Atemoya

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The atemoya is a cross between two tropical fruits – the sweetsop (Annona squamosa) and the cherimoya (Annona cherimola) – which are both native fruits of the tropical Americas.

Atemoyas are popular in Taiwan where they are known as the "pineapple sweetsop"(鳳梨釋迦).

Left: Taiwanese "pineapple shijia" (Atemoya, a hybrid of sugar-apple and cherimoya); Right: Regular Taiwanese shijia

An atemoya is normally heart-shaped or rounded, with pale-green, easily-bruised, bumpy skin. Very juicy and smooth, with the white flesh tasting slightly sweet and a litte tart, tasting like a pina colada without the alcohol! There are many inedible black seeds throughout the flesh of the atemoya. If the seeds are accidentally bit or crushed open, toxins will come out of the seed and often poison the eater. Many say, however, that the crushed up seeds make a good insecticide. Available late summer through early winter.

In Cuba they are called mamon, or cherimoya.

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