Ciku Rajah

Sapodilla tree


Sapodilla (Manilkara zapota) is a long-lived, evergreen tree native to southern Mexico, Central America and the West Indies.[1] It is grown in huge quantities in India, Mexico and was introduced to the Philippines during Spanish colonisation.


The fruit is a large ellipsoid berry, 4-8 cm in diameter, very much resembling a smooth-skinned potato and containing 2-5 seeds. Inside, its flesh ranges from a pale yellow to an earthy brown color with a grainy texture akin to that of a well-ripened pear. The seeds are black and resemble beans, with a hook at one end that can catch in the throat if swallowed. The fruit has a high latex content and does not ripen until picked.

The cikgu Rajah is quite a premium fruit in Miri. The good large ones cost almost 1 ringgit each.

When young we placed unripe ciku in our rice bin for many days to ripen them. They were so tasty and juicy. It is a fruit which is full of Vitamin C. Apparently it can protect you from gout and cataracts. But it is really too sweet for those who are suffering from diabetes.

It is also good for lungs.

My grandfather Tiong Kung Ping had a ciku tree in his backyard. Whenever he harvested the fruits, he would wipe them clean and placed them in the rice urn. He would count the fruits and told us not to touch them until they were ripe enough to be eaten.

None of us kids could hog them. Grandma would slice the fruit for him and we would get small slices at tea time. I reckon this was how we learned from him about postponement of wants, be future oriented and also how to share. He was a stern man with very high principles.

I remember he almost raised his rattan when he found that I took a ripe banana which was so tempting. He did not hit me of course. The other children were paralyzed with fear and I thought the sky was going to fall down. He spared me for reasons best known to himself.

I was only six at that time.

But to this day I would always relate eating of bananas and cikus to him.

Today if we are unfortunate, cikus don't ripe at all and remain hard as wood.