The nance tree

The nance tree, which is native to southern Mexico and is called chi’ in Yucatec Maya, produces an abundance of round, yellow, cherry-sized fruits during the summer months. Each nance tree yields around 2,000 to 4,000 fruits each season.Popular with people and birds alike, the fruits are loaded with vitamins such as vitamin K, vitamin C, thiamine, vitamin E, and riboflavin. Nance fruit can be eaten raw, although their strong bittersweet taste is not to everyone’s liking. Here in Carrillo, the locals use the fruits to make delicious candy: dulce de nance. Cooked with sugar and water, the tasty dulces sell for about 10 pesos (just under 50 cents) a bag.Locals also use the fruit to make a liqueur. The fruits are mixed with sugar and a liquor such as tequila, whiskey, or rum during a process that takes around 15 days and the fruity alcoholic beverage tastes similar to brandy. People also use the nance fruit to make ice-cream, jam, and saborines (popsicles).The fruits are not the only part of the tree used by the Maya; the bark also has medicinal uses. With its astringent and anti-inflammatory properties, the bark has traditionally been used to treat ailments such as stomach problems and skin conditions.

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