"DragonFruit" news and stories

Photo: Ana Carmen, Flickr.

Though at first glance one might assume these vibrant cups to be brimming with chopped melons and strawberries, upon further inspection they are actually pieces of pitahaya, or, as it's more commonly known stateside, dragon fruit.

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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Kitt of the Kittalog recently got a chance to taste a Dragonfruit for the first time (thanks to the White on Rice Couple) and pronounces it very tasty and smooth, sort of like perfectly ripe honeydew melon. It's also an incredibly interesting and lovely fruit (to see an image of the outside, click here).

Thanks Kitt!

Source

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This summer, during a drive home to Key West, I made my regular pit-stop at Robert Is Here, a fruit stand in Florida City. After a killer papaya milkshake, I had a look around and one of the first things to catch my eye were the dragonfruit. They're also known as thang loy, pitaya and cactus fruit, the last name probably being the most accurate, because what you see here is just that--the fruit of a climbing variety of cactus called the night-blooming cereus. While this one happens to be pink with black seeds, a white and black variety is also common.

The texture was slightly mealy, like a pear, and the flavor was sugary and a bit floral. With a look like that, I guess I was expecting a more intense flavor. I ate it plain first, and then with a squeeze of lime, as I'm told is done in Mexico.

For more background, there's The DragonFruit Site. They have plenty of dragonfruit links, including instructions for making wine. The Pine Island Nursery in Miami also has a large gallery of different varieties of dragonfruit, many of which seem to be named after Phish songs. Go figure.

[Photo: Nick Vagnoni]