Brosimum Alicastrum
The Breadnut or Mayan Nut tree is locally know as the Ramon. It is from a family that includes the mulberry and the fig. It's a fodder tree for the cows and sheep now. It was once an important food crop for the mayans. But today they mostly eat oreos and ruffles washed down with gallons of coca-cola.
The breadnut fruit disperses on the ground in March and April and has a large seed covered by a thin, citrus-flavored orange-colored skin favored by a number of forest creatures. More importantly, the large seed which is enveloped by the tasty skin is an edible ‘nut’ that can be leached and ground into a meal for porridge or flat bread. Ramon is nutritious and has value as a food source, and formed a part of the diet of the pre-Columbian Maya of the lowlands region in Mesoamerica, although to what extent has been a matter of some debate among Maya historians and archaeologists.
It was planted by the Maya civilization two thousand years ago and it has been claimed to have been a staple food in the Maya diet, although other research has downplayed its significance. In the modern era it has been neglected as a source of nutrition and has often been characterised as a famine food
posted by John Prentice Powell at 8:14 AM
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