Aug 3 2023
The Annonaceae family is the largest plant family within the Magnoliales. The Caribbean vernacular name “anon” was taken by Carl Linnaeus and changed to the Latin genus name, Annona which means “the year’s harvest”, which he thought was applicable, on account of the edible fruit which is relished by the people in countries where it grows (Safford, p. 118). Due to cultural diffusion and the hybridization of the Annona fruits, there is no consensus of origin, but the fruit were originally cultivated primarily in the Caribbean, South America, Asia, Mexico, and Africa. There are more than fifty species in the genus Annona, but only five species are edible: Annona cherimola (cherimoya), A. diversifolia (llama), A. reticulata (custard apple), and an Annona hybrid between cherimoya and sweetsop (atemoya) (Noonan, p. 220). The other two edible species, Annona squamosa and Annona muricata, often mistaken for each other, are culturally important in Asia, North and South America, Africa, and most significantly, the Caribbean. These two species are widely used for their medicinal properties, nutritional value, and as a drink to cool down on hot dreary days.
Annona squamosa has a fruit that typically resembles a pine cone and is known to be very aromatic. Annona squamosa is known as the sugar apple in North America, saramuyo in Mexico, and sweetsop in South America, Jamaica, Barbados and other parts of the Caribbean. They were brought to the United States in 1833 by Dr. Henry Perrine, a tropical plant enthusiast, who wanted to incorporate plants from the Caribbean to start a garden in his new home in Florida (Noonan, p. 219; Rogers, p. 2016). This was a wise choice, as the sweetsop is succulent, flavorful, and sweet to the taste and is rich in Vitamin C. When ripe, the fruit is green with numerous black, oblong, smooth, and horizontal seeds and can be used to make fermented alcoholic beverages, jellies, preserves, and frozen desserts. The leaves of these plants can be used to manufacture fiber supplements, as poultice to treat ailments, and to prevent pests. Traditional uses of the plants by indigenous people of Peru include teas made from the root are highly purgative, they induce bowel movements, and the teas made from leaves were mildly laxative. They would use the unripe fruit, seeds, leaves, and roots to kill insects and lice. The seedlings have both insecticidal and abortifacient attributes (Noonan, p. 23). However, the sweetsop isn't all that sweet—it is also been shown to cause Parkinsons-like diseases (Standley, p. 23).
Annona muricata, also referred to as soursop or guanabana, is the most prevalent species in the Caribbean islands and is most susceptible to the cold. It differs from A. squamosa in having fruit that is egg shaped with a coarse and prickly exterior, similar to the pineapple. It contains white fleshy pulp, like a pear with a slight acidic taste. Overall the flavor is more tart than the sweetsop and the seeds are flattened and smooth. The pulp freed from the seeds and pulled or cut into small pieces may be chilled and served as a breakfast fruit with the addition of sugar, or it may be used in a salad, iced drinks, sherbets and gelatin dishes that may be made from the extracted juice. It also blends well with banana, orange and pineapple for a refreshing burst of flavor to satisfy thirst (Miller, p. 77).
All in all, both species’ fruit, leaves, bark and seeds have been found to have pharmacological properties to treat a variety of illnesses including: diabetes, cancer, parasitic and infectious diseases, peptic ulcers, and mental disorders (Quilez). In order to cultivate these plants, it's important to note that Annona favor dry climate but are tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions. The trees are shallow rooted so they don’t require deep soil, so drainage must be good as they suffer from water logging. Annona fruits should be harvested when firm, with the exception of soursop which should not be harvested prematurely as the skin would hold more tightly and would lose its flavorful quality (Noonan, p. 223). When ripe, they all have a thick, soft, inedible skin with shiny watermelon-like seeds that should not be eaten because they are toxic. The green skin bruises easily and is bumpy with protuberances and indentations. To experience the best flavor quality of the fruit, the fruit should not be overripe.
Today, sweetsop and soursop are most appreciated in the form of sherbets, drinks, jellies, preserves, and fermented liquor. Caribbean-American people say it is best enjoyed as a cold drink, mixed with water, sugar, and nutmeg. These fruits can be enjoyed all year round, they aren’t held to any special celebratory tradition, but on any given day they will not disappoint to bring quality flavor and satisfaction. While the two fruits have their differences, both have made distinct contributions to Caribbean cultural food and medicine.
