Also known as the Dragon Fruit, the Pitaya is a stunningly beautiful fruit with an intense color and shape, magnificent flowers and a delicious taste.

Pitaya fruits sometimes form at the tip of this vining cactus, producing a dragon-like appearance.

Tips

To choose a ripe dragon fruit: look for bright, even-colored skin. If the fruit has a lot of blotches, it may be over-ripe (a few is normal). Another sign of over-ripe dragon fruit is a very dry, brittle brown stem, or brown on the tips of the “leaves”. Hold the dragon fruit in your palm and try pressing the skin with your thumb or fingers – it should give a little (like a ripe kiwifruit), but shouldn’t be too soft or mushy. If it’s very firm, it will need to ripen for a few days.

Ripe dragon fruit can be cut in half, length wise, and the firm crisp flesh scooped out directly with a spoon. You can also pop them out of the skin and cut into cubes before serving. Enjoy!