Sugar apple (Annona squamosa) originated in tropical America; its fruit is sweet and nutritious

The sugar apple is the fruit of a small tree in the genus Annona, family Annonaceae. Because its surface is covered with scaly bumps and its shape closely resembles a Buddha's head, it is also called custard apple or Buddha's head fruit. It originated in tropical America and is now widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions; in China it is grown in Taiwan, China, Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Yunnan and other places. When ripe, the skin turns from green to yellow-green, and when it feels soft to a gentle press, it is ready to eat.

The flesh of the sugar apple is milky white, fine, soft and creamy, with a rich sweet fragrance, and its sweetness is on the higher side among fruits. The flesh contains carbohydrates, vitamin C and minerals such as potassium, making its nutritional value fairly rich. It should be noted that the center of the fruit has several black seeds that are hard in texture and not suitable for eating, so they should be spat out when eating.

The same genus includes many other common fruit trees, such as the pineapple sugar apple (Annona x atemoya), a hybrid offspring of the sugar apple and the cherimoya (Annona cherimola), whose flesh has a pineapple-like flavor; and the soursop (Annona muricata), whose skin bears soft spines and whose flesh is sweet-sour and juicy. These species differ slightly in appearance and flavor, but all prefer a warm, humid climate, have poor cold tolerance, and fear low temperatures and frost.

If the sugar apple you bought is still very hard, you can leave it at room temperature together with bananas and apples; after a few days the fruit will soften and be ready to eat. Fruit that has not yet softened is not recommended for the refrigerator, as low temperatures easily cause chilling injury and affect normal ripening. A few black spots or slight soft cracking on the skin is usually a sign of ripeness, and as long as the flesh has no off odor it can be eaten with confidence. The flesh is high in sugar, so it is best not to eat too much at one time.