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| Photo: Ana Carmen, Flickr. |
Described as tart-sweet crosses between everything from kiwis to melons to pears, varieties of dragon fruit can range in color from pale to hot pink. Most frequently eaten chilled and chopped -- or scooped directly out of the skin, the fruit is also often used as flavoring for drinks and pastries. Native to Central and South America, the cacti-grown fruit provides fiber and copious amounts of vitamin C, and lowers blood glucose levels. Red-fleshed fruits even contain lycopene, a natural antioxidant known to fight cancer and other diseases.
According to popular legend in Asia, the fruit was purported to have been created by fire-breathing dragons, who would produce the fruit instantly at the end of their fire-breathing bouts. The fruit -- fit for a king -- was gifted to the emperor as a treasured item and sign of victory.
Though by no means a household name yet, the fruit is becoming increasingly available in the United States, from fresh bulbs at farmers' markets in Los Angeles and elsewhere, to dried varieties at Trader Joe's and other specialty-food stores.
Have you tried dragon fruit? Tell us in the comments where -- and in what forms -- you've encountered it.
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10-16-2009 @11:07AM Barkin said... Last weekend at the Brentwood (Los Angeles) Farmers Market, a vendor was cutting slices for people right off the fruit. It had a really nice sweetness, but not a ton of flavor beyond that.
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10-16-2009 @11:14AM MamaSquirrel said... My son made sorbet based on a recipe from Mike's table. It was interesting to say the least.
http://www.paulandangela.net/blog/2008/08/14/what-is-this/
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10-16-2009 @12:41PM tobyleah said... I had some from my local food coop. Was very unimpressed. Found it almost totally flavorless and not worth the high price.
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10-16-2009 @10:15PM elfriede russell said... I bought Dragon Fruit a year ago at our local Military Commissary. I found the taste to be very mild, yet very good, and it was a very juicy fruit. The fruit itself looks so different and interesting. I decided to save some seeds and plant them. My seedlings have now grown to be about 3 inches tall. Can't wait to see what they turn out like.
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10-16-2009 @11:16PM Kassie said... I was served this all the time while living with a host family in Nicaragua while in college. And I didn't not like it. It was often made like a juice and the seeds made me gag. And I'll eat just about anything, so it was odd.
I had no idea what it was until today. I assumed it was some crazy ass thing my host family ate and no one else did because I never saw it anywhere else.
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10-17-2009 @10:31PM badfrog101 said... I found some in a plastic bag at Trader Joe's, thinly sliced and dried. It was mostly tart, and tasted berry red, with very little flavor or sweetness. I won't purchase again.
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10-20-2009 @3:38PM lorettachan said... Dragon fruit doesn't have enough flavor for me. I'd love to see a recipe that brings out the flavor and highlights its unusual texture/colors.
http://www.chillonthecheap.wordpress.com
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