Have you ever seen a flower blossoming like an outburst of flame, and bringing forth a lovely but ephemeral fruit that looks like a bright pink bud of a rose? Well, that is what the dragon fruit, commonly known as pitya, looks like. It is gotten from diverse cactus types; with its tender stem producing the peculiarly tasty fruit. The flavor is moderately sweet, tasting like a mix of kiwifruit with pear, and it has a rough feel. Its scientific name is Hylocereus undatus.
Season and Cultivation
In Thailand, dragon fruit’s season spans March through November, and they may sell at slightly higher prices outside periods .Dragon fruit plants are grown in Asian nations like Vietnam, Philippines, and Malaysia. It thrives well on dry and arid land with little rainfall.
Nutritional Information on Dragonfruit
Dragon fruit is quite affordable, pleasant and interesting to eat. It contains lots of phytonutrients. It also has copious antioxidants, which are vitamin C-laden (totaling 10 percent of the daily recommended intake), complex unsaturated (beneficial) fatty acids, and many other B vitamins for carbohydrate digestion, and also carotene and protein.
The Nam Khan project, is a functioning premaculture ecofarm where we are planting diversity of tropical fruits. Also, our Spanish Mediterranean inspired organic,healthy restaurant is trying to offer as much as possible from the farm. Guests would get to enjoy natural fruits, salads, micro greens and salad juices, vegetable fruit smoothies-detox, some Spanish tapas- tortillas and more.
Medicinal Use of Dragon Fruit
Dragon fruit assists in reducing the glucose level in the blood. This is of particular importance to people with type 2 diabetes. Besides, the sugar present in dragon fruit assists in regulating the amount of sugar in the blood for diabetes patients. Also, dragon fruit averts the development of cancerous cells. It also contains a high amount of in minerals and fibers which assists in digestion, eliminates toxic ingredients thereby precluding the chances of colon cancer.
Moreover, dragon fruit is rich in vitamin C, minerals and pytoalbumin in high proportions, and can rid the body of free radicals due to its anti-oxidant qualities. Dragon fruit assists in checking blood cholesterol level. It also contains flavonoids that help in curtailing heart diseases. It is clear that dragon fruit has innumerable health benefits.
Culinary Uses of Dragon Fruit
In contemporary Southeast Asia, dragon fruit is used in producing fruit juice. In Chinese cookery, it is being used in making fruit salads. Some parts of Japan also use dragon fruit to brew tasty drinks and desserts, while some others snack on it just as it is.
