What is Soursop?
As you get more acquainted with Soursop, you will quickly realize that it is much friendlier and more agreeable than what meets the eye. Soursop fruit might look a bit intimidating to some people. It comes in irregular heart shapes, deep green with short prickly spikes all over. But, although it has a rough skin, the flesh is soft, silky and delicious. If you are wondering whether you should try this tropical fruit, we’re here to tell you, YES!
Much like an avocado, a ripe Soursop (also known as Guanábana in Latina America) has a little give when you press your fingers into it, but is overall firm and heavy in hand. You can slide a knife through it, cutting from the stem stub, all the way to the other end. When you pull the faces apart, you will not only notice the bright white flesh and glossy black seeds peeping through it, but the very sweet perfume of the fruit, backed with a subtle muskiness. Soursop has a strong floral fragrance; a welcoming first part of the meeting. With a spoon or fingers, you can scoop out the pulp. It is soft, with easily broken membranes. A tough centre stem is found down the middle. The fruit pulls apart in squishy pods and oozes a creamy, milky juice.
What Does Soursop taste like?
Its name only describes part of this evolving flavor profile. Soursop in your mouth, moves through tastes, from tangy to sour to sweet, similar to pineapple. All the while, the strawberry-esqe aroma floods your nostrils. The velvety texture coats all of these beautifully, for a unique balance. People have compared the flavor with combinations of sour citrus, banana, coconut and mango among other tropical fruits. We definitely suggest trying it yourself, to pinpoint your own nostalgic references for this tasty and versatile gift from mother nature.
Where can I buy Soursop?
The exact origin of Soursop is unknown, but it is native to the tropical regions of the Americas and the Caribbean. For us at Island Pops, it reminds us of back home in Trinidad. In fact, it was a craving for Trini soursop ice cream that got the Island Pops brand started! Soursop ice cream is a traditional staple in the Caribbean ice cream catalogue. In 2014 after returning to Brooklyn from a vacation in Trinidad and Tobago, we experimented with a homemade soursop ice cream concoction, when we could not find any store-bought varieties available. It was not yet a perfect recipe, but it did spark that eureka moment for us, that Brooklyn was missing out on great homemade Caribbean ice cream! Now, after selling thousands of pints and cones and cups of the beloved favorite, we now make our ice cream available nationwide through online ordering and shipping! We get the fruit from Labay Market in Brooklyn, brought in in directly from Grenada, and deliver our ice cream throughout the US.
But homesickness isn’t the only thing it is good for. According to Healthline.com a typical serving of this fruit is low in calories yet high in several nutrients like fiber, vitamin C and antioxidants. Besides the sweet and sour pulp, the leaves and stems are also consumed. They can be boiled and brewed as a tea for medicinal purposes. Some possible health benefits include lowering blood sugar, reducing inflammation and even potentially eliminating cancer cells.
How Do People Eat Soursop?
If you’re not a big “bush-tea” fanatic, there are many other ways to consume this versatile fruit that are much more indulgent. Raw, of course, and straight off the tree, is how it is mostly eaten. And, well, you’ve already heard us mention the moorish ice cream. But soursop is also popular as a drink! Soursop juice is well-known, especially in Jamaica and Brazil. The skin is peeled off the ripe fruit with a knife, or fingers. The riper it is, the softer it is, and the skin slips right off. With the stem removed, the pulp is hand squeezed through a sieve (to keep out the seeds), and whisked with water and sugar. No blender required. Many people also have it in a punch or smoothie, mixing in sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon, nutmeg and even rum to the juice.
We told you at the start, you need to try Soursop in some way, shape or form! This versatile fruit is as yummy as it is healthy. We can’t wait for you to try it! At Island Pops we are proud to be able to provide natural Caribbean-grown fruit in our ice cream. You can order from our website islandpops.com to have it delivered straight to you! And if you’re in New York, come by our Brooklyn shop at 680 Nostrand Avenue in Crown Heights. Let us share a cone and let’s talk more about how much we love soursop!