Dragon Fruit

The Dragon Fruit, also known as Pitaya, is thought to originate in Central America. It is now grown in tropical regions around the world, and it has proven fairly difficult to find accurate information about it. I'll share what I do know with you here, mainly from first-hand experience.

The skin is a lovely, bright pick colour, with green "petals" all over it: see photo to the left <--

How to Buy: It should be blemish free and bright pink in colour. When you squeeze it (gently, of course!) it should feel slightly soft. They seem small for the price that has to be paid, unless you manage to find them on sale. This is probably due to the fact that they are not very well known. As the demand for them increases, the price should come down (like anything else!)

How to Store: Since it is recommended that you eat these chilled (they taste better that way) the place to store them is in the fridge. I usually eat them within a day or two after purchasing, so I'm not sure what their maximum "shelf life" is. If I had to guess, I'd say a week, perhaps longer. If you know the answer to this, by all means contact me. I'm sure others would like to know the answer.

How to eat: Dragon fruit is best eaten by cutting it in half and scooping out the flesh, since the skin is not edible. Some varieties have white flesh, and others have red. Both have seeds that are black and slightly crunchy. If scooping out the flesh doesn't appeal to you, it can also be peeled with a knife and cut into cubes or strips. It's good added to fruit salad this way. To enhance the flavour, it may be sprinkled with a bit of either lemon or lime juice.

How does it taste? Well, a bit like kiwi, just not as sweet. I actually find it bland and think it's better added to something else, such as a smoothie or fruit salad.

It can also be made into wine, fruit juice, or made into jam. The flowers can be eaten as a vegetable (a vegetable? I don't know why that is, you would think it would be as a fruit) or steeped as a tea.

Since they are a bit on the expensive side, taste bland, and are quite honestly just plain weird looking, why should you bother eating them? There are a few good reasons. The first one is that they are able to lower blood pressure. They are an excellent source of fiber, contain lots of potassium, calcium and vitamin C.

They have been known to cause allergic reactions in some people, such as rash, hives and swollen lips.

An interesting fact about the dragon fruit plant is that it only blooms at night. The blooms usually only life for that one night, but they make it spectacular. In fact, the blooms are often called "The Queen of the Night" Their wonderful scent fills the night air, attracting bees and other insects to help in the pollination.

One final bit of information: They can weigh up to 3 pounds!

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