Ever wondered what guanabana tastes like? You’re in for a treat.
This tropical fruit, also known as soursop, is a unique blend of sweet and tart with a creamy texture that’s hard to forget.
Its flavor often draws comparisons to pineapple, strawberry, and even coconut. Imagine sipping on a beverage that hits all the right notes on a hot summer day. Intrigued?
Keep reading to discover the magic of guanabana and how you can enjoy this exotic fruit in a variety of delicious ways.
What is Guanabana?
Also called by several other names, guanabana is native to the American and Caribbean tropical areas and some regions in India.
It grows on an evergreen tree called Annona muricata.
It has edible white fibrous flesh with inedible black seeds.
It has a delightful smell, and it can make anyone’s mouth water.
Guanabana is a versatile fruit, so you can eat it in multiple ways.
In recent times, people have also been using guanabana leaves as an alternative treatment for cancer.
However, there is no scientific backup regarding this fact.
It may take extensive research to find out if it helps.
Due to its increasing popularity, many places worldwide now grow guanabana.
So, it’s easy to find it on the market shelves in a lot of places.
So, whether you want to buy it for medical or culinary purposes, you can easily find guanabana.
What Does Guanabana Taste Like?
Most fruits have similar features like taste, smell, texture, and appearance.
Most also have the same nutrients.
Guanabana is also a fruit that has similarities with many fruits.
It has texture, flavor and looks akin to multiple fruits which makes it more appealing.
- Ripe vs. Unripe and Cooked Guanabana.
Fragrant-wise, fresh and ripe guanabana smell similar to pineapple, while its flavor combines that of apples, strawberries, and sour citrus fruits.
It has a creamy and buttery texture identical to that of bananas.
Custard apple also called sugar apple or bullock’s heart, is another fruit related to guanabana.
If you have tasted custard apple but not soursop, you can imagine its flavor.
While the two do not taste the same, they have a similar appearance, flavors, and texture.
On the other hand, unripe and cooked guanabana tastes just like fish.
So, it can be a good vegan option for those who want to enjoy fish without actually eating the real one.
It goes by various names such as soursop, guyabano, and graviola.
In Hispanic America, the tree is guanabano, while the fruit is guanabana.
It’s also called Brazilian paw paw or cherimoya.
- Nutritional Value of Guanabana.
Guanabana is a nutrient-dense fruit with plenty of fibers and vitamin C.
A 100g serving of raw guanabana has about 66 calories, 16.
8g carbs, some protein, and minerals.
A 100g apple, on the other hand, has 52 calories, while a banana of the same weight has 89 calories.
How to Prepare and Cook Guanabana?
Fresh and ripe
Most people eat guanabana when it’s ripe.
You can cut the ripe fruit and eat the pulp with a spoon, removing the seeds while eating.
You can also make smoothies, fruit nectar, and juices out of it.
You can add it to ice creams, candies, and sorbets.
But first remove all the seeds before making anything or the food will get ruined.
Leaves
Apart from the pulp, you can also make tea with its leaves.
Simply boil some leaves, and use a strainer for the tea.
Add some honey to sweeten it up.
You can also put 2-3 leaves in a cup and add boiling water and let it sit for ten minutes.
Remove the leaves, and add your preferred sweetener.
It’s good, both hot and cold, so you can drink it as you like.
Roast
Roasting ripe soursop is another way to cook the fruit.
Roast chunks of guanabana in the oven at 350⁰ F for twenty to thirty minutes.
Sprinkle spices such as nutmeg or cinnamon for more flavors before roasting.
You can also try roasting the unripe fruit after chopping it into chunks and seasoning it nicely.
Fried
You can also pan-fry battered unripe guanabana.
You have to chop the fruit into small pieces, coat it in spelt flour mix (spelt flour, sea moss gel, garlic and onion powder, cayenne powder, ground wakame, sea salt, spring water, and fennel seeds).
Heat oil (sesame or grapeseed) in a pan and fry the battered soursop pieces for five minutes on each side or till light brown.
Remove the pieces and serve hot with an alkaline sauce.
Conclusion
Though guanabana doesn’t make much impression with its appearance, it’s delicious, versatile with full of nutrients.
You can enjoy its flavor in multiple ways and receive the nutrients and benefits.
The fruit and leaves supposedly relieve many problems like cough, pain, inflammation, abdominal disorders, and high BP.
You can also plant the seeds in your garden or in large flower pots to enjoy its fruit and leaves later.
Since there are so many ways to consume it, choose whichever you prefer.
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