How to eat pitahaya - dragon fruit?

Thailand is famous for its unusual legends and exotic fruits. One of the ancient Thai parables is connected just with the amazing fruit of a fruit plant - pitahaya (pitaya).

In ancient times, there were mortal combat warriors with dragons. Whenever the winged giant lost, and was no longer able to fight, instead of the sizzling flame from his mouth appeared a marvelous fruit, popularly known as the “heart of a dragon” or “dragon eye”.

In different regions of Thailand, a unique fruit is called differently: prickly pear, dragonfruit, kaumangkon, pitahaya and pitaya. According to legend, the unknown in nature fruit was so good that for it the Thai people destroyed all dragons. And the plant survived and stuck in the warm climate of the mysterious kingdom. And only the scales on the fruits of the dragon now remind the Thai people about the battles won with fire-breathing monsters in the distant past.

According to the scientific description, the pitahaya plant belongs to the cactaceous family. Liana-like wild pitahaya is an epiphytic cactus, widespread in hot Mexico, and also prevailing in South and Central America.

The stem of the plant reaches 10 meters in height. It is cultivated in most Asian countries in the Southeast. In addition to Thailand, exotic fruits are grown in the Philippines and Sri Lanka, in Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Japan, Taiwan, Israel, Hawaii, and even in northern Australia.

An amazing plant blooms only at night. In the dark, large white flowers on the pitahaya can be confused with giant moths. The form of fragrant flowers is typical for all plants of the cactus family. The charming smell of a blooming dragon seems to spread magic in the air, making the night magical. Fruits on cactus liana appear in 30-50 days, and this can happen up to 6 times in a year.

The ripened fruit, called the "dragon heart", looks very unusual in appearance. The weight of one pitaya is from 150 to 600 grams. The size does not exceed a large apple, but the shape is more oblong. The color of the skin varies from yellow to crimson, depending on the grade of pitahaya. From above the peel is covered with large scales, really resembling the skin of a dragon. At the ends of the scales are painted in intense lime color. The fruit looks curious. Under the dense shell, the creamy pulp is of whitish, pinkish or purple color.

An attractive plant is not just pleasing to the eyes, but is widely used in local medicine to heal cuts and wounds, improve vision, increase appetite, strengthen memory and reduce weight.

Thai people use to treat not only the fruits, but also the stems of the plant, extracting healing juice from them. If you keep the proportions, it turns out an excellent means for strengthening the cardiovascular system, blood circulation stimulator, antispasmodic, and even anthelmintic drug.

The most popular for eating are fruits of yellow, Costa Rican and red pitaya. The size, color of the skin and the pulp is not the same, and depends on the variety of tropical fruit.

The fruit is not recommended to "lean" with fanaticism. The concentration of nutrients in dragonfruit is quite capable of provoking an allergic reaction. Seeds in the pulp are almost imperceptible in taste, but difficult to digest, so it is best to chew them thoroughly. At the same time they contain many lipids and tannin, shown in diabetes mellitus, and a positive effect on vision.

The ripe fruit of pitaya is rich in phosphorus, protein, vitamins C and B, a useful iron, essential calcium, niacin and riboflavin. Eating a fruit has a positive effect on the functions of the intestinal tract, cardiovascular and endocrine systems, stops stomach upset and eliminates flatulence.

Diabetics can eat pitaya without fear, on the contrary, fruit helps to normalize sugar levels.And thanks to the calcium in the composition, the dragon eye is indispensable in therapeutic nutrition for diseases affecting the bones and joints. This mineral will help strengthen the teeth, hair and nails. Regular moderate consumption of fruit rich in vitamin C will strengthen the immune system and help to avoid ORZ in the midst of the development of viruses.

It is also useful in the diet, as low-calorie. Well absorbed, and does not cause a feeling of heaviness in the stomach.

Nutritional value per 100 g of fruit:

• Calorie - 50 kcal;
• proteins - 5 grams;
• fats - 3 grams;
• carbohydrates - 12 grams.

The color of the pulp does not affect the taste of dragon, which many disappoint with its neutrality. At first glance it seems that the bright fruit is as rich in taste as in color. But the flesh has a little sweetness and grassy taste. Seeds crunch slightly on the teeth, but not hard, like a tropical fruit kiwi.

In Thailand and the hot Asian countries of dragons, fruit is sold year-round. The dragon fruit plant is now cultivated wherever the tropical climate prevails. The leaders in crop pitaya: Thailand, China, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Varieties with fuchsia pulp and white contents are sold in Russia most often. You can buy them in large supermarkets. The color of the pulp is easily determined by the appearance of the fruit. Pink and yellow skin with greenish leaf-scales hides the white flesh under its shell, and the violet content of the fruit is usually saturated with crimson hue.

You can taste the fruit in different ways:

• cut the fruit into two equal parts and serve as a dessert (it is more convenient to eat with a spoon, choosing all the flesh, to the skin);
• cut the pitaya into slices, and treat yourself without using cutlery;
• clean the skin as a banana, and bite off a piece;
• mix with yogurt or sorbet;
• add to the cocktail with any citrus fruits.

In America, the popular cooking dessert with the addition of pitahaya. The fruit is whipped in a bowl of blender with condensed milk, almond nuts and Mascarpone cheese, and is eaten for breakfast with toast or used as a sponge cake. Of these tropical fruits, Thai people have adapted to make jam, mousses and sauces. Even pitahai flowers are beneficial for enterprising owners. Tea with plant petals acquires a breathtaking aroma.

The sweet fruit contains only 50 kilocalories per 100 g of its weight. This means that without a twinge of conscience can be included in a diet aimed at losing weight. Nutritionists agree with this, who also recommend fruit to children instead of sweets and sweets. But only after three years, given that pitaya is an allergen.

It is better to eat the product fresh, but not after heat treatment, to get the maximum benefit from the process, and even quench your thirst. This fruit is a favorite delicacy among the population of countries of long-livers, thanks to trace elements, minerals and vitamins in its composition.

The skin of the dragon fruit is not eaten, but immediately discarded. It has no use and taste. From the pulp shell is easy to separate with a knife or pry edge and remove the skin, like a banana.

The contents of the exotic fruit found many fans, but many were not impressed at all. To determine your attitude to the fruit, you need to personally taste, what is the taste and smell.

In order to buy this fruit, you do not need to go to hot countries or wait for a present from there. In the Russian shopping centers trade in different varieties of pitahaya. Fruits with pink skin are mainly distributed, with yellow are less common. To try a really tasty and fragrant dragonfruit, you need to pick a ripe fruit. You can check the maturity by lightly pressing the shell, if the fruit under it is soft, it means that it has ripened. Hard to touch the fruit of pitaya will be tasteless, or rather, tasteless. Ripe fruits are easy to clean with your hands.

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For information on how to eat pitahaya and its beneficial properties, see the following video.