Pitahaya - he althy and tasty fruit

Pitahaya - he althy and tasty fruit
Pitahaya - he althy and tasty fruit
Anonim

Exotic fruits are getting more and more popular these days. One of them is pitahaya. The fruit (you can see the photo below) is also called prickly pear, pitaya and dragon heart. Pitahaya is native to America. It is believed that the Aztecs were the first people to use the plant. And it was around the thirteenth century.

pitahaya fruit
pitahaya fruit

As a rule, the pulp of the so-called dragon heart was eaten raw. Aromatic spices were made from its ground and pre-roasted seeds.

Pitahaya is a fruit that is the fruit of a tree-like or liana-like cactus. The plant is very unpretentious and can grow even in arid regions of the tropics. Currently, pitahaya is actively cultivated in Mexico and Vietnam, China and Thailand, Japan and the Philippines, as well as Hawaii. The yield of the plant exceeds all expectations. More than thirty tons of exotic fruits are obtained from one hectare.

Pitahaya is a low-calorie fruit. One hundred grams of fresh pulp accounts for no more than forty kcal. Inside the fruit is a white core. It contains many small seeds, similar topoppy seeds. The flesh of the fruit comes off the skin easily. There are many varieties of pitahaya. In addition to the raspberry fruit with white pulp, there is also its Costa Rican relative. His skin is red. The same color and flesh. There is also a yellow pitahaya. The fruit of this species is distinguished by the same yellow color of the core and surface.

pitahaya fruit photo
pitahaya fruit photo

The average fruit weight is 200-250 gr. Sometimes there are specimens weighing more than a kilogram. How do they eat pitahaya? In a very simple way. The fruit is pre-cooled, and then cut into slices or small slices. The pulp from these pieces is eaten with a teaspoon.

However, pitahaya is a fruit that can be consumed not only fresh. Residents of Guatemala, Colombia and Nicaragua use its juice in the production of ice cream and sweets, sherbets and yogurts. It is also good for refreshing fresh juices. Pitahaya pulp is often used to make sauces, jams and marmalade. And Mexican farmers make alcoholic drinks from it. Even the flowers of a tropical plant are used in cooking.

how to eat pitahaya
how to eat pitahaya

They make very fragrant tea. Not so long ago, prickly pear was used in cosmetology.

Tropical fruit pulp is used in a variety of body and face masks, lotions, serums, scrubs and creams. At the same time, pitahaya extract serves not only as a fragrance. It is also used as a vitamin and mineral raw material. And this is no coincidence. Pitahaya contains ascorbic acid and thiamine,riboflavin and niacin. The fruit is rich in iron and potassium, calcium and phosphorus.

The use of a tropical fruit is indicated for people who have disruptions in the endocrine system. These include diabetics. Eating a healing fruit helps to heal stomach ulcers. Pitahaya pulp is recommended to be included in the menu while traveling and traveling to tropical countries. An amazing fruit in the shortest possible time will regulate the digestive process, which can be disturbed by changing climatic conditions. The benefits of pitahaya are also great for diseases of the vessels and the heart.

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