Since my introduction to the Dragon Fruit last season, I noticed that I looked forward to the day when they’d be available again. I had so much fun with them last time.

If you have been a little timid in trying them yourself, then I hope this article will motivate you to give them a go. I’ll also share a delicious smoothie recipe I came up with that I think is a real winner.

We are fortunate enough to live in an area where Dragon Fruit can grow reasonably well. I’ve seen this unusual, cactus-like plant using other trees and shrubs as support and growing quite high. You might even describe it as a “vine-like” cactus. Only last year did I see one in full fruit and recognized it.

Here’s a photo of several commercially-grown Green Dragon fruit plants taken in Southern Vietnam  (thanks to Nhã Lê Hoàn for the photo below  http://www.flickr.com/photos/vietnamfriendly/ )

Of course, these cacti have been “trained” to grow up posts for the purpose of make picking easier. Normally they would not be so neatly configured in their growth.

“Dragon Fruit” is the common name. They are also called pitaya or pitahaya. It is the fruit obtained from several cactus species belonging to the genus Hylocereus. These are what is called the “sweet pitayas” (there are others that are not sweet). The skin is somewhat “leafy-looking” with a leathery texture.

Native to Mexico, Central and South America, they are now commonly cultivated in many SE Asian countries, northern Australia and even Israel.

Of the “sweet pitaya” variety, there are three main types:

Red Pitaya – red skinned with white fruit & black seeds (most common).
Yellow Pitaya – yellow-skinned with white flesh and black seeds.
Costa Rica Pitaya – red-skinned with red flesh and black seeds.

What we had available for the photos in this article was the Costa Rica variety. For more info and photos of varieties that may be available in your area CLICK HERE for the Wikipedia reference to this fruit.

Eating The Dragon Fruit:
The flesh is usually eaten raw. The ones, of the Costa Rica variety, that we have tasted, have a beautiful, mildly sweet flavor. A little bit reminiscent of watermelon and strawberry together. The small black seeds are crunchy (if you happen to chew that well) and not a bother at all.

According to Wikipedia “the fruit is also converted into juice or wine, or used to flavor other beverages” and that “the flowers can be eaten or steeped as tea”.

Serving Suggestions:
For an elegant and colorful presentation, you could cut the fruit vertically down through the center into quarters and then into thin wedges, as you would a watermelon with the skin attached. This can be arranged quite attractively on a serving plate with a sprinkle of chopped fresh mint.

Alternatively, you could cut the fruit in half, lengthwise, and use a small round scoop to extract small portions to add to desserts or just eat it as it is for a quick snack.

“Ginana Dragon” Smoothie Recipe

Here’s my recipe for a really great tasting smoothie. Lacking further creativity, I named it the “Ginana Dragon” Smoothie, for reasons that will become obvious.

      INGREDIENTS
        (1 – 2 Servings)
125g Dragon Fruit flesh
110g Ripe Banana
Slice of fresh ginger
1 cup water
Sprig of fresh Mint for decoration

The ingredients are in the photo above. The recipe is based around one half of the dragon fruit, one banana, a bit of fresh ginger and mint.

Measure out the ingredients and blend till smooth. Best served chilled.
Serve in an appropriate glass and top with a sprig of fresh mint. ENJOY !! ….
Oh Yumm!! I just finished a tall glass of the stuff as I write this.

Naturally, if you have one of the other varieties of the Pitaya then you may need to make some modifications for presentation.

If you get around to making your own creations with Dragon Fruit, I’d love to hear about it. Have Fun.

Cheers, Sven

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