Sugar Apple

Name: Sugar apple, also called sweetsop (Annona squamosa), and known as sitaphal in India, atis in the Philippines and fruta do conde in Brazil. It is a relative of the cherimoya and soursop, and in some places it is called custard apple.

Description

Sugar apple is native to the tropical Americas, in the Caribbean and Central and northern South America. It was carried by the Portuguese and Spanish to India and Southeast Asia in the 16th century, and it flourished so well in the hot, dry parts of India that many people there consider it a native fruit. Today, India, Thailand, Brazil and the Philippines are major growers.

The fruit is round to heart-shaped, about the size of a fist, with a bumpy green skin made of rounded segments that separate as the fruit ripens. Inside are creamy white segments of sweet, custard-like flesh around hard black seeds. The flavour is very sweet and fragrant, with notes of vanilla and pear.

Main nutrition value

Sugar apple is an energy-dense, sweet fruit that provides carbohydrate, vitamin C, fibre, potassium and magnesium.

How best to be consumed

Sugar apple is best eaten fully ripe, when the segments start to split.

1. Wait until the skin softens and cracks slightly, then break the fruit open by hand.
2. Eat the creamy flesh from the segments with a spoon, spitting out the seeds.
3. Chill the fruit and serve fresh, or blend into milkshakes and ice cream.
4. Discard all seeds, which are toxic.
5. Eat in modest portions, since the fruit is very sweet.

Overconsumption could cause…

Sugar apple flesh is safe in ordinary amounts, though sweet and the seeds are toxic.

1. Poisoning from crushed or chewed seeds, and eye irritation from seed juice, so seeds must be discarded.
2. High sugar and calorie intake, which matters for people managing diabetes or weight.
3. Digestive upset from a lot of rich, sweet pulp.
4. Possible concerns about annonacin in annonaceous fruits and leaves with very heavy long-term intake.

GroupsTropical FruitsCustard apple family (Annonaceae)Low fatLow sodiumRich in vitamin CFresh

Related foodsCustard AppleCherimoyaSoursopJackfruitPassion FruitBanana

Wikipedia — Annona squamosa, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annona_squamosa