Soursop vs Cherimoya: How to Tell Them Apart

By Suhail Rivera, JD, founder of Alkaline Herb Shop

Soursop and cherimoya are cousins, not the same fruit, and they get confused constantly because they look related and turn up in some of the same markets. Here is how to tell them apart: the botanical names, the skin and spines, the size, the taste, where each one grows, and which of the two our soursop leaf products actually come from.

Both are Annona

Soursop and cherimoya both belong to the genus Annona, a family of tropical fruit trees native to the Americas that also includes sugar apple and atemoya. Soursop is Annona muricata. Cherimoya is Annona cherimola. They are related the way a lemon and an orange are related: same genus, different species, different fruit.

Skin and spines

This is the fastest way to tell them apart on sight. Soursop has soft, curved, fleshy spines over dark green skin, giving it a bristly, almost sea urchin look, though the spines are flexible rather than sharp and will not prick your hand the way they appear they might. Cherimoya has smooth or lightly indented skin with no spines at all, patterned in overlapping scales that some people compare to a pinecone or a green artichoke, and some cherimoya varieties are almost smooth all over. Spikes mean soursop. No spikes, and it is more likely cherimoya. The two are rarely confused once you have seen both side by side, but photos online do not always make the size difference obvious.

Size

Soursop is by far the larger fruit, commonly running from about one to five pounds and sometimes more, oval or slightly irregular in shape. Cherimoya is smaller, usually under a pound, closer to a large apple or a small mango, and rounder or more heart shaped.

Taste difference

Soursop is tart and sweet together, often described as pineapple and strawberry with a sour, citrus like edge, and a soft, stringy, custard like texture. Cherimoya is sweeter and milder, with little of soursop's tartness, and is often compared to a blend of banana, pineapple, and pear, sometimes with a hint of vanilla. Its texture is also smoother and creamier, closer to custard without the stringiness soursop has. If you have tried one and are curious about the other, expect cherimoya to be the gentler, sweeter of the two.

Where each grows

Soursop grows across the tropical lowlands of Latin America, the Caribbean, West Africa, and Southeast Asia, and needs steady heat and humidity year round. It does not tolerate cold at all, and a light frost will damage or kill the tree. Cherimoya prefers cooler, higher elevation subtropical climates, and is grown widely in the Andean highlands of Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia, along with parts of Spain, Chile, and coastal California. It is one of the few Annona fruits that tolerates a light chill, which is part of why it thrives at altitude where soursop simply cannot grow.

Which one the leaves come from

The leaf products sold as soursop leaf, whether whole leaf, powder, tea bags, or capsules, come from Annona muricata, the soursop tree, not cherimoya. Cherimoya leaf is not a comparable herbal product in the same way and is not something we carry. We sell the soursop side of this family only: Soursop Leaves, 2 oz, Soursop Leaf Powder, 4 oz, and Soursop Leaf Tea Bags, 24 count. For more on the leaf itself, see our soursop leaves guide.

Who should ask first

• Anyone pregnant or nursing should talk to a doctor before trying either fruit in quantity or before using soursop leaf tea or powder.
• Anyone taking medication or managing a health condition should ask a doctor or pharmacist before adding soursop leaf tea, powder, or capsules to a regular routine.
• A new fruit and a new tea are both worth starting with a small amount, the way you would with anything unfamiliar.
• Anyone with Parkinson's disease or another neurological condition, or with a family history of one, should raise it with a doctor before starting, since soursop belongs to a plant family that has drawn research attention on this point. Soursop is not meant for continuous long term use.

Suhail Rivera, JD, is the founder of Alkaline Herb Shop. She has spent years sourcing, handling, and selling the herbs she writes about, working directly with growers and third party testing labs. She holds a Juris Doctor. She is not a medical professional, and her articles are for general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting any herb, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a health condition. Read more about her and the store on the About page.