Soursop is known to have a few other names such as Graviola, custard apple (which is actually a smaller cousin but a different fruit altogether), in Singhalese, it’s called Katu Anoda.
It is quite large in size with white pulpy flesh and inedible black seeds. Soursop has a very creamy and luscious texture with an addictive sweet-acidic taste. Widely available in supermarkets and in local fruit stalls.
I fell in love with juice made from this fruit at first before I started to stock up on this magnificent fruit.
It is very common to find a Soursop tree growing in the garden in rural areas of Sri Lanka.
How to eat it
The most common way of eating soursop is cut in half and scoop out the flesh and eat it by hand. You can also cut in small chunks, bite the flesh and spit out the seeds.
Once I tried to make a soursop juice it took me an hour to remove all the seeds it had. The flesh of the fruit has so many pockets with seeds in it, it was a very tedious process removing them all. I was certain that all the seeds had been removed and yet I managed to find some in my juice after all that work… So I found it’s easy to eat it as a fruit.
Health Benefits
In Sri Lanka, Soursop fruit and Graviola tree leaves are widely used in Ayurvedic medicine due to its medicinal properties.
There are claims that the fruit has strong anti-cancer properties. However, some sources confirming that it’s true and some research suggest that it has not been studied in humans. There is, however, no medical evidence that it is effective.
Either way, this superfruit is rich in vitamins and minerals and high in antioxidants which is essential for our health and certainly should be included in our diet.
Be sure not to forget to sample this amazing fruit during your stay in Sri Lanka.
Here are some health benefits of Soursop according to WebMD.
- Great Source of Vitamin C – Boosts Immune System
- Contains 83% Fibre – Improves Digestion
- Anti-carcinogenic Effects – Kills Cancer Cells
- Fights Inflammation
- Stabilizes Blood Pressure
- Can Fight Against Bacteria
NUTRIENTS PER SERVING – Dan Brennan, MD.
- Calories: 413
- Protein: 6 grams
- Fat: 2 grams
- Carbohydrates: 105 grams
- Fibre: 21 grams
- Sugar: 85 grams
If you want to know about my 16 tips about Sri Lanka for first-time visitors, click here.
Sources
Links
http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2009/9/47569_space.html https://www.cancercenter.com/community/blog/2017/07/experts-warn-against-soursop-fruit-to-fight-cancer
https://ayurvedasrilanka.net/en/blog/2014/02/25/soursop/
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