What is this unusual fruit?

WHEN having a gander around the garden one morning, Empangeni resident Anne Matthee stumbled upon a strange looking fruit growing in her flowerbed.
Resembling a combination of an apple and pineapple, the fruit was later discovered to be a sugar apple, otherwise known as a custard apple.

Both in tree and in fruit, the custard apple, Annona reticulata, is generally rated as the ‘ugly duckling’ species among the prominent members of this genus.
It was allegedly introduced into tropical Africa early in the 17th century and it is grown in South Africa as a dooryard fruit tree.
It gets its name from the fragrant, sweet flesh that tastes similar to custard.