One of my hobbies is seeking out new and amazing fruits to try and learn all about, and sharing that knowledge with other fruit lovers. That brings us to the Atemoya, the rare fruit that you probably never heard of. It is a hybrid fruit, a cross between a sugar apple and a Cherimoya. And let me tell you, it is pretty awesome!
Time to learn all about the Atemoya, where it comes from and where it grows, what the nutritional benefits are, how to tell when it’s ripe, how to eat it, and what it tastes like. On to the information!
Where does the Atemoya come from, and where does it grow?
Atemoya trees grow in many places throughout the world, specifically in the American tropics, such as Florida. I actually got my fruit from miamifruit.org, which is a tropical fruit farm in southern Florida. It is also cultivated in places like Australia, the Philippines, Israel, South America, and Brazil. If you live in subtropical or tropical parts of the world, you can probably grow this fruit. It does well in California and Arizona, here in the States, but there are no big farms in either of those places, just hobbyist growers.
The Atemoya (Annona squamosa × Annona cherimola) belongs to the family Annonaceae and is related to several other fruits, like the sugar apple, Cherimoya, soursop, custard apple, pond apple, and ilama. There are several varieties, with the Geffner and African Pride being the most common of the green-skinned variety.
The tree is small to medium in size, with mature trees growing up to 30 feet in height. The tree is semi-deciduous and doesn’t lose all of its leaves during the winter.
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Can these trees be grown from seed?
Yes, the can, however, it is variable, and it won’t produce fruit for 3 to 5 years. It is much better to buy a small tree that has been grafted onto good rootstock. Fruit will be born in 2 to 3 years after planting. I won’t get into all the details, but you can find more information here if you want to grow it yourself.
What are the nutritional benefits?
This Atemoya fruit is very nutritious and packed with vitamins and minerals:
- High in Vitamin C
- Good source of Vitamin B6
- Good source of fiber, potassium, and magnesium
- It may help with digestive issues
- It may help with respiratory ailments
How to eat Atemoya
Before you can eat this fruit, you need to make sure it is ripe. How to tell when it is ripe? It will be brownish all over and very soft when pressed. If it is still really firm, wait a few more days. Most likely, you will buy it when it is still not ripe. Allow it to ripen on the counter at room temperature. DO NOT put it in the fridge until after it is ripe.
There are many ways that you can eat the Atemoya. First, slice it in half, you will be greeted with amazing white flesh, and dark seeds will be visible. Don’t eat the seeds, and don’t eat the skin.
A popular way to eat it would be after slicing it in half, using a spoon to scoop out the soft, creamy flesh. And then eating it as is. Another common way to eat it would be to slice it up into smaller chunks or wedges and eat it with your hands, spitting out the seeds, of course.
Often this fruit is eaten as is, or lots of times it is used in desserts, ice cream, smoothies, fruit salads, etc.
What does Atemoya taste like?
This fruit is amazing. The texture is not quite as creamy as the Cherimoya, but still kind of creamy with a bit of firmness to it. It is juicy, fairly sweet, but not overly sweet. I think the best way to describe it would be a mix between pineapple, coconut, and banana. So if you like those three fruits, I think you will enjoy this rare fruit. Store any leftover ripe fruit in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
If you want to try this fruit, you may or may not find it where you live, but you can always buy it online. Enjoy!
Watch the video I made about the Atemoya!
