Recipe
Soursop drink (agua fresca)
- Herb:
- Soursop Annona muricata
- Method:
- Culinary use
- Plant part:
- Fruit
About 10 minBeginnerRecipe science profile
Procedure
- Halve a ripe, soft fruit, spoon out the white pulp and carefully remove every black seed.
- Blend 250 g of pulp with 400 ml of cold water or milk and ice; a teaspoon of sugar and a few drops of lime to taste.
- Strain through a sieve if you want a smooth drink.
- Serve at once, chilled; one glass now and then, not a routine.
Extraction
- Herb:
- 250 g of seedless pulp for 2 glasses
- Solvent:
- blend with water or milk and ice
- Shelf life:
- drink immediately
- Target compounds:
- the pulp is drunk whole — sugars, vitamin C, fibre; acetogenin levels are lowest in the pulp, highest in the seeds and leaves
Notes
An occasional refreshment, not a daily drink: regular consumption of soursop and its leaf teas is associated in Guadeloupe with atypical parkinsonism (Caparros-Lefebvre & Elbaz 1999; Champy et al. 2005). Always remove the seeds — they are toxic. Not for pregnant women and not as a 'cancer cure'.
Why it works
The pulp contains the least annonacin of the whole plant, but not none: Champy et al. estimated that one fruit or can of nectar a day delivers over a year the amount that caused brain lesions in animals. Hence occasionally and without leaves or seeds — the taste is a mix of pineapple and strawberry, the health reputation of 'graviola' has no clinical basis.
Literature
- Champy P et al. (2005): Quantification of acetogenins in Annona muricata linked to atypical parkinsonism in Guadeloupe. Mov Disord 20:1629–1633 — Annonacin content of fruits and leaves; estimated daily exposure in regular consumers.
Related
Soursop — Herb card
Culinary use — Processing method detail