Araticum-liso

What it is

The fruit, Annona coriacea, is roughly egg-shaped with a blunt end and can reach 25 cm (10 in) long. Its flesh is juicy but fibrous, with a strong fragrance and pronounced sweetness. A ripe araticum-liso gives way under your fingers; pressure can break it apart.

Where it comes from

Araticum-liso is native to Brazil’s Cerrado, growing in open, grassy country and sometimes in denser woodland. Its range includes Bahia, Minas Gerais, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and São Paulo.

It also goes by marolo and araticum. The name araticum covers several Annona fruits, so Annona coriacea is the name that identifies this one.

How it's eaten where it grows

In Brazil, bolo de marolo turns the pulp into a cake baked in a ring tin. Eggs, oil and marolo are blended together, mixed with the dry ingredients, then poured into the tin.

Across the Cerrado and Pantanal food repertoire, the pulp is eaten fresh or made into juice, fruit sweets, jellies, liqueurs, pies and ice cream.

How it's grown

Araticum-liso grows as a shrub or small tree, 3–6 m (10–20 ft) tall. It suits a sunny place with sandy soil that drains freely, and can grow in poor soil. It grows slowly, and only a small share of its seeds germinate.

Its fruit feeds native wildlife as well as people. That, and its tolerance of poor soil, make it a good tree for replanting degraded land.

When and where you'll find it

In Brazil, araticum-liso grows in home orchards and is sold as fresh fruit. It is also gathered from the wild for local use. Fresh fruit is fragile once soft; separated pulp can be frozen for later use. That frozen pulp goes into mousses, ice cream, puddings and cakes.