Custard apple: a unique tropical fruit

How are you my dearest and dearest? Welcome to Paulina kitchen. Today I want to introduce you to the custard apple. Chiri..what? you will wonder. The Cherimoya is a tropical fruit delicious that, if you haven’t tried it yet, I recommend you run to do it.

It is a fruit with a very particular flavor and super creamy. They can also use it to prepare a rich smoothiea mousse or one fresh salad How am I going to teach you? I am going to tell you a little about its history and what its properties are, because in addition to being rich it has a lot of health benefits.

About the cherimoya

What is cherimoya?

Custard apple is a tropical fruit native to the andeswith green and embossed skin, with a creamy white flesh. Its flavor is particularly sweet and delicatevery similar to that of a banana or papaya, but with a certain acidity like that of pineapple.

Custard apple has several positive properties to health, so its daily consumption is highly recommended. In general, it is usually used in the preparation of drinks, desserts and even in savory dishes.

Origin of cherimoya

There is evidence that it is a classic crop of the Andean region for more than 3000 years. The native peoples valued the fruit for its flavor and nutritional properties.

Yes ok its origin is south americanmore precisely from the region that borders between Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru, this tasty fruit spread to many regions, expanding its cultivation to Central America, Asia, Africa and part of Europe.

This fruit also has a special place in the culture and gastronomy of the Andean regions, where it has its own annual festival 😎.

How does the custard apple grow?

The custard apple belongs to the family of the anonáceas and is a species of the genus Annona. This family of plants is known for its edible fruitsand is distributed in tropical regions and subtropics around the world.

its flowers are large, fleshy and white or yellowish, and have a sweet and strong aroma. The fruit develops from the pollinated flowers, and grows on the tree to its full size, which can be 10 to 20 centimeters in diameter.

Fun fact: The flowers of the cherimoya tree They are hermaphrodites, which means they have both male and female organs.

What is the difference between soursop and custard apple

In the family Annonaceae there is also the soursopwhich in many cases is confused with the custard apple. But these fruits have some differences:

• LThe soursop is bigger and has green skin and prickly, while the custard apple is smaller and has green, scaly skin.
• The soursop pulp is more fibrous and its taste is more acid.

When NOT to eat cherimoya

The cherimoya is a very sweet fruit and contains a significant amount of fructose, the natural sugar found in fruits. Although this is one aspect that makes it very delicious, it is also the first reason why some people should limit your consumptionpeople with diets or restrictions in the consumption of sugar.

Other cases where you should avoid its consumption:

• people with allergies to tropical fruits, such as kiwi, pineapple or mango, may also be allergic to cherimoya. I recommend you pay attention, if you feel symptoms such as itching in the mouth or swelling when eating the fruit, then I would tell you not to continue eating it.
• This fruit can be difficult for some people to digest and can cause Gastrointestinal disorderssuch as diarrhoea, flatulence or abdominal pain.
• When she is very matureits pulp becomes soft and fibrous, which can be toxic to health, always make sure to consume the fruit in good condition.
• Special care must be taken in remove all the seeds wellwhich can be toxic.

Recommendations for eating cherimoya

Important: First of all, the fruit must be ripealways on point, with yellowish-green skin, and emanating a sweet and fresh smell.

• The most common way to consume it is as fresh fruit. To do this, the fruit is simply cut in half and the seeds and skin are removed. The creamy white flesh it can be eaten directly with a spoon. It is important that once opened, is consumed at the momentbecause it tends to darken quickly, like avocado.
• can be added to shakes and smoothiesmixing the pulp with milk, yogurt or fruit juice in a blender.
• It can also be used in many desserts such as sweet cakes, mousse and ice cream, thanks to its creamy and smooth texture that allows it to integrate well into preparations.
• It goes very well in Fruit salad but also in green salads to give them a sweet flavor and a tropical touch. I recommend you discover all my salad recipes so you don’t run out of ideas.

I leave you one below basic, classic, and very rich recipe so you can take advantage of this good fruit to the fullest! If you’re Carlos and you don’t like sweet and sour, then you can also eat the fruit in many other ways and nothing happens.

Bye my people.

Basic cherimoya and avocado salad

• Yield: 2 – 4 servings.
• Preparation time: 20 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 ripe custard apple
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 medium tomato
• 1 medium onion
• Lemon juice
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to prepare the salad

1. Cut the cherimoya and remove the pulp with a spoon, then cut into small cubes and reserve.
2. Peel and cut the avocado into cubes similar to those of the custard apple. Extract the juice of a lemon and spray it on top of the fruit to prevent it from oxidizing. Reserve.
3. On the other hand, peel and chop the tomato and onion in small portions.
4. Combine the custard apple, avocado, tomato and onion in a large bowl. Add olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and serve cold.