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
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says
We did exactly that last night on the dinner plate — a quartered cherimoya. Nothing finer! Thank you for linking to my ice cream!
valentina says
Dorothy, I had thought about making ice cream but then decided on just showing off the fruit — I’d planned on looking for a good ice cream to link to. And how happy was I that yours was the first to come up in my “Cherimoya Ice Cream” search! 😀 Thank you!
sippitysup says
Is that fruit from Mars? GREG
valentina says
Nope, Jupiter! 😉
dc says
Nope…just another fruit the Spanish invaders took from the natives.
Deb says
Cherimoya ice cream sounds scrumptious! The flesh is just lush with such an intoxicating aroma!
valentina says
Thanks Deb! And it even looks like ice cream. 😉
JD says
In Chile, they sell the Cherimoya ice cream at most sources, from supermarkets to the equivalent of 31-Flavors Ice Cream shops.
valentina says
I bet it’s so delicious! Thanks for sharing. 🙂 ~Valentina
David says
I have never had one, but when I see them next in the market, I will get some. Are they any relation to custard apples?
valentina says
David, I don’t know about the custard apples — now I need one!
Robin says
They are the same thing. Custard apple is another name for cherimoya
valentina says
Thanks for adding this, Robin! 🙂 ~Valentina
Coco says
Looks like vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips!
Gotta find out for myself what it tastes like. Thanks, V. xoxo
valentina says
I agree, Colette — totally looks like ice cream! XO
Violeta says
AH! What about chocolate with cherimoya filling? I NEED CHERIMOYA CHOCOLATE!
valentina says
ooooh, yum! that sounds amazing! Have you seen my post about Cherimoyas? It’s here. 🙂 ~Valentina
patrick says
How do I know when it’s ripe?
valentina says
Hi Patrick, to choose a ripe cherimoya, squeeze it gently — it should give to the gentle pressure, much like an avocado. (Don’t be fooled by the skin sometimes being dark/brownish in areas — this does not mean it’s not a good one.) Hope this helps!
Perry says
Cherimoya-bier is misschien één optie..
valentina says
Cherimoya beer sounds interesting! 🙂
Diane says
Gorgeous photos… I’m totally intrigued, and can’t wait try a cherimoya! Thanks for all the info in them, I’ll be keeping my eye out for them in the store in January.
valentina says
Thanks so much for checking this out Diane! I hope you like them! 😀 ~Valentina
Shirley says
I LOVE the picture below of your kitchen. Looks like mine, stuff sitting where I can get to it, no cabinets to speak of, or all full of stuff, with your bike leaning on the fridge!! Thank you for making me feel a little more cosmopolitan!! I am blessed.
valentina says
Thank you so much, Shirley! My mom was a funky, eclectic designer and is responsible for the kitchen. She collected all sorts of interesting, unique antiques and and then some. So appreciate your appreciation for it. 🙂 ~Valentina
Shirley Stone says
Oh, I’m back. The reason I was looking at your site—I received a food basket that has an odd fruit in it, looks exactly like this chirimoya on the outside, but inside has many small black seeds contained in a semi-firm raspberry pink flesh. Flavor is good, some tart but pleasant similar to an apricot. I do not know what it is!! I see no way to get all the seeds out. They are similar to small grape seeds. Unfortunately I cannot put a picture on this site. Are there chirimoyas with pink flesh??
valentina says
Hi Shirley. I’m so happy you wrote! Please email me a picture of the fruit to valentina@cookingontheweekends.com. If I don’t know what it is, I’ll send it to my contact at Melissa’s Produce and they will know for sure. (I’m not familiar with a pink-fleshed Cherimoya.) Looking forward to the photo. ~Valentina
Dawn BeLuke says
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 says
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
Kathryn says
Great article and I learned so much from the comments too. Can’t wait to try my first cherimoya!
valentina says
Thanks, Kathryn. Hope you love it! 😀 ~Valentina
Frank | Memorie di Angelina says
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!