NIGERIA: Lagos: Licky-Licky (fruit)

Let me start the first April posting with something very short but quite interesting.

I was at school waiting for the children, when my friend offered me a plastic bag (nylon - in Nigerian pidgin). Take one, she said...

the fruit

I took a piece of the fruit, tasted it and finally asked the name. 

Licky-licky. That was it, honest. Also called Awin in Yoruba language, and I bet if I Googled; I would also find the name in Hausa and Igbo too.

licky-licky, note the velvety fruit skin

She asked if we have the same fruit in Malaysia, but I don't think so. The skin is velvety, and a slight crush between two fingers is all you need to get to the fruit within. The velvety fruit skin gave the fruit its English name: Velvet Tamarind. 

A tamarind (Asam Jawa in Malay) ?! Then we have it too in Malaysia. Although different shape, taste and texture altogether. Different specie and definitely in different part of the world.

the flesh, the edible part

the seed

Taste wise? Taste a bit orange-ish, like vitamin C pills. You don't swallow them, but the flesh dissolves slightly and it detached easily from the seed. 

The seed looked like an oversize watermelon seed, fyi. Anyway, I got a few to bring home. There are a few local fruits I saw at the local market, sold by the roadside. Would like to try those next. The licky-licky is seasonal and a nylon of it cost 50Naira! (RM0.70 ~ USD 0.15) - CBN rate, not the parallel rate. Oh my...dont make me start on that. That would be for another time... 

Thanks Gladys for the licky-licky.