Annona muricata Soursop, Graviola

Description

Soursop, guanabana

A tropical plant that can also be kept as a houseplant.

Soursop is adapted to areas of high humidity and relatively warm winters; temperatures below 5 °C (41 °F) will cause damage to leaves and small branches, and temperatures below 3 °C (37 °F) can be fatal. The fruit becomes dry and is no longer good for concentrate. With an aroma similar to pineapple, the taste of the fruit is described as a combination of strawberry and apple with sour notes of citrus flavor, contrasted with a thick creamy texture reminiscent of banana. Soursop is widely promoted (sometimes as graviola) as an alternative treatment for cancer, but there is no reliable medical evidence that it is effective in treating cancer or any disease. in nature, the plant reaches 9m in a container, much less, so it can be pruned. The fruits are oval, dark green when unripe, with a leathery, inedible rind that turns yellow-green when ripe. They can be up to 30 centimeters (12 inches) long, moderately firm in texture and can weigh up to 6.8 kg. Their flesh is juicy, sour, whitish and aromatic somewhat like pineapple, but with a unique earthy aroma. Most unripe segments are seedless, while mature fruits can contain up to 200 seeds. Annona muricata is tolerant of poor soil and prefers lowland areas between elevations of 0 to 1,200 meters (3,900 feet). It does not tolerate frost. The exact origin is unknown; It is native to the tropical regions of America and widely propagated. It is an introduced species on all temperate continents, especially in subtropical regions. Cultivation: The plant is cultivated for its 20–30 cm (7.9–11.8 in) long, spiny, green fruit, making it probably the second largest anona after junglesop. Far from its native range, some limited production occurs as far north as southern Florida within USDA zone 10; however, they are mostly garden crops for local consumption. It is also grown in parts of China and Southeast Asia and is abundant on the island of Mauritius. The main suppliers of the fruit are Mexico, followed by Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, Guatemala and Haiti.

The flesh of the fruit consists of an edible, white pulp, some fiber and a core of indigestible black seeds. The pulp is also used to make fruit nectar, smoothies, fruit juice drinks, as well as candies, sorbets and ice cream flavors. Due to the widespread cultivation of the fruit, its derivatives are consumed in many countries, such as Jamaica, Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela , Colombia and Fiji. The seeds are usually left in the preparation and removed during consumption, unless a blender is used for processing. In Indonesia, the fruit is usually called sirsak and is sometimes made into dodol sirsak, a sweet made by boiling the pulp of sour soup in water and adding sugar until the mixture caramelizes and hardens. In the Philippines, it is called guiabano, derived from the Spanish guanabano, and is eaten ripe or used to make juices, smoothies, or ice cream. Sometimes the leaf is used to tenderize meat. In Vietnam, this fruit is called mang cau Xiem (Siamese soursop) in the south, or mang cau (sorrel) in the north, and is used to make smoothies. In Cambodia, this fruit is called tearb barung, literally “Western cream and apple fruit”. In Malaysia, it is known in Malay as durian belanda (“Dutch durian”), and in East Malaysia, especially among the Dusun people of Sabah, it is locally known as lampun. Popularly, it is eaten raw when ripe, or used as one of the ingredients in ais kacang or ais batu campur. The fruits are usually picked from the tree when ripe and left to ripen and then eaten when fully ripe. It has a white flower with a very pleasant smell, especially in the morning. While to the people of Brunei Darussalam, this fruit is popularly known as “salad durian”, widely available and easily planted. Soybean leaves are sold and consumed in Indonesia as a herbal medicine. The leaves are usually boiled to make a tea.