Not only well identified species but also some hybrids are included among the exotic fruits known as annone.
One of these is called atemoya, a crasis between the terms ates (the name with which the fruit is indicated in some Central American indigenous languages) and cherimoya (Spanish adaptation of two Quechua terms: chiri, or refreshing, and moya, ie roundness) .
It is a hybrid of two annonaceae, the Annona squamosa, commonly known as sugar apple ( sugar apple ) or sweetsop (sweet pappetta ) and Annona cherimola, called cherimoya or custard apple .
It is one of the most widespread and beloved annonacee hybrids, which can be found from China to Lebanon, from Spain to the Caribbean, from Israel to Malaysia, whether it is fresh due to its unmistakable creamy, sweet taste, with hints of walnuts and pina colada, or a mix of coconut, vanilla and pineapple, but also in the form of ice cream, desserts and milkshakes .
How to recognize the orokoya?
It does not have the rough scales of the sugar apple and it does not have the smooth and designed surface like the cherimoya: it is light green, with a glossy skin rich in tapered but not sharp growths .
The fruit was obtained in a botanical laboratory in Florida at the beginning of the last century. Basically the success of the aatemoya is due to the excellent relationship between pulp and seeds, as in cherimoya, and in the mix of sweet but not bland flavors.
Exactly like the cherimoya, the ahemoya can grow without problems even in many areas of the Mediterranean basin, see Israel, Lebanon, Spain, Tunisia, Sicily and Calabria.
Properties and benefits of akoya
We now list the properties of the aatemoya and the numerous health benefits that are obtained from its consumption.
Let's start with its very high level of vitamin C, the antioxidant par excellence among vitamins: we know with certainty that the level of antioxidants contained in the body is directly proportional to the body's general health level; therefore this fruit is considered excellent for health.
A good amount of dietary fiber is added to vitamin C, which is important for keeping blood sugar levels under control; eating two atemoya covers the daily dietary fiber requirement . Furthermore, in hymetoya we find a good level of B6 vitamna, a friend of heart health and very important in the prevention of heart attacks.
To this is added the potassium contained in the fruit, which has the ability to lower blood pressure to normal levels, and the presence of niacin which stimulates the production of good cholesterol by decreasing the bad one. We also find in copper the good levels of copper and magnesium, useful for keeping the thyroid and the skeletal system healthy.
The good amount of fructose is easily transformed into energy by the thiamine that is assumed by eating atemoya.
Other properties related to the consumption of very good atemoya?
- It is able to soothe muscle and joint pain caused by inflammation;
- helps keep the skin healthy and regulates the amount of fat (hence the weight);
- it is particularly indicated to fight asthma,
- it is loved by diabetics who can eat in quantity while still enjoying the sweet taste;
- it is helpful in cases of anemia due to its easily assimilable amount of iron, especially in its reddish or violet varieties due to the presence of anthocyanins ;
- it also helps regulate the cycle and make menopause less problematic.
