Monday Mocktails: Agbalumo – Soursop Drink

I am a believer that if certain fruits and vegetables are in season together, they are meant to be combined – within reasonable bounds of course. Though what’s reasonable to me, might strike another as not.

This case for an Agbalumo-soursop drink was really easy. Not only were they in season together but I’ve made drinks of both – and loved them.

What I really wanted to ‘harness’ in a glass was the sweet, distinctive fragrance of the soursop – welcoming, fresh – part banana, part pineapple and something very ‘tropical’ which currently, I have no words for.

I love scents and smells and I find that I want to bask in them, whether that’s cardamom or citrus or pineapple wafting from the 4^th floor juice hub in my office as I take the stairs. My office is on the 5^th floor and in a bid to get fit, I take the stairs up almost every morning. I find myself walking up with relative ease till I reach the 3^rd floor and then my breath quickens and I find my feet slowing down in some inverse way. I often stop, rest on the landing. I know fragrances and scents, aromas like hot air rise up but some must rain down because as I pause, as I rest on the 3^rd floor landing, the smell of pineapple is as strong as an invitation to rise, to climb up.

I sometimes feel like smells have some temperature component. The pineapple scent feels, smells cold – crisp, clean, fresh. I walk up and linger a bit on the 4^th and before you know it, I’m on my floor, a bit hard of breath but accomplished – a bit of exercise before I sit down at my desk and get stuck in for the day.

So yes, back to soursop and agbalumo.

Recipes:

Soursop cream; and a soursop cocktail

Agbalulade and other agbalumo drinks including a mimosa

This drink basically combines an agbalumo drink and my soursop one.

I finished with some lime juice because I think it improves the flavour considerably, even though agbalumo is sour/ tart. It works in a way that only accidental discoveries can J.

This here is sans alcohol but if you’re feeling frisky, and in need of a splash I think a coconut liqueur would work well. And yes, yet another addition – multiple flavours can work together if you understand them and how to layer them.

I really liked this combination – it had so much dimension – creamy, fresh, citrusy, sour, sweet. I would definitely do it again. I went with half and half but you can try your ratios and see what you prefer. I think having it on ice works to lighten the textures and bring some freshness to the glass! 

What say you?