In the last week or so I’ve been craving fruit. I found the coolest one in Taiwan, the Dragon Fruit (Pitaya). It is as fascinating as a spiky pink dragon probably would be. Have you ever seen it?  I had occasionally overheard about Dragon Fruit here and there before coming to Taiwan, but it was always a lingering mystery. Apparently it’s grown in South East Asia, the Central and South Americas, and randomly Israel.

Behold!

Dragon Fruit is lush, seeded, slightly crunchy and perhaps the goddess of forbidden fruit deliciousness. It is not a strikingly strong taste–much like the flavor of kiwi but not as soft or tart. It can be scooped out of it’s pink outer shell or cut into pieces for snacking.

Here’s some other healthy info I found about it on the internet:

Vitamin C

1. Dragon fruit is a fabulous source of vitamin C, with just 100 grams of dried dragon fruit or one piece of fresh fruit fulfilling almost 50 percent of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration‘s recommended daily intake. Vitamin C is an important immune system support and can even help to shorten the duration and severity of the common cold.

Antioxidants

2. Dragon fruit is packed full of antioxidants, which work to protect the body’s cells from damage caused by free radicals that can speed aging and even form cancerous tissues.

Fiber

3. For those trying to increase their daily fiber intake, dragon fruit can be a sweet alternative. About half of a large dragon fruit, or 100 grams, can contain up to 1 gram of fiber, while each 100 grams of dried fruit can have more than 10 grams of fiber.

Fat and Cholesterol

4. Dragon fruit contains numerous tiny, edible seeds, which means it does have some fat. Because the black seeds are so small, removal from the pulpy flesh of the fruit is difficult and requires straining. The majority of fat found in dragon fruit is monounsaturated fat, which generally is considered a healthier form of fat. While many people working to lower cholesterol are concerned about seeds and nuts, dragon fruit can be added to a healthy diet without concern of affecting cholesterol levels.

For more,click here.