
A coastal fruit of the tropical Americas and West Africa — white, pink, or dark purple, with mild, cottony-sweet flesh around a large seed whose almond-like kernel is also eaten. A salt-tolerant dune plant made into a beloved candied preserve in Cuba and the Bahamas.
At a glance
- Taste
- Mild and lightly sweet with a soft, cottony, marshmallow-like flesh and little acidity; the flavor is subtle, which is why it's often candied in syrup, and the inner kernel tastes like almond.
- Origin
- Coastal tropical Americas, the Caribbean, and West Africa
- Grown in
- Cuba, Bahamas, United States, Colombia, Nigeria
- Peak season
- Summer, Autumn
Sensory & practical profile
Taste fingerprint
- Sweetness
- Tartness
- Aroma
- Juiciness
- Firmness
Approximate, at peak ripeness · 0–5
- Ripe when
- Fully colored (white, pink, or purple by type) and slightly soft; all color forms ripen mild and sweet.
- How to eat
- Eat the cottony flesh fresh off the seed, candy it whole in syrup (dulce de icaco), and roast the almond-like kernel.
- Typical price
- Budget
Nothing on the cocoplum is wasted — the mild cottony flesh is candied into dulce de icaco, and the seed is cracked for an almond-flavored kernel, giving one small coastal fruit two distinct edible parts.
When it's in season, by region
| Region | Peak months |
|---|---|
| North America | Jun–Oct (South Florida and the Gulf) |
| Latin America | Varies with the coast; often summer–autumn |
How to select & store
Picking a ripe one
Choose plump, fully colored fruit (white, pink, or dark purple by type) that gives slightly; all colors ripen sweet. Firm underripe fruit is bland and slightly astringent.
Storing it
A few days at room temperature. Often candied in syrup soon after picking (dulce de icaco), which keeps for a long time.
Practical uses
🍽️ Culinary
- Dulce de icaco — cocoplums candied whole in syrup, a Cuban and Caribbean classic
- Eaten fresh off coastal shrubs
- Jams and jellies; the almond-like seed kernel roasted and eaten
🌿 Health & traditional
- Leaves and fruit used in Caribbean and West African folk medicine, including for blood sugar
🎎 Cultural
- A cherished seaside forage across the Caribbean and Gulf coasts, where it stabilizes dunes
- The candied dulce de icaco is a nostalgic Cuban sweet
Eating cocoplum: what to know
What regular consumption looks like
Cocoplum is mostly water with natural sugars, a little fibre, and assorted micronutrients — a hydrating everyday addition to your overall fruit intake rather than a standout for any one nutrient.
Sensible amounts
A typical fruit serving is roughly a handful, one medium fruit, or about 80 g, and two or more varied fruit servings a day is a sensible everyday pattern.
Evidence & conditions
As a whole fruit, Cocoplum contributes fibre, vitamins, and beneficial plant compounds, but it has not been shown to treat or prevent any specific condition — so it is best enjoyed as part of a healthy diet rather than as a remedy.
Cocoplum: frequently asked questions
What does cocoplum taste like?
Mild and lightly sweet with a soft, cottony, marshmallow-like flesh and little acidity; the flavor is subtle, which is why it's often candied in syrup, and the inner kernel tastes like almond.
When is cocoplum in season?
Cocoplum is typically in season North America (Jun–Oct (South Florida and the Gulf)); Latin America (Varies with the coast; often summer–autumn). Peak months shift between the northern and southern hemispheres.
How do you eat cocoplum?
Eat the cottony flesh fresh off the seed, candy it whole in syrup (dulce de icaco), and roast the almond-like kernel.
How do you know when cocoplum is ripe?
Fully colored (white, pink, or purple by type) and slightly soft; all color forms ripen mild and sweet.
Is cocoplum good for you?
Cocoplum is mostly water with natural sugars, a little fibre, and assorted micronutrients — a hydrating everyday addition to your overall fruit intake rather than a standout for any one nutrient.
How much cocoplum should you eat?
A typical fruit serving is roughly a handful, one medium fruit, or about 80 g, and two or more varied fruit servings a day is a sensible everyday pattern.
Along tropical American and West African coastlines, the cocoplum thrives where salt spray and shifting sand defeat most plants — a hardy dune shrub whose fruit comes in a pretty range of white, pink, and dark purple. The flesh is mild and cottony-sweet, subtle enough that its best-loved form is candied.
Two edible parts, one small fruit
The cocoplum’s gentle, marshmallow-like flesh has little acidity, which is exactly why the Caribbean turns it into dulce de icaco — whole cocoplums candied in syrup, a nostalgic Cuban and Bahamian sweet. Eaten fresh off the shrub it’s pleasant and mild; but the fruit gives twice, because the large seed cracks open to reveal an almond-flavored kernel that’s roasted and eaten too. A salt-tolerant coastal survivor that stabilizes dunes from Florida to West Africa, and a folk remedy for blood sugar in several traditions, the cocoplum is a modest but generous seaside fruit — best met candied in a jar, or picked warm off a dune shrub with the sea in view. For its coastal neighbor, see the sea grape.
