The canistel tree can grow up to 8 meters in height, with a trunk reaching 1 meter in circumference. Additionally, this fruit has multiple nutritional and medicinal properties.
Its fruits
The canistel fruits are ovoid and can reach a length of up to 15 cm.
They have an orange-yellow color, just like their pulp, which has a mealy texture resembling the yolk of a hard-boiled egg; it has a sweet taste and contains 1-3 brown ovoid seeds.
The weight of the fruit varies between 150 and 500 g.
Canistels are highly valued for their nutritional value, as they are rich in vitamin B3, vitamin A, and have a high content of antioxidant ascorbic acid; additionally, the tree's bark is used in decoctions for its astringent function and a preparation of its seeds is used as a remedy for ulcers.
Canistels are consumed fresh, in smoothies, ice creams, and are used in pastry.
The plant's religion
There have always been interconnections between food and religious myths, especially in Cuba, where it is manifested in the Santería rituals, where the correlation between the orishas' (saints') diet and the well-being of the believers can be appreciated.
Each orisha has their favorite dish, and the devotees of the orisha Ochún offer canistel in honey syrup, which is one of Ochún's favorite dishes, because the canistel is prepared in a honey syrup with orange peels; according to beliefs, after the bath, the orisha Ochún delights in the fruit and the honey syrup dish.
