Dragon Fruit

I couldn’t think of a better name than ‘dragon fruit’ for such a fruit.

Dragon fruit is an edible exotic fruit that grows on certain species of cactus plants.
‘Dragon fruit’ is also known as ‘pitaya’, ‘nanettika fruit’, ‘strawberry pear’ and ‘pitahaya’.
Sweet dragon fruit come from the genus Hylocereus, of the Cactaceae family, the family of cacti, and the scientific name of the most commonly grown of the edible species is Hylocereus undatus, while sour pitaya are from the Stenocerus genus.
Dragon fruit are native to the Americas, and have since been introduced to eastern and southern Asia, where the fruit is now cultivated extensively.
The weight of dragon fruit ranges from 150 to 1000 grams (5 to 35 ounces), although more commonly they range from 150 to 600 grams (5 to 21 ounces) and they are usually an ovoid or round shape.

The skin of dragon fruit is usually, pink, red or yellow in colour, often with spiky leaf-like appendages generally tipped with green, and a red or white coloured flesh that contains numerous small, black, edible seeds.
Dragon fruit has a mild flavour and is often compared to passionfruit, watermelon, raspberries and other fruit, depending on the species, and are usually sweet; though those from the Stenocerus are mostly sour.
The large dragon fruit flowers require pollination during the night as they generally whither in the day and only last up to 24 hours, after which the fruit develops and is ready for picking from 30 to 50 days.
Commonly, dragon fruit is eaten fresh or as an accompaniment to ice cream or other desserts, and it can be frozen, or used in drinks, jams and jelly.
Dragon fruit is high in vitamin C and antioxidants, and is a good source of iron and fibre.

Amazon: