Cherimoya

Cherimoya has to be one of the most interesting fruits I've tasted. 

On the outside it has the appearance of a mutant artichoke. 

It has the appearance of anything, but sweet. When you cut it open it has a creamy white flesh dotted with large black seeds. 

The skin and seeds are not edible, 

but the white flesh can be scooped out with a spoon. The cherimoya I ate may not have been completely ripe because some parts of the white flesh scooped out more easily than others. 

My first impression was that it tasted like sweet and condensed milk. 

I kid you not. Mark Twain called it "the most delicious fruit known to men." Where has this been all of my life? It is native to the Andean valleys of Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Ecuador, but is now also cultivated in Hawaii, New Zealand and along the California coast. The name comes from the Incan language, Quechua, and means "cold seeds." 1001 claims it is a blend of banana, papaya and pineapple with hints of coconut, mango and vanilla. I'm way too obtuse for that. Sweet and condensed milk is close enough. 1001 suggests eating it with ice cream or yogurt. I tried some on boiled wheat mixed with yogurt and longan. 

It was very good. I think a yogurt mixture with cherimoya could be about as good as it gets. This fruit will be high on my list for future purchases.