Thailand is a country of not only sun and sea, but also fruit. The tropical climate made it possible to grow here the most amazing plants with no less interesting fruits, with spectacular variations of shapes and colors, tastes and smells. Harvested here several times a year, so there is no need to use various chemical fertilizers. That is why fruits are very cheap here, they are sold whole and cut into pieces. And for some cuts, sellers offer a set of spices, believing that it is so much tastier.
For lovers of exotic
Among all this abundance, you can see the familiar name - sugar apple. Do not think that you will be offered the usual aport or pear. Behind this name is the fruit of Noina. In another way it is called annona. This is a fruit tree from the tropical belt of planets. Its homeland is Central America, but today the plant is successfully cultivated in Australia and Africa, in Polynesia and India, southern China and Thailand.
general description
What does the noina fruit look like? At first glance, it is quite difficult to find analogues among what is found on the shelves with us. This is the fruit of a tropical, deciduous tree, which grows up to 6 meters in height. His crown may be very interested in botany lovers. Two-row leaves located on pubescent short cuttings. Along the branches are flowers. Relatively small, but very fragrant, they never fully open.
When the time comes, a noina fruit is formed at the place of the flower. He is very interesting even externally. Spherical, up to 10 cm long, it consists of convex segments. The color is usually pale green or bluish green. If you have never tried fruit Noina, you can be sure that you will like it. The pulp consists of a large number of shiny cloves filled with aromatic juicy contents. Each slice has one seed.
What to do with him?
If this fruit fell into the hands for the first time, then it may not be completely clear how to eat the Noina fruit. In fact, this is nothing complicated. If the fruit is ripe, then it is slightly soft to the touch, and the tuberous skin is removed without problems. It can be cleaned without cutlery. If you want to simplify the task, you can cut it in half and eat fruit with a spoon.
The first crop is harvested in late August and early September. The fruit is removed unripe, otherwise it will crack. And then it matures in artificial conditions.
Beneficial features
Noin fruit is not only delicious, but also good for your health. Like all other fruits, it contains a large amount of fiber. It is rich in vitamins B and C, amino acids and calcium, iron and magnesium, phosphorus. All these minerals are needed by our body every day.
A sugar apple, or noina, is a fruit that everyone likes. It is tender, moderately sweet, with a slight sourness. But they use it not only as a food product. These fruits help people who are prone to fainting. Eating helps in the treatment of stomach ulcers and dysentery, as a means of improving digestion, antipyretic and tonic. Calorie content of the product is only 47 kcal per 100 grams.
Auxiliary tool
Fruit noinu, whose beneficial properties are undeniable, can still not be considered as a medicine, but regular consumption in food can help with bowel diseases. It maintains normal flora, improves liver function and contributes to weight loss. With regular use, it normalizes the acidity of the stomach, helps to remove toxins from the body and toxins, as well as uric acid. It is thanks to this property that it is recommended for rheumatism and arthritis, gout.
Harmful properties
You can not worry, the fruits are not poisonous, you can eat them as much as you yourself want. The only thing to remember is that the seeds of this plant are toxic. Therefore, you must definitely choose them from the pulp. It is also not recommended to make tinctures from bark and leaves without a doctor’s prescription. The toxicity of seeds can be judged by the fact that the powder prepared from them is used as an insecticide. If you buy fruit for children, then make sure that all seeds are removed.
Cooking use
The photo of the Noina fruit most often causes association with a dense fruit, which can be cut into pieces with a knife. In fact, his pulp looks more like mashed potatoes. She is very tender, she can be eaten with a spoon. In Thailand, the fruit of a sugar apple is used to prepare dessert dishes and soft drinks. By mixing the pulp with cold milk, you get a wonderful cocktail. Thais are very fond of this fruit, for the amazing taste of its pulp. It resembles a cream for cake.
How to choose?
Thais usually help tourists to choose good fruits so that tomorrow they will return again for shopping. But you can try and grope ripe fruit yourself. That is how they are chosen. The sweetest and ripe fruits are soft and heavy, light green in color, with white flesh that peeks between the scales. At the slightest touch, she is ready to break out. In ripe fruit, the skin is thin and delicate, it is easy to damage.
Carefully ensure that it does not have rotted areas. In this case, it is no longer suitable for food. Typically, ripe fruits weigh no more than 350 grams, and cost about 60 baht (about 100 rubles) per kg.
How to store fruit?
Most tourists have the idea to bring several fruits with them to treat family and friends. In fact, the idea is not very good, it is best to take mangoes for these purposes. It is possible to take it, provided that the fruits are placed in a basket, in one layer. Sugar apple is stored for no more than a day, so eat immediately after purchase. If you are hoping for a cooler bag, then we hasten to disappoint. In the cold, this fruit deteriorates even faster, so there is practically no way to bring it home. Therefore, enjoy the delicate taste and take a photo of an outlandish fruit for friends.
Growing tropical plants
Of course, in most cities of Russia it is impossible to buy such a miracle. Therefore, inveterate gardeners will probably think about how to grow fruit Noina at home. Of course, this will require a greenhouse or a greenhouse. If you or relatives are going to rest in Thailand, then bring one ripe fruit with you, or collect the seeds and put them in a linen bag.
Seeds have a fairly long shelf life. They can be stored for up to four years. If you decide to grow a tree at home, you can prepare them for planting, wrapped in moist moss. Planted seeds germinate in the second month. To increase productivity in cultivated varieties, a vegetative method of propagation is used.
For planting, use a light, soil mixture with peat. A seed is placed in it to a depth of 1-2 cm. Now the ground needs to be slightly moistened and covered with glass. When the first shoots appear, the plant needs to be moved to a sunny place. But make sure that no direct rays fall on it. It remains to monitor the maintenance of temperature and humidity. The optimum temperature is 25 degrees, it is very good if you put moss next to the plant and spray it regularly.
Fruiting begins in 2-4 years. In conditions that differ from natural conditions, this period can greatly increase. One tree can grow from 10 to 100 fruits per season. To increase productivity use manual pollination.
Instead of a conclusion
Growing a tropical plant at home is a rather difficult task. It is necessary to carefully observe the growing conditions, temperature and humidity. Be sure to arrange the plant with good lighting. Therefore, if you do not have a greenhouse, it is better to enjoy fruit during the holidays, in hot countries. If you come to Thailand, do not forget to ask the guide where the fruit market is located.
Most often, these fruits are eaten raw, as a dessert, but various cocktails can be prepared on their basis. Fresh juices are prepared from them. Sugar apple can be part of fruit puree, and sometimes masters make fantastic ice cream out of its pulp.