The dragon fruit or pitahaya tastes exotic fresh like kiwi, strawberry, pear and melon. Only the ripe fruits develop the full aroma. Its shell is bright pink and gives slightly when pressed with your fingers.
Properties of Dragon Fruit
Pitahaya is the fruit of a climbing cactus. It consists of 90% water, contains iron, calcium, phosphorus and is rich in vitamins C and E. The fruit is egg-shaped, 8-15 cm long and can weigh up to 500 g.
The white or pink flesh is soft, non-fibrous and contains numerous black seeds. The pitahaya's shell is about 1 cm thick and consists of several overlapping scales. The dragon fruits are available with pink or yellow skin.
shopping and storage
The dragon fruit has its origins in Central America and comes from there, but also from the Near and Far East into the German fruit trade. It is available in small quantities all year round. Since the transport routes are long, the fruits are harvested when they are unripe; they continue to ripen during transport and storage.
Since the shell easily gets bruises, we recommend storing it upright or hanging. Dragon fruit that is not too ripe will keep for a few days. They are best stored at room temperature. The shell dries out relatively quickly and appears wrinkled, but this does not have a negative effect on the taste.
use
The ripe dragon fruit has a bright pink skin that gives way when gently pressed with a finger. The fruit is best eaten raw. To do this, cut the pitahaya lengthwise and scoop out the flesh with a spoon.
You can easily peel off the peel of a ripe dragon fruit so that you can then cut the flesh into cubes and z. B. in a fruit salad or freeze to ice. Thanks to its eye-catching appearance, the dragon fruit can be used very well as an exotic table decoration.
tips and tricks
The dragon fruit is said to have a laxative effect, so to be on the safe side, do not consume large amounts at once.