The sugar apple is a relative of the custard apple and sweet sop. While its origins are yet to be verified, it is thought to have originated in South America or possibly the West Indies.

According to historical accounts, the sugar apple was introduced to the kingdom of Siam some 300 years ago by the leader of a French delegation who was on a mission to King Narai the Great of Ayutthaya. It was initially widely grown in the provinces of Ayutthaya and Lop Buri.

The fruit is roughly heart-shaped with a thick, pale greenish-grey rind composed of knobby segments. Its sweet, fragrant white flesh, attached to a central core, is divided into little pouches. Each encases a black seed. There are two distinct types:

• Fai (also called Neua)
  with delicate white flesh, richly sweet and well segmented

• Nang
  with meaty flesh that forms one mass with the seeds embedded in it.

The fruit is easily pulled apart by hand and the flesh scooped out with a spoon. Sugar apple is eaten as a sweet dessert fruit or made into a fragrant ice cream served in Thai restaurants. The pounded leaves are said to help soothe bruises, while the fruit acts as a mild laxative. It is an excellent source of vitamin C, calcium and phosphorus.

Related links:
http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/sugar_apple.htm
http://www.hear.org/pier/species/annona_squamosa.htm