This dessert is always special because the cherimoya season lasts only a few months. The combination of cherimoya and orange in Chirimoya Alegre is truly unbeatable. It is not too sweet, refreshing, and delicious.
The magic of this dessert lies in the quality of the cherimoya and in knowing how to choose and prepare it at the right time. Cherimoya does not travel well; it tends to bruise and turn black. It is usually sold still hard and green on the outside.
The idea is to take them home carefully and leave them on the counter for 2-5 days. When the skin changes color with brown tones, and the cherimoya gives a little when you squeeze it, like when avocados are ripe, prepare them.
Remember that the seeds are not edible; they contain dangerous toxins.
To peel the cherimoya, I prefer to cut it in half and then peel each half from the edge with a small knife, removing all the peel and then the seeds while chopping it into bite-sized pieces.
History:
The book Patrimonio Culinario de Chile, región de Valparaíso (Food Heritage of Chile: Products and Preparations of the Valparaiso region (2012) provides a detailed history of the cherimoya's origins, its use by ancestral peoples, current crops, and recipes.
In Chile, the most common varieties of cherimoya found in the market are Bronceada and Concha Lisa. Currently, crops are mainly in Coquimbo and Valparaiso (La Cruz and Quillota).
How do I get cherimoyas in the US?
For a long time, when I saw cherimoyas in the supermarket, I would buy one, but they were costly, and I never got a good one. So, I resigned myself to not eating them.
One day, I was given information about Rincon Tropics, a farm in California that sends freshly harvested fruit to all of the US. Although it is a luxury, it is expensive. After 20 years, we ate a perfect cherimoya. They arrived on Saturday, and we started eating them on Wednesday, so you can know how long they take to ripen.
The varieties grown here in the US differ, but the flavor and texture are the same.
Another popular way to eat cherimoyas in Chile is with chopped strawberries as a dessert or add them to make a wine punch, as you can see in this recipe.
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Chirimoya Alegre Dessert
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: Chilean
Description
A traditional Chilean fruit dessert.
Ingredients
- 1 big ripe cherimoya or 2 medium
- 2 navel oranges
Instructions
- Wash the cherimoyas and oranges and dry them.
- Cut the cherimoyas in half.
- Peel the cherimoya starting from the cut edge, removing all the peel or skin.
- Chop the cherimoya, discarding all the seeds. Some people leave some seeds for the color contrast, but I don't recommend this if you have children. The seeds are poisonous.
- Half the oranges and squeeze out the juice.
- Mix the orange juice with the cherimoya pieces. Stir.
- Refrigerate until serving or serve immediately.
Notes
This dessert is best made and eaten. It can be refrigerated for a few hours but loses flavor and texture.
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