Food ruts happen. Maybe you’re in one now. Need help getting out of it? Show Dragon fruit is a nutritious — not to mention vibrant — fruit that can benefit your body and your taste buds, says registered dietitian Mira Ilic, MS, RDN, LD. Ready to get a little adventurous? Here’s how to incorporate dragon fruit into your diet when it’s in season from summer to early fall. What is dragon fruit?Dragon fruit, also called pitaya or strawberry pear, looks like something straight out of a Dr. Seuss book: On the outside, it’s a pink oval with green scales (hence the “dragon” name). Inside, it has white flesh with tiny black seeds. The fruit’s strange appearance also gives off “psychedelic artichoke” vibes. “It’s a tropical fruit that comes from a cactus. It’s available everywhere around the world, but it’s indigenous to Mexico and South America,” Ilic notes. What does dragon fruit taste like?
Dragon fruits come in a variety of shapes and colors:
The benefits of eating dragon fruitThe flesh of the dragon fruit is low in calories and fat-free. It also contains plenty of: FiberDragon fruit is an excellent source of fiber, Ilic says. The daily recommendation for adults is at least 25 grams — and dragon fruit packs 7 grams in a single 1-cup serving. “Fiber, may benefit gastrointestinal and cardiovascular health,” notes Ilic. “Fiber is also filling, which is helpful if you’re trying to lose weight. People who eat whole, fiber-rich foods are more likely to maintain a healthy weight.” NutrientsDragon fruit has a ton of beneficial vitamins and minerals, including:
Improves gut healthHealthy bacteria in your gut may help digestion and even reduce colon cancer risk. “Some studies appeared to show that dragon fruit promoted the growth of healthy gut bacteria,” says Ilic. “It may have a positive effect on the gut microbiome, the good bacteria in our intestines.” How to cut and eat dragon fruitIf you can’t find dragon fruit in your local supermarket, you may have better luck in a specialty food store or Asian market. To pick one out, Ilic recommends trusting your gut. “Follow your fruit know-how,” she says. “It should be slightly soft when you’re testing it with your finger. If it’s overly firm, you can still bring it home and leave it on your counter to ripen.” Peel and cut it into sections when you’re ready to eat it. Much like an avocado, you eat the flesh and discard the skin. You could also cut it in half and scoop out the flesh with a spoon or melon baller. Dragon fruit is best eaten raw, but you can throw it on the grill like some other fruits. Enjoy it on its own or add it to:
“Once you cut it up, wrap it tightly and put it in your fridge,” says Ilic. “When your dragon fruit starts to get mushy and brown, throw it away.” Related Articles
The dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus) is a tropical fruit that belongs to the climbing cacti (Cactaceae) family. Widely cultivated in Vietnam, the fruit is popular in Southeast Asia.1 Apart from being refreshing and tasty, it has been noted that the dragon fruit is a rich source of vitamin C, calcium and phosphorus.2 Origin and distribution Description The plant is a climbing cactus vine that grows well in dry areas.9 Because of its epiphytic nature, it grows best in soil with a high level of organic materials.10 Its flowers bloom only at night, hence the plant is sometimes also called the “moonflower” or “Lady of the Night”.11 The flowers, which bloom for only one night,12 are white and large, measuring 20 cm long or more.13 They are bell-shaped and are fragrant when in bloom.14 Pitahaya plants can have between four to six fruiting cycles in one year.15 It can be propagated by seed or by stem cuttings.16 The dragon fruit has a dramatic appearance, with bright red, purple or yellow-skinned varieties and prominent scales.17 The fruit is oval, elliptical or pear-shaped. The flesh has a subtly flavoured sweet taste or sometimes slightly sourish taste.18 The flesh is either white or red, with edible black seeds dotted all over.19 The dragon fruit is closely related to the orchid cacti, or epiphyllum, which are known for their large and impressive