Durian Thet, Soursop or Graviola – Thailand

Annona Muricata

The species Annona Muricata is commonly known as soursop or graviola and the Thais call it durian thet. In Latin America it is called guanábana. The Philippinos call it guyabano. The Vietnamese call it mãng cầu Xiêm. In Cambosia tearb barung.  It is probably most commonly called soursop.

There are around 166 species that come from the Annona Genus. The soursop tree can grow to a height of around 9 meters. The trees are sturdy and largely resistant to disease. They can tolerate quite poor soil conditions. However they cannot withstand very hard frosts or extended temperatures much below 2 degrees C.

The trees are propagated by seed. Seeds from the juiciest fruit will produce the best trees. Germination takes around 15 to 20 days and the saplings can be planted in the ground when they are around 30 centimeters tall. The tress also have quite a shallow root system so it is important to ensure that they do not dry out. You should therefore add mulch and water frequently. At the same time they do not react well to standing water so good drainage is also important. For that reason quite sandy soil works well.

It usually takes around 5 years before the graviola tress bears fruit on a commercial scale. However after 2 or 3 years the first fruits will appear.

Soursop – Durian Thet

So why the name soursop or durian thet? Basically the fruit has a pineapple like smell and tastes a bit like a mixture of strawberries and apples. However it also has a slightly sour citrus bite. Hence the name soursop. The Thai name durian thet alludes to both its durian like appearance and the slight sourness associated with the durian fruit. Durian are a big favourite among the Thais and are grown extensively in southern Thailand.

The Fruit

The main use of the graviola plant is its fruit. The soursop or durian thet is the second largest of the annona genus after the junglesop. The fruit are around 20 to 30 centimeters long and can weigh up to 6.8 kilograms. Most of the fruit consists of a white, edible pulp which is used to make drinks and sorbets and is also used in ice cream flavouring.  The bark roots and leaves of the graviola tree are also used for medicinal purposes.

Health

The fruit has high quantities of vitamin C, vitamin B and vitamin B2. It is high in energy and low in fat. It is therefore widely acknowledged as being very good for health. Although not proven as yet by scientific research it is widely accepted as an alternative treatment for cancer. Indeed Cancer UK have stated that graviola extracts can kill some liver and breast cancer cells that are resistant to chemotherapy drugs. They also make it very clear that no large scale research on humans has been done.

In many parts of Africa and South America people treat a multitude of medical conditions with graviola extracts.

The seeds are not usually digested as they contain annonacin which is identified as a neurotoxin.

Durian Thet or Soursop Juice

Soursop juice is a popular and refreshing drink. In its most natural form we can produce a durian thet milky drink quite easily. Here is a great recipe:

1.       Peel off the skin to reveal the white flesh of the durian thet or soursop. This can easily be done by hand and therefore no peelers are required.

2.       Put the peeled fruit into a fairly large bowl and then add some milk or water.

3.       Now squeeze the juices out from the fruit. They will mix quite naturally with the milk or water.

4.       Now strain the juice, pulp and milk mixture. Use a small mesh too ensure that the larger pulp does not get through.

5.       Now add other flavorings to your juice. You can add ginger, some sugar and lime juice to taste. You might also experiment with nutmeg and vanilla.

6.       At this time you might add more milk or water to get the required consistency.

Pour the juice into a glass and enjoy. Usually best served chilled.

Manalee graviola juice or durian thet contains no added sugars or preservatives. It is therefore graviola or durian thet juice in its purest and healthiest possible form. What’s more serve it chilled for a fabulously refreshing drink. Our market research revealed that while people understood the health benefits of durian thet it was the refreshing taste that made them come back for more.