dragon fruit
if recently u hv gone to the wet market/ hypermarket/ supermarket for grocery shopping, then you will notice that it is now the dragon fruit season..... i love eating this fruit... DO YOU???

i love using the dragon fruit with red flesh when i make konnyaku jelly as it will give a nice natural coloring (some sort of ribena color).....

and so here i am now, searching online for some info about this fruit.... one
of my fav fruit actually....

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The pitaya (also known as pitahaya, dragon fruit, huǒ lóng guǒ (火龍果/火龙果), strawberry pear, nanettikafruit, or thanh long) is the fruit of several cactus species, especially of the genus Hylocereus, but also see Stenocereus. Native to Mexico and Central and South America, these vine-like epiphytic cacti are also cultivated in Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam and Malaysia. They are also found in Taiwan, Okinawa, Israel, and southern China. The pitaya only flowers at night; they are large white flowers that are often called Moonflower or Queen of the Night.

The species Stenocereus gummosus in the Sonoran desert has been an important food source for Native American peoples. The Seri people of northwestern Mexico still harvest the highly appreciated fruit of the pitaya agria (Spanish), which the Seris call ziix is ccapxl "thing whose fruit is sour".

The name of the fruit was later changed to dragon fruit to boost sales. It made a significant difference in the marketability of the fruit

Nutritional claims

The red flesh variety is believed to be rich in antioxidants.
The pitaya fruit is rich in vitamins.
The pitaya fruit helps the digestive process.
The pitaya fruit helps prevent colon cancer and diabetes.
The pitaya fruit helps to neutralize toxic substances such as heavy metal, reduce cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.
Consumed regularly the pitaya fruit can help against asthma and cough.

Dragonfruit is rich in fiber, Vitamin C and minerals. The typical nutritional value per 100g of dragonfruit is as follows:

Ashes 0.68g
Fat 0.61g
Fiber 0.9g
Phosphorus 36.1mg
Carotene 0.012g
Protein 0.229g
Water 83.0g
Calcium 8.8mg
Iron 0.65mg
Riboflavin 0.045mg
Niacin 0.430mg
Ascorbic Acid 9.0mg

Dragonfruit is also rich in phytoalbumins which are highly valued for their antioxidant properties. Antioxidants prevent the formation of cancer-causing free radicals. In Taiwan, diabetics use the fruit as a food substitute for rice and as a source of dietary fiber.