In Praise of Dragonfruit

[Broomstick]

This thread is to praise dragonfruit, which is the fancy marketing name for something also know as a pitaya:



The colors are between vivid and fluorescent, and the first time I saw one I thought it looked like something out of a video game like WoW. Even the name: "dragonfruit". And the plant itself looks a bit alien:



Anyhow - eating one is easy. Slice it open and scoop out the insides with a spoon. Some are a bright red on the inside, some white. Otherwise, pretty much the same thing. The flavor is mild, the texture like kiwis or melons or the like.

Basically, this is a cactus fruit.

Although all the ones I've seen for commercial sale around here are from south east Asia, mostly Thailand, the plant is actually native to the deserts of North America on the southern border of the US/Mexico.

These days there's all sort of hype about how AMAZING and HEALTHY these things are and how they will cure what ails you, but really, it's just another type of fruit. Buy it ripe and healthy it's good for you. Process it heavily... not so much.

Anyhow - I like to have one from time to time and my ulterior motive here is that if they become more popular they might become easier to find in stores and/or cheaper to buy.

[madd0ct0r]

They are available in large stores in the uk,, but eaten fresh from the plant on a tropical afternoon, i'd rank them higher than mangos.

[Iroscato]

Of all the food threads I have encountered on my travels, this is the most...*lip wobbles*...niche.

[The Vortex Empire]

Not a fan, I find them incredibly bland.

[Broomstick]

Yes, they are bland. But sometimes that's a nice contrast to other flavors.

[Napoleon the Clown]

If I want a bland fruit I'm pretty sure I can find one that's less than $5...

[Broomstick]

You know, you're talking to someone who distinguishes between the blandness of brown rice and white rice. Hey, if you don't care for it you don't care for it.

And in my neighborhood they're running just under $3 right now.

[Zaune]

I dunno what the fruit tastes like, but that potted one looks awesome. Do they grow okay indoors?

[Broomstick]

The biggest problem people have with growing them indoors is overwatering them - they are, after all, cacti, they need less water than most other plants.

I suspect that's one reason most cactus fruit tends to be bland in flavor - lots of water content. It's not juicy like citrus, but it's very definitely moist inside. On a really hot day when I'm feeling dehydrated I find them very refreshing.

If you want to get fruit off one you need to let it grow to a certain size (I've read "10 pounds", which would be around 5 kg, but not sure how big that would be). They are night-bloomers and need pollinating to set fruit. If you don't have moths or bats or whatever does the job in nature living in your home you'd need to do it yourself.

Yes, I do usually research how my food is grown.

[Zaune]

I had an abundance of moths in here all summer, so that's not a problem. And I can get a pack of ten seeds for £2 on eBay...

I'll let you know how this goes.

[SolarpunkFan]

I've wanted to try this stuff (mostly because I'm a picky eater who doesn't like strong tasting foods), but I'm not sure if there are any sellers nearby.

[General Zod]

I'm kind of curious to try one myself, but I wouldn't have the faintest idea where to find them and I'm bouncing all over the country right now.

[LadyTevar]

How do they compare in taste to a pawpaw?

[Broomstick]

I don't know, I've never had a pawpaw - despite living where they're native. Seriously, I've never seen a pawpaw available around here. Very irritating.

[Raw Shark]

Eh. They're okay. I'd rather have an apple.

[Zeropoint]

Every time I see spiky dragon eggs I feel sorry for the mother dragons.

[LadyTevar]

I don't know, I've never had a pawpaw - despite living where they're native. Seriously, I've never seen a pawpaw available around here. Very irritating.

To be honest, pawpaws aren't found outside the Appalachians. They don't ship well, most folks just go to where they know a patch grows and pick 'em themselves. Unfortunately, the pawpaw tree at Mom's split during the Derecho several years ago and had to be cut down

[Edi]

I've had dragonfruit, but I find them far too bland in taste. Had no idea it was an American plant, but you learn something new everyday. I like a couple of different kinds of cactus figs. But Southeast Asia has by far the best fruits from anywhere.

Rambutan, salak, lychee, longan and a bunch of others I had never even heard of that are delicious. I've never seen salak fruit here, but if I ever do, they're going to have to order it by the dump truck.

[Broomstick]

I don't know, I've never had a pawpaw - despite living where they're native. Seriously, I've never seen a pawpaw available around here. Very irritating.

To be honest, pawpaws aren't found outside the Appalachians.

Actually, they are - they used to have the nickname "Indiana banana". Their native range runs from the south end of Ontario in the north down to Texas, and east to west New York state to Nebraska. They are probably more common wild in the Appalachians these days, since if you aren't using them for food the fruit dropping then rotting would be a nuisance. Quite a wide range, originally, hence town names of "Paw Paw" in just about every state in that range (I've heard of Paw Paw, West Virginia, and been in Paw Paw, Michigan, but there are many others.)

This week the dragonfruit at work were red inside - actually, fuschia inside, very vivid. Normally wouldn't have gotten another so soon but at work I won a $5 coupon for the produce department so I got that and a starfruit. And grapes and plums and bananas.

Like lychees, too, but almost never see them fresh around here. The canned ones aren't bad either, but fresh are better.