SOURSOP FRUIT - The Fruit of Central America

SOURSOP - THE UNIQUE TASTE OF THE CARIBBEAN
The Soursop is a broadleaf, flowering, evergreen tree, which is native to Central America, specifically Belize.  The fruit produced by this tree is called "Soursop", and is adapted to areas of high humidity and realitively warm winters.  There are over 60 species of Soursop.

It is generally known in most Spanish speaking countries as guanabana.  The soursop tree is a low-branching, bushy, slender tree.  It's limbs can reach a height of 25 or 30 ft.  The leaves, alternate, smooth, glossy, and dark green on the upper surface, while beneath they are lighter in color, oblong, and elliptic. Flowers will emerge anywhere on the trunk, branches or twigs.

The fruit is more or less oval (or heart-shaped). The size ranges from 4 to 12 inches long and up to 6 inches in width, and the weight may be up to 10 or 15 lbs.

The fruit is compound and covered with a reticulated, leathery but tender, inedible, bitter skin, which protrudes short "spines".  The tips break off easily when the fruit is fully ripe. The skin is a dark-green in the immature fruit, becoming slightly yellowish-green (as seen in the picture), when it becomes mature.  Its inner surface is cream-colored and granular and separates easily from the mass of snow-white, fibrous, juicy segments.

In aroma, the pulp is somewhat pineapple-like, but its musky, subacid flavor is unique. Most of the closely-packed segments are seedless. In each segment there is a single oval, smooth, hard, black seed, about l/2 to 3/4 inches long; and a large fruit may contain from a few dozen to 200 or more seeds.

Its flavor has been described as a combination of strawberry, pineapple, with citrus flavors notes contrasting with an underlying creamy flavor reminiscent of coconut or banana.

This is a very popular flavor with most Belizeans, and if you ask the local ice cream store, Soursop ice cream is one of their top selling flavors with most locals.

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