Since turning vegan I have delighted in trying weird and wonderful foods and my Dad appears to have cottoned on to this and brought me a rather interesting fruit that I’ve never set eyes on!
Feeling a bit unsure I venture “Erm what is it?” My Dad triumphantly tells me it’s a Chinese dragon fruit and I cannot help but look it up on Wikipedia and wow he’s not pulling my leg it is an actual fruit.
The Legend of the Dragon Fruit or Pitaya
Well everyday is a school day- dragon fruit (or pitaya) are native to Central and South America. Resembling an enormous Venus flytrap plant head it is no real surprise that it grows on a cactus. Though this fruit doesn’t look very appetizing I am rather keen to try it. The legend surrounding the fruit could be credited to creative Asian marketers. Let’s not let that spoil the fun, legend has it that the fruit was created thousands of years ago by fire breathing dragons. When the dragon would breathe fire in battle the fruit would be the last thing to come out. Once the dragon is slain the fruit is collected and presented to the Emperor an indication of victory and treasure to boot.
Nutritional Benefits of Dragon Fruit
The flesh of the fruit can be white, red, or pink depending on the variety and is high in antioxidants and low in calories. According to the wikipedia article the red fleshed varieties are particularly a good source of Vitamin C, and yellow fleshed ones are rich in calcium and phosphorus. Perhaps I should be including the dragon fruit in my Top Ten Vegan Super Foods. The seeds are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Diabetics in Taiwan use dragon fruit as a substitute for rice (some claim the fruit is useful in lowering blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetes).
How to Eat Dragon Fruit
A quick look on Google reveals an array of recipes for jams, salsas, mooncakes and even wine. But when you try something so exotic for the first time it has to be in its raw state. I’m a purist! Apparently dragon fruit is best served chilled, so it may be an idea to chop it up and refrigerate it for an hour. However I don’t have to patience to do this and it is rather cold today anyway in cloudy England.
Cutting through the flesh is a little like cutting through a kiwi or melon. The inside is a huge contrast to the outside. I expected the flesh to be red with the pinkish outward appearance but it was white. The seeds inside look like the ones found inside a kiwi fruit and I really wish I had a greenhouse as I would definitely attempt to grow these. The easiest way to eat it is to chop it in half and then scooped out the flesh with a spoon. The flesh tastes a bit like melon though less sweet and I would only eat it as part of a tropical fruit salad as it is healthy, but it is not something I would ever crave to taste. It is a slight let down after its spectacular appearance and even more interesting legend!
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