[Never experienced] Sugar apple (Annona), the best fruit you must try when you come to Thailand

Hello, this is Macchan.

It's almost time for Japan to enter the season of ``autumn taste,'' and the season has also become a delicious season for saury fish, mushrooms, and fruits such as grapes and persimmons.

This time we would like to introduce you to a rare tropical fruit, the sugar apple, which is hard to find in Japan. It looks lumpy and doesn't look that good, but the taste is interesting! ?

What is Sugar Apple (Annona)

This is a green fruit with lumpy bumps.

Its English name is sugar apple or custard apple, and in Thai it is called ``Noina'', and it is a popular fruit available at supermarkets. It is mainly eaten in Southeast Asia west of China, and in Chinese it is called ``Fan Lizhi''.In Japan, it is called ``Shakyadou'' because it resembles Buddha's spiral hair (punch perm-like hairstyle). It is called.

It is not widely distributed in Japan because the period when it is ripe for eating is short, and once it is ripe, the fruit tends to fall apart, making it unsuitable for long-distance transportation. That's why you rarely see them in regular supermarkets.

What is your favorite taste of sugar apple? ?

I had been vaguely aware of the existence of this sugar apple, but time had passed without me trying it, so this time I was able to try it for the first time at a fruit and vegetable shop in the night market in Phrae Prefecture.

Store: ``Give me this fruit!''


Store: ``Hey, it's 40 baht for two.'' Store: `
`Can you cut it like a mango?''
Store: ``There's no need to cut it, it's easy to break it with your hands. Here it is.'' What do you think?'' It looked hard, but it was actually soft and could be easily broken by hand.
The size is slightly larger than a golf ball. It was the end of July at this time, but the season for sugar apples is from July to September. It was just the right timing. Apparently, the black spots on the skin are a sign that it's ready to eat.

When you cut it open, it is indeed very soft. It is a densely packed white fibrous fruit containing several large seeds. Let's have it.

First of all, when you bite into it, it's very juicy and the sugar apple juice overflows.

It is actually very soft, but its texture is unlike any other Japanese fruit. It's a completely new texture. The taste is very rich and tropical. Although it's called a sugar apple, it doesn't look like an apple. It is not very sour and has a very strong sweetness similar to mango.

The expression "custard" in custard apple may be quite similar. It's a shame that I can't convey the taste online. I hope that one day I can convey the taste of food using my smartphone. The line between the skin and the fruit is vague, and as I was biting into it, I ended up eating the outer skin before I knew it. You can't eat the skin, so don't worry.

summary

Sugar apple is a fruit that is widely loved not only in Thailand but also in Asia.

I fell in love with its rich sweetness at first sight and regretted not having eaten it sooner (lol). I will definitely eat this every time I visit Thailand in the future. If you find this mysterious fruit in Thailand or other Asian countries, please give it a try.