This fruit is in the top Google trends RN. Why? Is this fruit a superfood? Can it help us remain ‘young and beautiful’? Some even say it can treat cancer. Let’s check everything out!
Some QUICK FACTS about the soursop fruit that became popular thanks to Tik-Tok, Instagram and YouTube:
Soursop is scientifically known as Annona muricata.
– It is native to the Caribbean, Central America, and parts of South America, it is also commonly found in Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Pacific.
– The soursop tree is a small (up to 9.1 m tall) broadleaf evergreen tree, that likes high humidity and hates cold winters. It is pretty tolerant to poor soils.
– The fruit itself is around 20–30 cm long (however smaller types exist too), has a beautiful green color, and an avocado-like shape. It is spiky and has a soft white pulp inside.
– There are approximately 14 types of the soursop fruit!
– Does soursop fruit grow in your place of living? Comment below!
What Are the Other Names of Soursop?
The soursop possibly got its primary name because of its sweet and slightly acidic sour taste when it is ripe. Soursop is also called graviola, guyabano, guanábana, sirsak, anona, Brazilian paw paw, and even the ‘sour-cream apple’.
Comment below if it is called differently in your country. We will be very thankful for this info!
Now let’s move on to even more interesting facts, its benefits, myths about the soursop, and negative effects this fruit may have on our health.
What Are the Benefits of Soursop?
Is soursop a superfood? Is soursop good for women? What diseases can it treat? Ladies and gentlemen, the soursop’s pulp, leaves, seeds, roots, and stem bark are used to treat:
- headaches
- high blood pressure
- parasitic infections
- diabetes
- different types of inflammations
- insomnia
- diarrhea
- respiratory illnesses
- stomach ache
- fever
- neuralgia
- urinary tract infections
- autoimmune diseases
- swollen feet
- wounds
- eczema
- cancer
- cholera
- staphylococcus growth
- malaria.
It is widely used to increase fertility for both men and women. Moreover, its leaves can be used for making a hair rinse and making face wash.
Soursop is high in:
– vitamin C (one soursop may contain double of your recommended daily allowance of vitamin C);
– phytosterols, tannins, and flavonoids (antioxidants);
– fiber (83% of your recommended daily allowance);
It also contains vitamins B1, B2, B3, B9 folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, copper, and phosphorous. Cool, right?
So, the soursop is a good stress reliever, it can boost your immunity. improve digestion, reduce inflammation, make your hair look healthy, help you get rid of lice, and reduce wrinkles. It seems that the soursop fruit is the new coconut oil, that can solve 99% of your problems. No wonder why it became VIRAL throughout the internet.
Are the Benefits of Soursop Confirmed?
This time I have to disappoint you. The majority of these benefits of the soursop fruit are not confirmed scientifically, as there is not enough data on how it really impacts humans. However, some LABORATORY STUDIES show good results. Moreover, a lot of people remember this fruit from their childhood and the effect it had on them. Most often, their parents gave them soursop tea for better sleep and when they were having stomach pain.
So, in case of any above-mentioned disease, seek medical advice first. Add such miraculous plants as soursop to your diet, but don’t substitute traditional medicines with them. Especially if we are talking about serious medical conditions and any type of cancer in particular.
The Side Effects of the Soursop Fruit
As it lowers blood pressure, people with hypotension must be very careful with it. Also, the soursop leaves are very strong stuff. People who drink it regularly recommend starting by boiling only 5–6 leaves, not more, and using this tea for less than 15 days, then you need to make a 1–2 week pause. Soursop may also interact with medications for diabetes and high blood pressure medications. Be careful if you take such medicines.
Why are people asking Google things like ‘Is soursop okay to eat?’, or ‘How to eat soursop safely?’ before buying it? This is due to the annonacin that soursop contains. This alkaloid may be neurotoxic. However, this negative impact of the soursop was not confirmed either.
How to Cut and Eat Soursop
When it is ripe you can even tear it apart with your hands. Another method is to simply cut it into two parts. Now you can eat the white creamy pulp with a spoon, avoiding the seeds. The other way of cutting soursop is cutting it in 6–8 sections. Eat it like you eat oranges.
What Is Soursop’s Flavour?
We are all different. So, some people say that soursop reminds them of pineapple, others say it tastes a bit like a strawberry, or an apple, and even has a citrus taste. Try it and describe its flavor in the comments!
Is Your Soursop Ripe?
