Dragon fruit

What it is

Dragon fruit is a name shared by several cactus species and their crosses. The familiar white-fleshed kind, Selenicereus undatus, is oval to oblong and measures 6–12 cm (2.4–4.7 in) long. Its many tiny black seeds stay in each spoonful.

Across the different types, the peel can be red or yellow and the flesh white, red or magenta. Large scales jut from the skin; on red-skinned fruit, these start green and turn yellow as the fruit ripens.

Where it comes from

White-fleshed dragon fruit comes from Mexico and Central America, reaching south to Honduras. Today the crop grows across the tropics, including Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines, as well as the United States.

In India, dragon fruit began as a home-garden crop in the early 1990s. It now grows in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Gujarat, among other states.

How it's eaten where it grows

In Vietnam, dragon fruit goes into sinh tố, the fruit shakes made with condensed milk. A dragon fruit shake blends the flesh with crushed ice and the milk, then goes into a tall glass. Mango, avocado, jackfruit and papaya are other fruits used for sinh tố.

How it's grown

The plant climbs a sturdy trellis in tropical or subtropical warmth. Its many branching stems need strong supports: growers tie the young stems upright, then let the branches hang or spread sideways. It grows best in fertile soil that drains well.

New plants grow from pieces of stem. These cuttings can bear their first fruit just 6–9 months after planting.

When and where you'll find it

In Florida, white-fleshed dragon fruit usually ripens from June through November. Whole fruit also reaches shoppers from specialist fruit farms online: Good Hill Farms lists white, yellow and magenta types, along with a mixed box.

In Southeast Asia, markets offer another form: cut flesh in wrapped trays. The seeds are edible, so the dotted flesh can be eaten as it is or blended into a shake.