Lúcuma

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Lúcuma

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Ericales
Family:	Sapotaceae
Genus:	Pouteria
Species:	P. lucuma

Binomial name

Pouteria lucuma
(Ruiz & Pav.) Kuntze

The Lúcuma (Pouteria lucuma) is a subtropical fruit of Andean origin (sometimes known as lucmo in English), native to the dry subtropical Andean coastal valleys of Peru, Ecuador, and Chile (Quillota and Petorca). It grows at temperate elevations, between 1,000-2,400 metres. The largest concentration of this fruit is found in the Peruvian regions of Cajamarca, Ancash, Lima, and Ayacucho. It has also grown well for centuries in southern Ecuador and Chile's northern coast. The fruit is very nutritious, having high levels of carotene and vitamin B3.

Lúcuma is a popular flavoring for ice cream in its native range, and in Peru even exceeds the demand for more globally popular flavors such as strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla.^{[citation needed]}

The fruit has been depicted on ceramics at burial sites of the indigenous people of coastal Peru.^{[citation needed]}