Manilkara zapota, commonly known as sapodilla([ˌsapoˈðiʝa]),sapote, naseberry, nispero or chicle,is a long-lived, evergreen tree native to southern Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. An example natural occurrence is in coastal Yucatán in the Petenes mangrovesecoregion, where it is a subdominant plant species. It was introduced to the Philippines during Spanish colonization. It is grown in large quantities in Mexico and in tropical Asia including India, Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Bangladesh.
The specific epithet zapota is from the Spanish zapote [saˈpote], which ultimately derives from the Nahuatl word tzapotl.