Soursop (Graviola): The Tropical Lung-Shaped Fruit
Soursop is a large green spiny fruit native to the American tropics, with white sweet-tart flesh used in juices and traditional medicine.
Soursop (Annona muricata), called guanabana in Spanish-speaking countries and graviola in Portuguese, is a large spiny green fruit with white fleshy interior. The flavor is a sweet-tart blend of pineapple, banana, and strawberry. Native to the Caribbean and northern South America, the fruit is widely used in juices, ice creams, and traditional medicine.
Origin and history
Native to the Caribbean, Central America, and northern South America. Spread globally via Spanish and Portuguese colonial trade routes. Cultivated across all tropical regions today.
Where soursops grow today
Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, the Philippines, India, and parts of Africa. Most fruit is consumed locally or as juice.
How to grow
Tropical, USDA Zones 10-11. Small tree (5-8m). Self-fertile but pollination often poor โ hand-pollinate for best yield. First fruit in 3-5 years.
Bottom line
Soursop has been heavily marketed online for cancer-treatment claims based on weak laboratory studies. There is no clinical evidence supporting these claims, and long-term high consumption of soursop leaves and seeds has been linked to neurological effects in some studies. Enjoy soursop as a fruit and juice; do not treat it as medicine.
Delicious tropical fruit with one of the most distinctive flavor profiles in the Annonaceae family.
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