Why I’m Adding A Cherimoya To My Weekly Diet
“What on earth is a cherimoya?” I hear you cry. Or maybe not. Maybe you know exactly what one is. I certainly didn’t have a clue and needed the help of good old Google!
I may have mentioned before that I use our local international supermarket for all of our fruit and vegetables as well as spices and a whole host of other things. I like to support local and try to limit what I buy at the big supermarkets. I love the feeling of coming home from the butchers and international food shop with a hoard of fresh ingredients.
So for a while now I have been shopping like this and I often re-emerge and mention to my husband that there are so many things in the shop that I have no idea what they are and I’ve never even heard of. It’s now my mission to educate myself as to what all these weird and wonderful fruit and vegetables are and I started with the cherimoya, also known as the custard apple.
Described by Mark Twain as “the most delicious fruit known to man,” it simply had to be tried. The first thing I learnt is that there is an optimum texture for ripeness. My first purchase, I just dived straight in there and it was rock hard and tasteless. Surely this couldn’t be the fruit that was being described as smooth as custard and delicious. My next purchase I set it aside knowing I had to wait to try it. Obviously I then proceeded to leave it too long and it become a big squishy mess. OK, lesson learnt. It’s all about timing. Third time lucky I waited for the cherimoya to be soft to the touch but not squishy.
You should be able to prize the fruit open with your fingers. The black seeds are clearly visible and easily removed. When you have done this, take a teaspoon, scoop away and enjoy! The texture is creamy and smooth and definitely tastes like something grown in tropical regions.
The health benefits are a real winner on this one too and include the following:
- Rich in vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid and is essential in the repair of tissue, required for the functioning of many enzymes and important for our immune system in general. Biological functions include collagen synthesis (and at my age I definitely need some of this!) as well as acting as an antioxidant. The cherimoya is thought to be great for the skin and also promote healthy hair growth
- High in vitamin B-6, thought to improve metabolism, improve magnesium deficiency and help hormone control (particularly good for premenstrual tension and menopausal symptoms). Thought to improve general mood and reduce symptoms of depression as well as promote good brain health
- Great source of dietary fibre which keeps our digestive system healthy and help to prevent constipation. Including rich fibre foods in our diet is also thought to reduce our risk of bowel cancer and cardiovascular disease such as heart disease and strokes
The benefits are stacking up so why not look out for cherimoyas next time you’re at the supermarket or even better, find yourself an international food store, they are such fun to explore!
