Pitaya
The fruit of some Hylocereus and Selenicereus species from the cactus family is called dragon fruit ( pitahaya or pitaya ) .
species
Are cultivated u. a. the species
- Hylocereus undatus with white flesh and pink skin
- Hylocereus monacanthus with red flesh and pink skin
- Selenicereus megalanthus with white pulp and yellow skin
Fruit of Selenicereus megalanthus
Opened fruit of Hylocereus undatus
Fruit of Hylocereus monacanthus
properties
The pulp of dragon fruit contains many small, black seeds. Their aroma is lost when heated.
The outer color is red or yellow. The red pitahayas have either white or red flesh. The taste of the red-fleshed fruit is more intense than that of the white-fleshed fruit. There are no fibers inside. In their homeland, the fruit is mainly used to decorate buffets . To prepare dragon fruit can (roughly analogous to kiwi fruit ) cut and spooned; the peel can be removed from ripe fruits (e.g. oranges). Dragon fruits are sensitive to pressure and therefore rather difficult to transport. Deliveries reach Germany from Central America from July to December and from Vietnam from January to June. Fruits are imported from Thailand by air freight all year round.
ingredients
Dragon fruits consist of around 90% water and contain iron , calcium and phosphorus . The physiological calorific value is 210 kJ / 100 g (50 kcal / 100 g). They contain vitamins B, C and E.
Growing countries
The main producing countries are Nicaragua , the People's Republic of China , Vietnam and Israel . The plant originally comes from Central and South America.
literature
- Rolf Blancke: Color Atlas of Exotic Fruits (fruits and vegetables of the tropics and subtropics). Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-8001-3520-5 .
