Pitaya

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Hylocereus undatus pitayas at a market stall in Taiwan.

A pitaya (pronounced /pɨˈtaɪə/) or pitahaya (/ˌpɪtəˈhaɪə/) is the fruit of several cactus species, most importantly of the genus Hylocereus (sweet pitayas). These fruit are commonly known as dragon fruit – cf. Chinese huǒ lóng guǒ 火龍果/火龙果 "fire dragon fruit" and lóng zhū guǒ "dragon pearl fruit", or Vietnamese thanh long (green dragon). