Sitafal

Districts / Region

Dharur Taluka, Beed District, Maharashtra, India.

Ingredients and Short Recipes

Custard apple is an important fruit crop in dryland areas and is native to the tropical region of America.  In the Aurangabad district, custard apples are cultivated on an area of 2603 hectares. The multistage sampling design was used for the selection of districts, tehsils, villages and custard apple growers.
Vasantrao Naik Krushi Vidyapeeth Marathwada has researched custard apples and popularised those among local farmers as commercial crops in Marathwada, especially Aurangabad.
Custard Apple is exported to various parts of the world from here. Beed is especially famous for its Sitafals with significant traits of the fruit after ripening, such as a plump round exterior with a partially glazy skin and texture. The inside is smooth and velvety with a white or yellowish inside. There are various products developed based on this fruit in the region.

History

Evidence going back as late as the Medieval period of India, custard apple or Sitafal was mentioned in the Ain-I-Akbari and got its name from the quality of cooling it has on the human body. ‘Sheet’ literally means cold, and ‘phal’ means fruit. It is said that the Portuguese and Spanish traders introduced the custard apple in India. However, there is evidence regarding this fruit growing well in the Deccan plateau area.

Cultural Significance

Custard apple has become a significant fruit in the Aurangabad area and gained popularity in the recent past among local people.