Moya is also the name for a genus of edible tropical fruits (Annona) native to South America and the West Indies. These were one of the first fruits recorded when traders from Europe explored the New World. Moya fruits are grown on large tropical trees. All of the heart-shaped fruits have a tough, bumpy skin resembling large scales. Inside the skin is a soft white flesh that has a sweet, floral flavor. The flesh is segmented and contains numerous large black seeds that resemble the seeds of a watermelon.
There are five major species of Moya and all of them are often labeled simply as “moya” for marketing purposes. They are:
- Cherimoya (Annona cherimola) This fruit is probably the best known of the Moya fruits. It is native to Central America and is grown in South and Central America, Hawaii, and Australia. The fruit has a yellow-green skin when ripe.
- Sweet-sop (Annona squamosa) Also known as the “sugar apple,” this variety is the most widely grown. It has a bluish-green skin and is grown in South America, Mexico, the Carribean, and Florida.
- Custard Apple (Annona reticulata) Its skin is yellow, brown, or pinkish color when ripe and the flesh has a milder flavor that the other members of the Moya genus.
- Atemoya (Annona cherimola x squamosa) This fruit is actually a cross between a cherimoya and a sweetsop. The plant is hardier than either of its parents and the fruit has a yellow-green skin.
- Soursop (Annona muricata) This is the largest fruit of the genus and is the best variety to can. It has a yellow-green skin and some cultivars have a very sour flavor, hence its name. The fruit is native to the West Indies and South America and is also grown in Florida and the Carribean
All Moya varieties can be used interchangeably, except for the sour cultivars of the soursop. The skin and seeds should be removed before eating. They are excellent eaten out of the rind or in fruit salads, drinks, and frozen desserts.
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/cherimoya.html
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/custard_apple.html
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/soursop.html
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/sugar_apple.html