The cherimoya (Annona cherimola) is a heart-shaped subtropical fruit of the custard-apple family, prized for its thin, green, scaly skin over fragrant, snow-white, custard-soft flesh. Sweet and barely tart, it tastes like a blend of banana, pineapple and vanilla and is eaten chilled with a spoon. Long associated with the cool inter-Andean valleys — though DNA studies now point to a Mesoamerican origin — it is one of several closely related "custard apples" and is best known by Mark Twain's much-quoted praise as a deliciously creamy fruit.