Dragon fruit (Hylocereus) is also known as a pitaya and is a tropical plant that produces edible fruit. This is a fruit that is often seen in health food stores and it originates from several different places. Dragon fruit is used for food and medicine. Dragon fruit tastes wonderful! It’s sweet and crunchy, with a flavor similar to a kiwi and pear combination. It features a mouth-watering light sweet taste, an intense shape, and color, and the flower is striking and very fragrant. In addition to being tasty and refreshing, this beautiful fruit boasts a lot of water and other vital minerals with varied nutritional ingredients.

There are two different species, Hylocereus Undatus which has white flesh, and Hylocereus Polyrhizus which has red flesh. The flesh of the red dragon fruit is sweeter than white flesh varieties and has a beautiful vibrant red to purple color.

As with other fruits, you can keep these out at room temperature for several days so long as they’re uncut. Once cut, you should eat your dragon fruit immediately or store it in the fridge for a day or so until it begins to brown. If you’d like to slow the ripening of uncut dragon fruit, place it in a plastic bag and store it in the fridge. They’re prone to absorb flavors and odors from other foods, so the baggie will help prevent this.

Here are the nutrition facts for a serving of 3.5 ounces, or 100 grams (1Trusted Source):

Calories: 60
Protein: 1.2 grams
Fat: 0 grams
Carbs: 13 grams
Fiber: 3 grams
Vitamin C: 3% of the RDI
Iron: 4% of the RDI
Magnesium: 10% of the RDI

The dragon fruit is best eaten by cutting the fruit in half and scooping the flesh out. Dragon fruits are deliciously chilled and can be served in fruit juices, fruit salads, smoothie, or made into jam. You can slice the dragon fruit, blend dragon fruit in a smoothie, eat dragon fruit with lemon or lime, and add dragon fruit to a fresh fruit salad. They can also be juiced and added to alcohol to make a very delicious tropical drink! Here are 3 delicious ways:

Take the dragon fruit and cut it into half. Then using a spoon, scoop out the flesh and enjoy it fresh or you can even drizzle it with a little honey and have it as a mid-meal treat. The outer skin is inedible though, so avoid it.

All you need to do is peel the scaly outer layer and then slice the inner flesh as per your liking. You can toss the pieces with other fruit slices to make a refreshing fruit salad. Or add it into your bowl of muesli containing bananas, nuts, and seeds.

Once you have peeled the fruit, you can use the flesh to make breakfast smoothies and refreshing juices at home. Dragon fruit has a subtly sweet flavor which can be teamed with a whole range of ingredients, especially kiwi, pineapple, banana, strawberries, and oranges.

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