What the Heck Is a Dragon Fruit and How Do You Eat It?
It's a little intimidating, but so delicious.
If there were a contest for the most strikingly colorful fruit, the dragon fruit would definitely make the top of the list. This vividly pink tropical fruit with yellow- and green-tipped spines is actually a type of cactus, and is native to Mexico, Central America and South America. The fruit is also very popular in Asian countries such as Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia.
As for dragon fruit season? This tasty fruit usually begins flowering in the early summer (around June)—it's then in season and bearing fruit for five months, through mid-fall.
What does dragon fruit taste like?
Sometimes known as the ‘pitaya’ in South America, the dragon fruit’s texture is often compared to that of a kiwi due to the tiny black seeds inside, and many people describe the taste as somewhere between a kiwi, a pear and a watermelon.
Related: What the Heck Is a Rambutan and How Do You Eat It?
How to tell if dragon fruit is ripe:
When choosing a dragon fruit, look for a specimen with bright, evenly colored skin. If it has too many brown blotches, or if it has a dry, shriveled stem, it’s probably overripe. If the fruit is very firm, let it ripen a few days until the flesh gives slightly.
How to peel and cut dragon fruit:
iStock
The fruit is simple to cut; simply slice it in half and crack it open. The flesh inside can be white or red, depending on the variety. Rather than peel dragon fruit, it's best to remove the flesh from the inedible bright pink husk by simply scooping it out with a spoon. Be sure to remove any remnants of the skin from the inner fruit, as the skin should not be consumed.
How to eat dragon fruit:
Once you’ve removed the soft inner flesh, cut it into cubes and either eat them as-is or add them to a fruit salad for an extra exotic crunch!
Dragon fruit Guaycura Cocktail Recipe:
The Cape, a Thompson Hotel
Gerardo Osorio, food and beverage director at The Cape, a Thompson Hotel in Los Cabos, notes shrubs (or drinking vinegar) can be a fresh way to incorporate dragon fruit into at-home cocktails.
Ingredients:
2 oz dragon fruit shrub
1 oz mezcal
3 oz ginger beer
1 dash fresh lemon juice
2 chili oil drops
Directions:
Prepare dragon fruit shrub: Take two cups dragon fruit, two cups vinegar (try apple cider vinegar) and two cups sugar, then heat sugar and vinegar over the stove, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Add your fruit and allow to simmer for a couple minutes; cool your liquid and strain out any solids using a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth. Store in the fridge for two or more days to allow flavors to develop.
Mix the cocktail: In a shaker, mix the dragon fruit shrub, mezcal, and lime with ice and shake well; strain into a sherry glass and finish with ginger beer and garnish with a few chili oil drops.
Next up: What the Heck Is a Breadfruit and How Do You Eat It?