Do You Know About Dragon Fruit?

Dragon fruit, with its vivid pink skin, green spikes, and unusual name, is likely to have piqued your interest in the grocery store at some point.

And, if you’re scared by its flamboyant appearance, don’t be: incorporating dragon fruit (also known as pitaya) into your food is both simple and tasty. Here are a few recipes to get you started on creating magnificent dragon fruit meals.

Pick And Prepare Dragon Fruit

When you go supermarket shopping for dragon fruit, you’ll most likely see brilliant pink fruit with white inside the meat. You may also come across different types, such as yellow dragon fruit with white flesh or pink dragon fruit with fuchsia flesh. Whatever kind you select, you’ll receive a mellow fruit with a flavor that falls halfway between watermelon, berries, and kiwi.

Look for fruit with smooth, vividly colored skin and just a little give. Overripe dragon fruit will seem blotchy or dried, whilst underripe fruit will feel rock hard (don’t worry, it will soften in a few days).

It’s simple to prepare your dragon fruit. Simply cut it in half and scoop out the flesh with a spoon or melon baller.

Dragon Fruit Preparation Methods

Do you need some motivation to incorporate more dragon fruit into your diet? We’ve got your back.

1. Combine To Make  Smoothies

Looking for a novel way to begin your day? What about a dragon fruit smoothie? Try adding a few dragon fruit pieces to a strawberry coconut milk smoothie.

Alternatively, add dragon fruit to a breakfast smoothie that is already high in greens to add extra natural sweetness. It will enhance the flavor of this matcha, coconut, and kale smoothie.

2. Prepare Bowls

Of course, (drinkable) smoothies aren’t the only option to incorporate dragon fruit into your morning routine. Consider a smoothie bowl! Blend frozen dragon fruit with almond milk or coconut water until it resembles ice cream, then pour into a breakfast dish.

Top with your favorite toppings, such as homemade granola, shaved coconut, or sliced dragon fruit, and dig in!

3. Sprinkle Into Salads

We adore a sweet summer salad, and adding dragon fruit to your lush greens makes for an eye-catching appetizer. The mellow flavor of dragon fruit pairs nicely with gentler greens so uses it to lend a burst of delicate sweetness to a spinach salad.

For a fresh summer flavor, drizzle your meal with a homemade vinaigrette, such as a cinnamon vinaigrette or a pomegranate vinaigrette.

4. Salad With Sweet Dragon Fruit

Dragon fruit may be used to liven up your main meal as well as within dishes. To make fresh salsa, combine finely chopped dragon fruit with chopped grilled pineapple in a vinaigrette of olive oil, cilantro, and lime juice.

Use it as a garnish for DIY poke bowls or as a topping for seafood like salmon or mahi-mahi.

5. Salad of Whipped Up Dragon Fruit

There’s no simpler summer dessert than fruit salad – and, happily, dragon fruit can be used in whatever fruit salad recipe you choose. Use it to add visual interest to an already magnificent poppy seed fruit salad, or go for a spicier option with a honey ginger fruit salad.

6. Dragon Fruit Poke Prep

Are you looking for something a bit more eye-catching? Make this crowd-pleasing dragon fruit and strawberry faux poke to put a sweet spin on the poke fad.

It has something for everyone: natural sweetness from dragon fruit and strawberries, satisfying crunch from sugared wonton triangles, and surprising spice from a balsamic-pepper syrup topping.

7. Make Dragon Fruit Ice Cream

If, on the other hand, you prefer a more low-key final dish, consider creating dragon fruit ice cream instead. Simply follow our instructions for making creamy and delicious no-churn ice cream for the ideal frosty treat.

Add a sprinkling of cinnamon to your dragon fruit ice cream for a tropical touch, or add dragon fruit to your strawberry ice cream for a tropical variation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is a Dragon Fruit?

Ans: Growing on a vining cactus, called Hylocereus undatus, dragon fruit is considered a nutritious culinary fruit and grows during the summer in June through September. These flashy fruits grow natively in Mexico, Central America, and South America. Today, dragon fruit is cultivated globally in tropical climates, primarily in Southeast Asia and the United States.

Q2: What is the color of Dragon fruit?

Ans: Dragon fruit is bright, pinkish-red with green spikes outside. Inside, dragon fruit it has tiny black seeds suspended in the white flesh

Q3: How can we tell that Dragon fruit is ripe?

Ans: Ripe dragon fruit will have a smooth, pinkish-red peel with green spikes and few to no blemishes. The ripe fruit will feel heavy for its size in your hand and yield slightly when you apply gentle pressure with your thumb

Q4: What is the nutritional value of Dragon fruit?

Ans: Dragon fruit is often also known as superfruit because of its nutritional benefits. These beauties are packed with fiber, vitamin C and B vitamins, and antioxidants. Here is the nutrition information for about one dragon fruit (about 3.5 ounces, or 100 grams).

• Calories: 60
• Protein: 1.2 grams
• Fat: 0 grams
• Carbs: 13 grams
• Fiber: 3 grams
• Vitamin C: 3% of the RDI
• Iron: 4% of the RDI
• Magnesium: 10% of the RDI

Q5: What does it taste and smell like?

Ans: A Dragon fruit has a very light fruity and floral fragrance. The flavor of dragon fruit is subtly sweet and tropical with a kiwi-meets-pear texture. Dragon fruit has tiny, edible seeds suspended in the white fruit giving it a fun, satisfying crunch.

To Wrap it Up

Don’t cut dragon fruit until you’re ready to use or consume it, otherwise, it will dry out and discolor. To prepare dragon fruit, just split it in half and scoop out the slightly hard flesh with a spoon to eat directly out of the shell, or carefully use a sharp spoon to cut and remove the flesh from the skin, then slice or chop it whatever you prefer. Dragon fruit puree can also be used in sauces, puddings, frozen desserts, and beverages.