flowers. The pitahaya can be cross-pollinated with the epiphyllum.20 Usage and potential The fruit is commonly eaten raw and is thought to taste better chilled.21 It is also served as a juice or made into a fruit sorbet.22 The fruit can be used to flavour drinks, while syrup made of the whole fruit is used to colour pastries and candy.23 Unopened flower buds can be cooked like vegetables.24 The dragon fruit reputedly improves eyesight and controls hypertension.25 Variant names Common names: dragon fruit, dragon pearl fruit,26 pitahaya,27 strawberry pear,28 night-blooming cereus, Belle of the Night,29 Cinderella plant30 Scientific name: Hylocereus undatus31 Malay/Indonesian: buah naga or buah mata naga32 Mandarin: long guo33 Vietnamese: thanh long34 Authors Naidu Ratnala Thulaja & Nor-Afidah Abd Rahman References1. Rolf Blancke, Tropical Fruits and Other Edible Plants of the World: An Illustrated Guide (New York: Comstock Publishing Associates, 2016), 129. (Call no. RSEA 634.6 BLA) 2. Ow Phui San Rebecca, Omru Nasrulhaq Boyce and Chandran Somasundram, “Pigment Identification and Antioxidant Properties of Red Dragron Fruit (Hylocereus Polyrhizus),” African Journal of Biotechnology 9, no. 10 (April 2010): 1450–454. 3. “Hylocereus Undatus (Dragon Fruit),” CAB International, accessed 8 March 2020. 4. Blancke, Tropical Fruits and Other Edible Plants, 129. 5. “Pitahaya,” in The Oxford English Dictionary (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989). (Call no. R 423 OXF-[DIC]) 6. Robert E. Paull and Odilio Duarte, Tropical Fruits: Crop Production Science in Horticulture 24 (Oxfordshire” CABI, 2012), 325. 7. Doanh Nhan, “Earning $1 Billion, but Fruit Exporters Can’t Get Good Night’s Sleep,” VietNamNet, 26 February 2014. 8. Nhan, “Earning $1 Billion.” 9. Blancke, Tropical Fruits and Other Edible Plants, 129; J. Morton, “Strawberry Pear,” accessed 20 March 2020; “Dragon Fruit,” Trade Winds Fruit, accessed 20 March 2020. 10. Blancke, Tropical Fruits and Other Edible Plants, 129; Trade Winds Fruit, “Dragon Fruit.” 11. Ernest Small, Top 100 Exotic Food Plants (NW: CRC Press, 2011), 101. 12. Trade Winds Fruit, “Dragon Fruit.” 13. Blancke, Tropical Fruits and Other Edible Plants, 129. 14. Blancke, Tropical Fruits and Other Edible Plants, 129. 15. Trade Winds Fruit, “Dragon Fruit.” 16. Trade Winds Fruit, “Dragon Fruit.” 17. Blancke, Tropical Fruits and Other Edible Plants, 128–29. 18. Blancke, Tropical Fruits and Other Edible Plants, 129. 19. Paull and Duarte, Tropical Fruits, 329; L. Luders and G. McMahon, “The Pitaya or Dragon Fruit,” Agnote (May 2006) 20. “Pitaya, Pitahaya,” Top Tropicals, accessed 26 March 2020. 21. Trade Winds Fruit, “Dragon Fruit.” 22. David Karp, “Purple, Spiny, and Heading Your Way,” Los Angeles Times, 18 September 2002; Morton, “Strawberry Pear”; Barbara Rolek, “Dragon Fruit Frozen Sorbet Dessert,” accessed 26 March 2020. 23. Morton, “Strawberry Pear”; Trade Winds Fruit. “Dragon Fruit.” 24. Blancke, Tropical Fruits and Other Edible Plants, 129; Morton, “Strawberry Pear.” 25. Erum Akbar Hussain, Zubi Sadiq and Muhammad Zia-Ul-Haq, Betalains: Biomolecular Aspects (Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, 2018), 24. 26. Small, Top 100 Exotic Food Plants, 101. 27. Blancke, Tropical Fruits and Other Edible Plants, 129. 28. Morton, “Strawberry Pear.” 29. J. G. Vaughan and C. A. Geissler, The New Oxford Book of Food Plants (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009), 676. (Call no. R 641.303 VAU) 30. Sumia Akram and Muhammad Mushtaq, “Dragon Seed Oil,” in Fruit Oils: Chemistry and Functionality, ed. Mohamed Fauzy Ramadan (Switzerland: Springer Nature, 2020), 676. 31. Blancke, Tropical Fruits and Other Edible Plants, 129. 32. “Buah Segar Malaysia,” Berita Harian, 28 April 2007, 28. (From NewspaperSG) 33. “Dragon Fruit Frenzy,” Taipei Times, 27 July 2015. 34. “Dragon Fruit Assessment Manual ,” NC State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, accessed 26 March 2020. The information in this article is valid as atMarch 2020 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.Subject
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