Soursop: tropical fruit and refreshing drinks

What is it?

Soursop is one of the most representative and beloved tropical fruits of the cuisine of southeastern Mexico and the American tropics: a large fruit, fifteen to forty centimetres long and up to two kilos in weight, with thin dark green skin covered with soft curved spines (hence the epithet muricata, meaning bristly with spines), and inner white flesh, creamy, juicy, sweet-and-sour, with numerous flat black-brown seeds distributed in segments. Its flavour is one of the most distinctive of the tropics: sweet and acidic at the same time, with notes that combine pineapple, strawberry, banana, vanilla and a subtle citrus acidity that make it unmistakable. It is the quintessential refreshing fruit, ideal for warm seasons, and is mainly drunk in aguas frescas (one of the most popular agua fresca flavours in Mexico), ice creams, lollies, sorbets, atoles, mousses, desserts and, more recently, in tropical cocktails and smoothies. The main season runs from March to October. Soursop has also gained world fame for its alleged medicinal properties.

Origin and history

Soursop is native to the American tropical basin, particularly northern South America (Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Brazil, Peru), the Caribbean and parts of Central America, where its use has been documented since pre-Inca and pre-Columbian times. The name guanabana comes from the Antillean Taino wanaban, a Caribbean language that the Spaniards brought from the Antilles. In Nahuatl there was no original name because the plant is not endemic to the Mexican highlands, although it was cultivated in adjacent lowland tropical regions. Francisco Hernandez in his Natural History of New Spain (16th century) and the colonial chroniclers extensively document soursop among the fruits of the New World, attributing food and medicinal uses to them. It belongs to the genus Annona of the family Annonaceae, the same as anona, cherimoya and atemoya. After the Conquest, soursop spread globally through tropical Africa, Asia and Oceania, where it is widely cultivated. In Mexico, the main producing regions are Nayarit, Michoacan, Veracruz, Colima, Guerrero, Tabasco, Chiapas and Oaxaca, with the region of Compostela in Nayarit considered the main national production centre, where annual soursop fairs are held. CONABIO and SADER (gob.mx) document Annona muricata as a crop of great commercial and biocultural importance in the Mexican tropics.

Characteristic ingredients

Soursop is Annona muricata, an evergreen tree of the family Annonaceae that can reach ten metres in height, with shiny elliptical leaves and large yellow-green flowers with three fleshy petals. The fruit is harvested when it has reached its full size and the skin begins to soften; it ripens fully at room temperature in one to three days. It is ready when the skin yields to gentle pressure and the spines begin to flatten slightly. To prepare, halve it lengthwise or peel it; the flesh is extracted with a spoon, separating the segments and removing the large flat black-brown seeds (which are not eaten and contain acetogenins in high concentrations). The flesh contains vitamin C, vitamin B6, iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, dietary fibre and antioxidants, along with low calories. The distinctive sweet-and-sour flavour is due to a combination of sugars (fructose, glucose, sucrose), citric acid, malic acid and volatile aromatic esters that generate the unique tropical perfume. The main culinary uses are: soursop agua fresca, one of the most popular flavours of aguas frescas in Mexico, made with blended pulp, water, sugar and a touch of lime; artisanal ice creams and lollies, where soursop is one of the favourites; soursop atole, a traditional drink; jams; mousses; sorbets; tropical cocktails with white rum; sauces for white meats in contemporary versions. The leaves have been used in medicinal infusions to treat digestive complaints, inflammation and other conditions, although their use requires caution due to the bioactive compounds.

Cultural significance

Soursop is part of the gastronomic heritage of the Mexican tropics and an emblem of Mexican aguas frescas, alongside hibiscus, tamarind and horchata. The National Soursop Fair in Compostela, Nayarit, held annually, is one of the most important regional gastronomic events of the Mexican Pacific. Traditional Mexican cuisine, inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010, includes tropical fruits such as soursop among its cultural components. Economically, soursop supports thousands of producers in Nayarit, Michoacan, Veracruz, Colima, Guerrero, Tabasco, Chiapas and Oaxaca, with annual Mexican production close to 30,000 tonnes. SADER (gob.mx) highlights Mexico as one of the world's leading producers, with growing markets in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. The medicinal properties attributed to soursop, particularly its alleged anticancer effects based on preliminary studies of acetogenins, have generated a growing global nutraceutical market, although robust clinical evidence remains limited and authorities such as the FDA and COFEPRIS warn against therapeutic use without medical supervision. Chefs such as Margarita Carrillo Arronte, Patricia Quintana, Enrique Olvera and Daniela Soto-Innes have incorporated soursop into haute-cuisine menus, giving it new international visibility.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between soursop and cherimoya?

Both are annonaceae but different species. Soursop (Annona muricata) has green skin with soft curved spines, creamy white flesh with a very intense sweet-and-sour flavour (notes of pineapple-strawberry-banana), grows in the warm lowland tropics. Cherimoya (Annona cherimola) has green skin with raised scales without spines, creamy white flesh with a sweeter, milder flavour, grows in temperate altitudes. Soursop is generally larger and more acidic.

What does soursop taste like?

It has a distinctive sweet-and-sour and very aromatic flavour that combines notes of ripe pineapple, strawberry, banana, vanilla and an acidic citrus touch. The texture is creamy but with fibres and seeds distributed through the flesh in segments. The aroma is intense and very tropical, perfumed and easy to identify. It is one of the most complex and intense tropical fruits in aromatic profile, which has made it one of the favourites for aguas frescas and desserts in Mexico.

How is soursop served?

Its most popular use in Mexico is in soursop agua fresca, blended with water and sugar and strained to remove the seeds. It is also prepared in artisanal ice creams and lollies (one of the most popular flavours), traditional atoles, jams, mousses, sorbets, tropical cocktails with white rum and, in contemporary cuisine, in sauces for white meats and modern desserts. Fresh, it is eaten with a spoon, spitting out the seeds. The leaves are used in medicinal infusions with caution.

Where is soursop originally from?

It is native to the American tropical basin, particularly northern South America (Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Brazil, Peru), the Caribbean and parts of Central America, where its use has been documented since pre-Columbian times. The name comes from the Antillean Taino wanaban. Today it is grown throughout the Mexican tropics (Nayarit, Michoacan, Veracruz, Colima, Guerrero, Tabasco, Chiapas, Oaxaca) and has become naturalised in tropical Africa, Asia and Oceania.