Marked by its bright pink skin and green scales, dragon fruit is a beautiful and delicious exotic fruit that offers a variety of health benefits.
It's not only popular among fruit lovers but also among health enthusiasts.
Trust us; the nutritional value of this fruit is so high that you wouldn't be wrong to call it a superfood.
But what does dragon fruit taste like?
This is a question that we get a lot, and rightfully so.
After all, the dragon fruit's appearance is quite unique and can be off-putting to some people.
So, let's get into it and explore the taste of this amazing fruit.
What is Dragon Fruit?
Dragon fruit is a tropical fruit native to Central and South America.
The fruit is oval in shape and has bright pink or red skin with green scales.
The flesh of the fruit is white or pink and contains small black seeds.
Why the name "dragon" fruit? Well, the dragon fruit gets its name from its appearance.
The scales on the fruit's skin resemble those of a dragon, while the spikes look like fire, hence the name.
Now comes the interesting part. Though it's considered a fruit in culinary use, dragon fruit is actually classified as a cactus.
In other words, dragon fruit is the "fruit" of a variety of cactus plants in the Cactaceae family.
The fruit comes in four varieties:
- Three varieties are pink-skinned (one with red flesh, another with purple flesh, and the third with white flesh).
- Yellow-skinned variety with white flesh.
Depending on its variety and place of origin, the flavor and the price of dragon fruits may vary.
And of course, given their taste and health benefits, these dragon-looking fruits are quite expensive.
What Does Dragon Fruit Taste Like?
Dragon fruit is an acquired taste. So, not everyone is a fan.
Most people compare the flavor of dragon fruit to other fruits, such as kiwis, strawberries, and watermelons.
It's also often described as a cross between a kiwi and a pear.
You may also come across this fruit under different names such as pitahaya, pitaya, or strawberry pear.
As aforementioned, the flavor of the fruit will largely depend on its variety.
For example, the pink-skinned, white-fleshed fruits are the least sweet in flavor, though the most common variety.
These are also sold under names like Thomson, Harpua, Vietnamese Jaina, Alice, Seoul Kitchen, etc.
The pink-flesh variety tends to be bigger and sweeter than the former.
Finally, the yellow-skinned variety is the sweetest tasting and smallest dragon fruit out there.
This variety is quite rare and is mostly grown in South America.
Of course, there's also the purple-flesh variety, a.k.a American Beauty, which tastes similar to pink-flesh varieties.
The only difference is that the former tends to contain higher levels of betalain pigment, which gives its deep purple color.
As said before, dragon fruits are also rich in nutrients and offer various health benefits.
The fruit is rich in Vitamin C, fiber, and magnesium and low in calories.
Besides, dragon fruit is also a good source of other antioxidants, minerals, phytonutrients, and vitamins and contains probiotics and healthy fatty acids.
How to Eat and Serve Dragon Fruit?
Never eaten a dragon fruit before? Just slice it in half and enjoy the fresh, juicy flesh inside.
You can also scoop the flesh and add it to fruit salads, smoothies, or desserts.
It couldn't get easier than this.
If you're a kitchen newbie, we do understand you may not be comfortable with cutting up a dragon fruit.
No problem.
Here's how you can eat it without having to cut it:
- Use a fork to pierce the dragon fruit skin all around.
- Gently twist the two halves of the fruit apart.
- Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh and enjoy.
Want to get creative? Here are some fun and easy ways to serve dragon fruit:
- Make a dragon fruit salad by mixing diced dragon fruit with other fruits like mangoes, strawberries, kiwis, etc.
- Add dragon fruit slices to your morning oats or cereal.
- Make a dragon fruit smoothie blending dragon fruit with milk, yogurt, honey, and ice.
- Use dragon fruit to top off a healthy acai bowl or pancakes.
- Make some jam or sorbet.
Final Thought
If you're still here reading, we hope you now know everything there is to know about dragon fruit, from its appearance and taste to its many health benefits.
If you're completely new to the fruit, you may get overwhelmed the first time you try a dragon fruit.
Who knows.
You may not even like its taste at first.
However, do try to add this super fruit into your diet as it has so much to offer.
After all, you'll never know until you try.
