Custard Apple (Annona squamosa) is also known as sugar-apple, sweetsop, and is popular across India as sitaphal /Seetha Palam/sharifa (Annona reticulate). It is native to South America, West Indies and parts of Asia. Custard Apple bears a hard, pale green exterior with jagged projections and is soft and creamy inside. The fruit has white flesh and is dotted with large seeds that are not edible as they are slightly poisonous.
Apart from being consumed as a delicious fruit, Custard Apple can also be used to prepare shakes, smoothies, deserts and ice cream and nutritious snacks. The fruit offers excellent health benefits as it is rich in calcium, magnesium, iron, niacin, potassium and anti-oxidants like vitamin C.