PERUVIAN CHIRIMOYA.

Chirimoya, in English also known as Custard Apples due to its complex yet stunning delicious flavor, is native to the Andean Highlands of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia. The name originates from the Quechua word "chirimuya," which means "cold seeds," because the plant grows at high altitudes and the seeds also germinate at higher altitudes.
Chirimoya is an edible fruit-bearing species of the genus Annona in the pawpaw/sugar apple family, Annonaceae. It is a fairly dense, fast-growing, woody, briefly deciduous (falling off at maturity) but mostly evergreen low branched, spreading tree about 5 meters (16ft) to 9 meters (30ft) tall. Leaves are single and alternate, dark green and slightly hairy on the upper surface. The flowers are very beautiful and appear on the branches opposite to the leaves, solitary or in pairs or groups of three, and are fleshy with very strong fruit odor. The fruit can reach up to 40 cm in length and weigh up to 4 kilograms.
Chirimoya is heart-shaped with rough-textured but very thin and brilliant skin which varies from a yellow-green to a dark green. The inside pulp is white, juicy, aromatic and fleshy with a creamy custard and dark seeds that look like beans and come off easily. The taste is similar to pineapple, peach, mango, and strawberry.
Chirimoya is usually consumed fresh at a regular temperature. It can be peeled and eaten raw, taking away the seeds. To make juice from the fruit, the pulp is squeezed and then whipped with milk or water and honey.
Chirimoya is high in vitamin C, a natural antioxidant that helps the body resist infection, as well as a good source of B vitamins, notably B6 (pyridoxine). The fruit also provides high potassium levels, which helps control heart rate and blood pressure. Chirimoya's fruit juice when it is taken on an empty stomach helps hepatic illnesses.
In the Amazonian region, the plant is being used to treat diverse ailments such as fever, pain, respiratory and skin illness, internal and external parasites, bacterial infections, hypertension, inflammation, and cancer.