Guanabana in English also goes under the name of soursop or graviola and seems to be quite popular on the streets of Bogotá. Small portable stands with umbrellas to shade them from the impredictable Bogotá weather carry signs claiming ‘guanabana’ to be the cure-all for cancer, asthma, ulcers, hypertension, diabetes, tumors, liver problems…you name it, the guanabana fruit will cure it all.
Whether these claims hold any truth to them, I don’t know. All I can say is that this fruit is so flavorful, just the smells released when sliced open feels like you just sprayed perfume in the room. For sanitary reasons, I can’t say I have tried it on these street stands, however I do indulge in restaurants and make at home.
Native to Central and South America, it is a very common fruit found here in Bogotá. As large as an American Football, and look-alike of dragon eggs, it can easily be spotted in the streets and in supermarkets due to its thick, spiky and vibrant green skin which turns soft and black once ripe. The inside looks similar to that of a ‘cherimoya’ or custard apple.
I think it resembles the Asian jackfruit with its thick prickly skin and its slimy white pulp. However the taste is totally different. With mouth-watering notes of citrus blended with its sweet, creamy texture, this fruit tops my list of favorite Colombian fruit (If such a list existed).
Commonly used in ice cream and desserts, its most popular form here is Colombia is in smoothies, combined with milk and sugar. I don’t usually consume milk and usually skip the sugar unless absolutely necessary. Therefore, although my smoothie version might sound plain, I guarantee you guanabana is so flavorful it stands excellently on its own two feet.
As a guanabana such a large fruit, I purchased just a small section to make the juice at home.
*Be sure to check out my posts of how to make curuba and passionfruit juice as well as guava nectar.
INGREDIENTS | Yields 1 liter or more
- A small piece of precut ‘guanabana’
- Water
STEP 1: Remove the seeds from the pulp. I use a small, sharp knife to make an incision in the pulp and scoop out the seeds one by one. Don’t worry, this is not a tedious task and is done quickly.
STEP 2: Place pulp in blender along with water. Ratio should be 1:1.2. I pour in a bit more water than pulp to get a nice texture. You can add more later if you prefer. *This is also the time to add sugar or replace the water with milk or soy.
STEP 3:Blend well and serve. Blend well if you want a smooth texture and less if you prefer to have pieces of the pulp. ENJOY!
2 comments
[…] In all the countries I have traveled, no other place has the variety of fruits that Colombia does. Take advantage and drink up! My personal favorite is Guanabana or Soursop. […]
I love guanabana! Guanabana en leche is the best. Great post, thank you for sharing.