Sweetsop

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Sweetsop

The sweetsop is a knobbly green fruit which is approximately the size of a tennis ball. The texture of the fruit's skin is similar to a pine cone and, like a pine cone, the sweetsop grows in segments around the central core. When a sweetsop is very ripe the segments can open up (again, like a pine cone) exposing some of the flesh inside.

The skin of the sweetsop is not edible but this can be pulled apart very easily to get to the soft white flesh inside. The flesh has a very sweet taste which is similar to custard. It has a creamy, slightly grainy, texture, like a cross between a soft pear and a mashed banana. The flesh contains many small seeds.

The botanical name of the sweetsop is Annona squamosal and it is related to the soursop (Annona muricata) and custard apple (Annona reticulata). The sweetsop is also known by the name "sugar apple" and is sometimes, quite confusingly, called the custard apple (although it is a different fruit from the Annona reticulata).

There are many reported health benefits of the sweetsop, including high levels of fibre, vitamin B (good for the heart), potassium (good for blood pressure)and magnesium (for strong bones).

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