wherefore art mameys

Anyone know where to buy mameys? I discovered this fruit 3 years ago, when it showed up one day at Edgewater Produce. Sticking to my Try Anything Unfamiliar philosophy, I felt like I'd found someone's winning lottery ticket. Like pumpkin pie custard fruit-- man!-- I love the stuff. But I seemed to be the only one excited about it; each time I went back, I saw the same stock of a few dozen mameys s...l...o...w...l...y dwindling, until, weeks later, I bought the last 3 they had.

The next year, I asked one of the managers: any plans for mameys? He smiled and said Maybe-- but it was the kind of smile that said, Yeah, right, kid.

I saw them last year at a giant Mexican fruitmart near (I think) Kedzie and Montrose, but they were like $4.00 a lb, and none of them were less than 3 lbs. They were beautiful, though.

I wish this fruit has a massive following-- it would be so much easier for me.

A lot of places sell the frozen pulp (Edgewater Produce, for one)-- which is okay-- but I'm looking for the real deal. I don't even know when mamey season is. Is it now?

Anyone have any tips?


Edgewater Produce
5509 N Clark St
(773) 275-3800

I found them! I found them at Cermak Produce, the one on Kedzie, south of Montrose. I am terrifically happy.



However, I was wrong about the price: they are $5/lb, which is pretty outrageously expensive for a fruit, especially one as heavy as a coconut. Oh well. At least they're obtainable.

I leaned from this thread that there are actually several varieties of mameys; the kind around here are "sapotes." Does this jumpstart anyone's memory? Cermak Produce is not particularly close, and $7/a mamey is not particularly sustainable. (Though I'll take it.)

Also, someone should tell the guy who started this thread that "wherefore" means "why," not "where." Ever heard of a dictionary, Captain Shakespeare? Talk about fugaciousness.


Cermak Produce
4234 N. Kedzie
(773) 847-1100
(and many other locations)