There are many types of fruit known and so there is quite a lot to choose. That does not detract from the fact that there are also enough fruits that are less known, the soursop is one of them. The sour taste of the sour bag can be known, because the fruit is increasingly used in the kitchen. What kind of fruit is it actually, what properties does the sour bag plant and how do you use the fruit in the kitchen?
Soursop, the basis
The soursop, officially Annona Muricata, is a plant belonging to the Annonaceae family and originating in Central America and the Caribbean. For example in the Amazon region you come across the plant a lot. Soursop is also known under the names ‘graviola’ or ‘guanabana’. Soursop is brought to other continents by the world’s conquerors such as the Portuguese, Spaniards and the Dutch. Among others to Africa and Southeast Asia.
It is an evergreen plant and can grow up to ten meters high. There are large dark green oval leaves that feel somewhat fleshy and flowers appear on the branches. The fruits are large and green to greenish brown in color. They can be as heavy as five or six kilos. The fruit has a bag-like shape and the casing is prickly.
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Health aspects
Not only the fruit can be used from a health point of view, also the leaves and flowers can be used in the form of, for example, tea.
Versatile fruit
Soursop contains vitamin B12, vitamin C, potassium and magnesium. Soursop regulates blood sugar levels and if you have diabetes for example, you can benefit from the use of soursop. Drinking the juice from sod bag is also good for your intestinal flora and it stimulates the immune system. Furthermore, the acid bag leaves have a calming and soothing or even sleep-inducing effect. If you experience a lot of stress or are depressed, you can help the soursop.
The tea can also be used cooled to dab the face and neck. In addition, you can also put the leaves in a bowl of water overnight and use that water to dab the face. Furthermore, the leaf can also be squeezed out, all this has a calming effect. Finally, you can also put the acid bag leaves in a steam bath, which in turn has a fever-reducing effect.
Effective against cancer?
A lot is written about the fact that a soursop works well against cancer cells. The leaves would have powerful anti-cancer properties due to so-called phytochemicals in the plant. However, there is not enough scientific evidence yet.
Application in the kitchen
Sour sack is not always available everywhere in the Netherlands, but at the toko you are most likely to find the fruit. Do not buy too much, because one pound of fruit can be stored in one bag of sodas. You can best place soursop in the refrigerator (at the bottom of the vegetable drawer). Do you find the fresh fruits all too much hassle, soursop is in the reform shop also in powder form for sale, but then you miss the tasty taste of the fresh piece of fruit.
Refreshing
The fruit contains many seeds and although the fruit has a soft, sweet-sour taste and is quite refreshing in the mouth, it is difficult eating with those seeds. Sour bag will therefore often be consumed in juice form. But soursop is also refreshing in a salad. In that case, remove the seeds and add your small pieces of soursop to a summer salad. To balance the salad in terms of taste, add some walnuts and white cheese.
Soursop can also be processed in a smoothie. Add a dash of milk and some strawberries to make the whole thing a bit sweeter or some red berries to give it a bit more acidic bite. Furthermore, the acid bag also combines well with blueberries in a smoothie. Blueberries have a fairly neutral taste in the whole.
Cup of tea
This multifunctional fruit is also suitable for a cup of tea. You can pull both the dried soursop, the leaves, and the flowers. The tea has a bit of a sharp aroma. Cooled tea with an ice cube is nice during warmer days.
An ice cream in a long drink glass
Soursop is also a treat in a kind of ice cream. Remove the seeds and divide the soursop into small pieces. Add some lemon juice and some sugar water and let it cool in the refrigerator. The whole adds a little bit. Serve in a long drink glass and add some ice cubes.
Finally
Soursop is not a familiar piece of fruit, but that does not make him less tasty. It is a refreshing fruit that also has a positive effect on health. As an extra advantage, the leaves and flowers can be used in addition to the fruit.