Dragon fruit, benefits, nutrition, and how to eat it.
Ever heard of this weirdly named tropical fruit, the dragon fruit? It may surprise you to know that this fruit is not produced from the bellies or mouths of the dragons we see in movies or read in books.
Dragon fruit is an edible fruit that packs a myriad of health benefits. Although it may not be one of your biggest choices when shopping for fruits to add to your basket, if you are looking to try something new, nutritious and extraordinary, the dragon fruit is an amazing choice.
This article contains everything you need to know about the dragon fruit including its nutritional information, how to store and eat it, and most importantly, its health benefits.
What is dragon fruit?
Dragon fruit is a tropical fruit gaining lots and lots of attention globally. Asides from being called dragon fruit, it is given other names such as pitaya, pitahaya and strawberry pear.
Dragon fruit comes from a type of cactus of the genus Hylocereus.
It is native to Central America and is primarily cultivated in Asia, Mexico, South America, India, United States, the Caribbean, Australia and throughout all tropical and subtropical regions in the world. In these regions, the dragon fruit yields abundantly and flourishes than in any other region.
There are three main varieties of dragon fruits. The first variety called Hylocereus undatus or pitaya blanca has a reddish pink skin with creamy white flesh and black edible seeds.
The second variety is called Hylocereus costaricensis or pitaya roja and has reddish pink skin with red flesh and edible black seeds.
And the third variety of dragon fruit called Hylocereus megalanthus or pitaya amarilla has yellow skin, creamy white flesh and edible black seeds.
All the varieties of dragon fruit are sweet, crunchy and nutritious. It all balls down to your personal preference. Left for me, I would try them all.
