Soursop Goodness

Hullo!

 

This post is about my most favourite fruit in the world, The Soursop.

 

Soursop

 

You know how sometimes, you're bummed that because we live in the tropics, we can't get easy access to some yummy looking fruits we read and hear about such as the berries, pomegranates, celery (this pains me a lot), kiwi fruits, etc of this world? Well, be glad because there are some yummy juicy fruit we have easy access to here in the tropics that others on the outside are clueless about such as the Cocoa, Ube, Agbalumo (African Star fruit) and the Soursop! I have a friend in the UK who constantly pleads to get soursop shipped from here to her. Awwwww *slurps soursop*.

 

Whenever I think of the Soursop, my mind always remembers breadfruit. I ate a lot of breadfruit as a kid. My mum loved to buy them when she returned from work. She'd fry or cook it. I hated it! I don't think she ever realised this. From the moment I heard there was a Breadfruit Street on Lagos Island, I always assumed that was where all the breadfruit in Lagos was sold because my mum always seemed to produce those things out of nowhere. I don't think breadfruit is being sold in Nigeria anymore. I haven't seen one in many years. I'm not sure if I'm glad about that now. I know I still hate it because I still sort of remember the smell and taste but I'd still love to see one again.

 

Well, Soursop looks a lot like breadfruit. But the similarities stop on the outside. They are both dark green fruits with thorns on the outside. But that is where the similarities stop. Where breadfruit is round, soursop is shapeless much like an amoeba. Breadfruit often comes in larger sizes than the soursop. On the inside, breadfruit, I remember was usually cream in colour with little holes and was usually dry. It always reminded me of yam. The soursop on the other hand is white on the inside and really juicy. It also comes in big seeds. I'm not certain if breadfruit is really a fruit though even though it is called so. I don't think it can be eaten raw as my mum always cooked it in some way either by frying or boiling.

 

Breadfruit

 

Let's not get carried away. This post is not about breadfruit. It's about the goodness that is soursop. And oh, what goodness! It is yummy, juicy, delicious fruit that has lots of health benefits. Great combo.

 

I discovered the goodness of soursop sometime in 2001 and I have not looked back ever since. I was on Lagos Island during the week and spotted a woman selling some. I always buy soursop whenever I see them unless I'm in a moving vehicle. This is because even as we are in the tropics, it still is a fruit that is not sold at every corner. It is often sold by random women and in little quantity. I think it is also a seasonal fruit as it disappears sometimes and reappears. I have however noticed some places which I tend to see them such as Lagos Island this includes Sangrose Market, Sura market, Balogun Street and around Apongbon. Also, I have noticed it in Oyingbo market a few times. I have also noticed that it is often sold by women who sell avocado so that may help.

 

I keep saying that there is nothing sour about this sop. I don't know why it was given the 'sour' bit. Unless the one that's being grown here has sort of mutated in taste a bit with the environment. I don't know. The only thing I can use to compare the taste of soursop is perhaps icecream. No, it is not as sweet as icecream but I think the colour and consistency make me think so. Imagine it as a smoothie.

 

Soursop has many health benefits. It is rich in carbohydrates, fructose and vitamins. It is a very good source of fibre and contains no saturated fats. Favourite thing about soursop so far is that it cures cancer. No jokes. I didn't just read this off the internet. I have an aunt who was battling colon cancer in the UK 3 years ago. I didn't know she had this until afterwards because everyone was quite hush about it. But I did notice she was making a lot of orders from here for soursop and the dried soursop leaves. Glory to The Almighty Father, she's hale and hearty now. And whenever she talks about it, she says most of what she used were African herbs and soursop was one of them.

 

Here are some health benefits of soursop:

 

1. Cures cancer: Had to be number 1. Soursop is said to be 10,000 better than chemo as it kills cancer cells and leaves the healthy ones unlike chemo. No weight loss or hair loss either.

 

2. Immune system booster

 

3. High in vitamin C which is an anti-oxidant

 

4. Cures kidney and liver diseases

 

5. Rich in fibre

 

6. Free from saturated fats

 

7. Ideal for a healthy heart.

 

But then, don't take my word for it. I am not doctor. This information is all over the internet.

 

So, back to the soursop I bought. Here's how you can tell that your soursop is ready to eat. It is no longer dark green but now has a yellowish green colour AND is soft when pressed. I learnt this the hard way. Yesterday, after my excitement of finding soursop 2 days in a week, I was so eager to make a smoothie out of a second soursop I bought. Even though it looked yellowish green on the outside, it was still hard when pressed. I convinced myself that it was ripe enough. I took my knife and cut it in two and I was totally bummed. It was unripe. All I had needed to do was to wait an extra day. There are few things in life more painful than an open unripe soursop. :(

 

For a ripe soursop, however, you cut open the fruit and devour the succulent meat while removing the seeds, of course. Unless you're like my mum who enjoys eating the seeds of fruits. She says they usually contain more nutrients. I'll pass.

 

Juicy soursop

 

I ate a whole soursop that night. Huge mistake. Don't be a glutton like me. It gave me diarrhea the next morning and I suffered some dizziness. I think it contains too much natural sugars for anyone to over indulge in at night so watch it. For this same reason, I don't think it'll be a very good weight loss dietary meal.

 

 

Do note, however, that some unconfirmed studies say a possible side effect of Soursop is Parkinson's Disease. Moderation is key noni.

 

 

Ciao!

Stay beautiful and eat soursop!

 

Barka d' Sallah to all muslims.