Atemoyas & Cherimoyas

Atemoya vs CherimoyaAtemoya season is here again. Don't forget to share with a friend.

If you don't remember the difference between slightly sour atemoyas (fenqli shyhjia) and their cloyingly sweet relative, cherimoyas (shyhjia), here is a mnemonic:

Atemoyas are slightly pointy on top, like a capital letter "A"

Cherimoyas are more rounded, like a capital letter "C"

Update on Wednesday, December 31, 2008 at 07:57PM by Webmaster

Atemoyas were also mentioned on this blog in January (www.hictw.org/taiwan-expatriate-food-blog/2008/1/14/atemoya-season.html)

Update on Wednesday, December 31, 2008 at 08:14PM by Webmaster

Hong Kong people often use less than complimentary language to refer to foreigners: 老番loufan ("barbarians") is a very common expression. Latent racism is probably also responsible for at least one imported fruit name. In Cantonese, cherimoyas are called fan laiji 番荔枝 (literally "Barbarian" lychee). This is presumably a reference to their ugly green appearance, in contrast to "proper" lychees, dainty fruit whose delicate red exterior is much more attractive.

Update on Thursday, January 1, 2009 at 11:26AM by Webmaster

Notes:

1] I have only studied a little Cantonese, so I am using what I remember of Barnett-Chao romanization (tonal spelling for Cantonese, based on Gwoyeu Romatzyh/National Romanization). Before a vowel, r = low pitch and h = high pitch; After a vowel, r = rising and h = falling.

Fan laiji is probably (my Cantonese reference books are not available) spelled fann lrai-ji: The tones are [HIGH] [LOW]-[HIGH]

Loufan is probably spelled lourfann

2] Fan used in older Mandarin words such as fanchye (tomato) and fanshyrliou (guava) has no derogatory meaning

Comments

[Readysteadyprint]

I just read it information about An atemoya is normally heart-shaped or rounded, with pale-green, easily-bruised, bumpy skin. It is very juicy and smooth, with the white flesh tasting slightly sweet and a little tart, reminiscent of a Piña Colada. The taste also resembles vanilla. There are many inedible black seeds throughout the flesh of the atemoya. The seeds are toxic. When ripe the fruit can be scooped out of the shell and eaten chilled.

[sony ericsson opener]

And where do they grow? Or sell?