Native to Central and South America, pataxte was utilized along side cacao for thousands of years.
This pod I found growing at Punta Mona, Costa Rica and was a little bit too spoiled to eat but I just wanted the seed.
They can be eaten fresh, fried or in soups. If your keen, roast and grind them to make a hot-pataxte. The flesh is also used for make a foamy addition to a cacao & maize drink.
They are slow growing tropical trees that prefer humid conditions and are tolerant of flooding.
Pataxte can handle more direct sun than cacao and can grow from 10-30 meters, depending on how much sun they get.
FoodForest 