How to eat Cherimoya! When you slice one open, you might not be sure sure how to tackle it. This photographic guide will show you how easy and delicious it is.
"A Cherimoya is deliciousness itself" -- Mark Twain
When I opened the box of Cherimoyas that Melissa's Produce sent me, I immediately remembered when I had my first one.
It was twenty some years ago, when I was living in Spain. My Spanish sister, Pilar, introduced me to them. I hadn't seen anything like them before.
So Pilar taught me how to eat Cherimoya fruit, and now I'll teach you. 🙂
What is a Cherimoya?
-The heart-shaped fruit has a gorgeous green exterior with what looks like impressions of small, overlapping oval flower petals -- like a shingled roof.
-They have creamy white flesh with large black seeds hiding throughout it.
-You might think they're too laborious to navigate your way around the seeds -- however, that shouldn't stop you.
-Pilar showed me how easy (albeit a bit messy) they were to eat. And had it been too tricky, well, I'd have said it was totally worth it because it was absolutely delicious.
-Cherimoya fruit were originally grown by Inca farmers in Ecuador and Peru. They have a texture somewhere between ripe peach and silky smooth custard.
-Their season is approximately January through June.
What does Cherimoya Fruit Taste Like?
The flavor is best described as a blend of pineapple and pear. Some also say they taste notes of mango, strawberries and lemon.
Once you learn how to eat Cherimoya, you won't be able to stop -- their SO delicious!
Several years after I lived in Spain, I noticed the Cherimoya showing up in the U.S. And now they are a savored, exotic treat world-wide.
Before we learn how to eat Cherimoya fruit, please take a moment to appreciate its beauty. Don't you think the pattern on the outside looks like fish scales? So cool.
How to Use it
-On their own -- Simply eating them with a spoon, as shown above, is delectable!
-In dessert recipes -- They are divine in ice cream, puddings, pie fillings, mousse, and the list goes on. Check out my friend, Dorothy's Cherimoya Ice Cream recipe here.
-In drink recipes -- They add a delicious fruity flavor to all sorts of cocktails, smoothies, and juices.
So let's get to it. How to eat Cherimoya fruit . . . .
How to Eat Cherimoya
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 whole Cherimoya
Instructions
- Use a very sharp knife to cut the Cherimoya in half or into quarters.
- Use your fingers to sort of pull apart the flesh — you’ll notice it falls apart in chunks. Eat them! The seeds usually come off in chunks as well — you can suck the flesh from around them, but please be careful not to swallow them. (As with many fruits, the seeds are poisonous!)
- And for a slightly less messy method, use a spoon to scoop the flesh out of the skin .You do this much like you would an avocado.
NOTES
NUTRITION
CC
Thanks for this, it's definitely a fruit that we need a tutorial on how to eat!
Valentina
Happy to help. 😉 Thanks for visiting. 🙂 ~Valentina
kubet
Best review i have ever seen !
Valentina
Thanks! 🙂 ~Valentina
Frank | Memorie di Angelina
How interesting! I’ve seen these in markets from time to time, but never knew anything about them nor what to do with them. Now I do! Makes me want to buy some next time I see them!
Kathryn
Great article and I learned so much from the comments too. Can't wait to try my first cherimoya!
valentina
Thanks, Kathryn. Hope you love it! 😀 ~Valentina
Dawn BeLuke
Thank you so much for sharing this! We just picked one up from Wegmans in Penfield NY and am so excited to try it! We’ve been looking for new fruits and vegetables to add to our rotation and now I know how to eat them! By any chance can you do an article on all different fruits and vegetables to which season they are in?
Thank you again Valentina!
- dawn
valentina
Hi Dawn, Thanks so much for your note. I hope you love the Cherimoya! 🙂 And thanks for the suggestion to do an article about fruits and vegetables and their seasons. Until then, this site is a fantastic guide. Just click on "products" then "see all" and you should be able to find all sorts of interesting fruits and vegetables. When you click on the item you want, it will detail everything about it, including its season. Enjoy! ~Valentina