How to know if it is ripe and you can eat it? If you push it and it feels firm, give your soursop several more days to become softer. It has to be soft, and slightly darker. Your fingers have to leave a dent when you touch it. If the soursop fruit is completely black, it’s a pity. but it is spoiled! The ripe soursop is very soft, juicy, and has a mushy pulp.
What Can Soursop Be Used For?
As we already know, the soursop can be eaten as is. Also, people around the world like to make smoothies, different drinks, sorbets, ice-creams, and candies out of the soursop pulp. You will find several simple soursop recipes below.
EASY SOURSOP RECIPES
You can eat soursop as it is, but you can also prepare tasteful desserts with its pulp.
Soursop Juice
Take 1 big ripe soursop, remove the skin, take out the seeds and the core. Push the pulp through the strainer, put it into a blender. Add a bit of cinnamon powder and ground nutmeg, some vanilla extract, and several drops of lime juice. Add a bit of condensed milk or any other sweetener you prefer. Add several cups of water. Blend. Try it and add more sweetener if you want. Serve chill.
Soursop Ice-Cream
Take 3 cups (800–900 g) of the soursop pulp. Put it into a blender and puree. Beat 2 cups (500 ml) of heavy cream until stiff peaks (medium speed). Add 1,5 cups (350 ml) of condensed milk to the bowl, mix in the heavy creams and the soursop puree. Add a bit of vanilla extract, cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and 1 tablespoon of lime juice. Don’t over-mix!
Take a freezer-safe container. Pour the mix into it, cover. Freeze for 6–8 hours.
Soursop Smoothie with Pineapple and Kale
You need to blend such ingredients as:
- 1 whole ripe peeled soursop fruit without seeds
- 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
- 1 cup of coconut milk or oat milk (or coconut water)
- 4 kale leaves
Soursop Smoothie with Mango
Put these ingredients into a blender and process until smooth:
- 1 cup of ripe soursop pulp (without seeds)
- 2 (or even 3) cups of ripe mango pulp
- ½ cup of any milk you like
- sweetener — sugar, honey, or any other you use
- ice cubes
Soursop Smoothie with Banana
Blend these 3 ingredients:
- pulp of 1 big soursop (800–900 g, without seeds!)
- 2 bananas
- fresh mint leaves
Soursop Tea
Boil 4 cups of filtered water, add 5–6 soursop leaves (fresh or dried), steer for 30–40 minutes. Drink warm. You can also add a cinnamon stick to your tea.
how soursop tea leaves look
Soursop Cake
Preheat the oven to 250 ° C (remember that all ovens are different, so better adapt all recipes for YOUR kitchen gadgets).
Add to the blender such ingredients: 500 ml pureed soursop pulp without seeds, 2 eggs, 100 grams of butter, 250 grams of wheat flour, 1 1/2 cups of cow’s milk, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, and 1 cup of sugar.
Take a cake pan, grease and flour it. Pour the smooth blended substance in it, and add 50 g of blueberries or other berries you like.
Bake for 45–55 min. The cake is cooked when a knife (or a toothpick) comes out clean.
The Bottom Line
– The soursop fruit is known as the ‘cancer-fighting fruit’.
– Soursop is believed to have anti-inflammatory properties.
– This fruit is high in antioxidants.
– You can make the soursop leaves tea to relieve stress or stomach pain and for better sleep.
– You can eat the soursop as it is, make a smoothie, or an ice cream out of it.
– Soursop hair rinse helps to get rid of lice, to keep your scalp healthy, and to make your hair shiny.
– Soursop face wash helps to get the ‘glowing’ healthy skin effect and to reduce wrinkles.
– Despite the benefits soursop has for our health, these benefits are not fully confirmed scientifically yet. Yet! New research works are coming!
– You cannot substitute traditional medicines with soursop. Seek medical advice first, then add soursop to your diet.
– Don’t eat soursop fruit, take soursop supplements, or drink soursop tea in large amounts.
In conclusion, soursop, with its sweet-sour flavor and unique tropical charm, is a remarkable fruit that has captivated both culinary enthusiasts and health-conscious individuals alike. Its versatility in the kitchen, from delightful beverages to delectable desserts, makes it a prized ingredient in many cultures. However, while soursop is lauded for its potential health benefits and traditional uses, further scientific research is needed to fully understand its medicinal properties. Whether you savor it for its exotic taste or explore its potential wellness advantages, soursop will be an intriguing and flavorful addition to your and your family’s balanced diet.
Have you ever tried soursop? If yes, did you like it? What are your favorite ways of eating this fruit? Comment below. Share your experience with us, and get several plusses into your karma 🙂
