Exotic fruits are always of interest. I want to try something new and unusual. The fruits of pitahaya can be called one of the most exotic. They grow on a cactus, which refers to edible plants. They have a few more names: dragon fruit, prickly pear or pitaya. But in any case, this fruit is not found on all counters, so not many people know how to eat pitahaya.
The birthplace of these unusual fruits is the Western hemisphere of the Earth, or rather, the territory of the state of California. These fruits with such a diverse taste were used by the Indians of this area. They ate the pulp of pitahaya, and the seeds were fried, ground and cooked from them. The availability of fruits, taste and high yield made this fruit very popular.
Today, red, yellow, and orange pitahaya is grown on farms in Mexico, Nicaragua, Colombia, Vietnam, Guatemala, and Israel. This fruit may be of different sizes, colors, but all fruits have many black seeds. They can be eaten, or can be removed. Therefore, one must know how to eat pitahaya. To taste juicy and aromatic pulp, you should get rid of seeds.
Pitahaya fruits resemble a beautiful exotic flower and are covered in scales. It is recommended to eat, pre-cooled in the refrigerator.
Initially, the fetus should be cut into two halves. Inside there is a pulp, the color of which is from white to purple. Black grains resemble kiwi seeds. The peel of the fetus is also unsuitable for food, but it is easily cleaned.
How to eat pitahaya? You can use a spoon, eating the pulp from half the fruit. If this fruit is used to decorate or prepare other dishes, then another method is practiced. The peel of the fetus is incised along the entire surface and removed. Now the pulp can be cut into pieces.
There are several opinions regarding the consumption of seeds. Some argue that they must be removed. But this process is quite laborious. Other experts do not insist on removing seeds. Therefore, it depends only on personal preferences and the quality of the pitahaya fruits.
This fruit is widely used in cooking. Especially often it is used in the production of drinks, including alcohol. Juice is added to sweets, ice cream, yogurt, sorbet and some dairy products. From the pulp of pitahaya prepare sauces, jams and jellies.
A traditional summer drink, perfectly refreshing on a hot day, in Spain is a mixture of the juice of this fruit with lime or lemon juice.
According to medical research, pitahaya not only has excellent palatability. It is proven that it is very useful. Eating this fruit as a food helps get rid of stomach pain. In addition, it normalizes the metabolism, so it can be eaten by people suffering from diabetes mellitus and various diseases of the endocrine system.
Different varieties of pitahaya have different tastes. The yellow fruit is sweeter, unlike the red fruit. But each of them has its own unique taste and smell. The main thing is to know how to eat pitahaya.