What is Cachiman? (Facts and Benefits)
Le Cachiman or Cachiman Canelle (French translation) is a popular fruit in Haiti. It is a tropical fruit known by many other names in other Caribbean Islands and warm countries. For example, it is known as Custard Apple, Bullock’s Heart, Jamaican Apple, Sugar Apple, Sweet Sop, and Snat Apple in English-speaking countries. It is known as Mamón in Spanish, and Kachiman and Tjè bèf in Creole. Like many other fruits, the translation will be different.
Cachiman is a tropical fruit that has been around for many centuries. There is not enough information available to know its origin. It is cultivated in tropical climates in the Caribbean Islands, Africa, Indonesia, Australia, India, Philippines, Central, and South America, Hawaii, and Florida (US).
Before we go on any further,
Disclaimer
The article is for informational purposes only. This website and the writer encourage you to consult a doctor before making any health changes, especially any changes related to a specific diagnosis or condition. The information in this article is not intended to replace any advice from a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a doctor before trying any of the remedies listed in the article.
The Cachiman Plant
There are two varieties of fruit. The Cachiman tree can reach about 7 meters high. Both types are either round or oblong. The skin is also different. One is green with thick scaly or knobbly skin, and the other has a brownish-red scaly skin-like. Both fruits have a similar fragrant sweet taste. The flesh has a white and creamy texture, and the seeds are not edible.
Best ways to enjoy Cachiman
In Haiti, le Cachiman is consumed and enjoyed in many ways. The fruit is eaten when ripe. The skin is not edible, only the flesh is. The best way to enjoy the fruit is to extract all the creamy texture with a spoon. The seeds are discarded or are used for medicinal purposes.
The fruit flesh is also used to make fruit juice, sorbet, and shakes. It is considered a great snack and dessert item to serve after a delicious meal.
How Cachiman is consumed in Haiti
This excellent fruit makes a delicious morning beverage. It is often mixed with milk and served cold – similar to a smoothie. The drink may contain cinnamon powder, ginger powder, and even ground nutmeg. As with many beverages in Haiti, vanilla extract is widely used in milky drinks.
The essential health benefits known in Haiti
The cachiman is a tree with medicinal, analgesic, and antibacterial properties. Its primary therapeutic function is the treatment of gastric problems. Its leaves in decoction are recommended as a vermifuge.
- The leaves and the green part of the fruit are put to dry and used in decoction or infusion to aid with symptoms of diarrhea, gastric disorders, and intestinal gurgling.
- The leaves are also used to treat boils, abscesses and ulcers.
- The cachiman is an analgesic recommended for dental pain, migraines, rheumatism, and sprains.
- An infusion of its root may reduce fevers and relieves dental pain.
- It might aid in calming the nervous system and relieve stress
- Its bark macerated in hot water may treat hemorrhoids.
- The juice of the leaves when extracted is used to fight lice.
- The seeds of the green fruits and the young leaves are used as an insecticide.
How to prepare a few home remedies
- To aid with indigestion, mix the green buds with young leaves in the following way: put three leaves in a cup of boiling water. Let infuse for ten minutes, then add a pinch of salt and a pinch of sodium bicarbonate, and drink hot. This will help with gastric disorders and intestinal gurgling.
- For diarrhea, take the green part (skin) of the fruit and put it to dry in the shade. Grind a small slice of the dried skin of the fruit into powder form and mix it with a cup of boiling water – to take three to four times in the day.
- Against hemorrhoids, make a tea with a liter of water, 3 small pieces of the bark and the stem, and drink.
Here are 6 main health benefits that you will enjoy by consuming cachiman
- It makes you less susceptible to infections
- It keeps your skin healthy and beautiful
- It prevents you from having anemia caused by iron deficiency
- It helps regulate blood pressure
- It helps maintain a healthy nervous system
- It helps reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis
Sources:
- https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/sugar-apple/
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cherimoya
https://azmartinique.com/en/all-to-know/fruits-vegetables/bullock-s-heart-cachiman
