Cherimoya, raw

Cherimoya, sometimes called custard apple, has soft, creamy white flesh studded with large black seeds, and a flavor often described as a blend of banana, pineapple, and strawberry. It is eaten fresh with a spoon, cut in half like a small melon, with the flesh scooped out and the seeds discarded, or blended into smoothies and sorbets once seeded. Its custardy texture makes it unusual among fruits, more like a spoonable dessert than something eaten out of hand, and it is sometimes layered into fruit cups or served chilled on its own.

Choose cherimoya that yields slightly to gentle pressure, similar to a ripe avocado or pear, and ripen firmer fruit at room temperature for a few days before refrigerating for a day or two once ripe. A cup of pieces (160 g) comes from a fruit with 75 calories per 100 g, with 12.9 g sugar and 3 g fiber, 11% DV, per 100 g, alongside 14% DV vitamin C, making it a naturally sweet fruit to eat on its own or add to a fruit salad. Its low sodium, 7 mg per 100 g, modest 1.57 g protein per 100 g, and modest calorie count make it an easy fresh fruit to include as part of a varied diet.