Ice Cream Bean Tree - really Exotic, special Sweet Fruit
**You are purchasing a tree similar in size to the one pictured. Ice cream beans are a type of legume that grow on trees in the Fabaceae family. The botanical name for ice cream beans is Inga edulis. They are also known as joaquiniquil, cuaniquil, guama, or guaba. Ice cream beans are native to South America. The pods are about a foot long and contain beans about the size of limas. The beans are surrounded by a sweet, cottony pulp that has a flavor similar to vanilla ice cream. The pulp sometimes has a cinnamon note and a texture similar to cotton candy. The seeds of ice cream beans are edible if they're cooked, but toxic when raw. Cooked seeds have a dense and starchy texture similar to a chickpea. The leaves are medicinal, but not used as an actual food. You should be able to harvest bean pods from your tree about three years after planting.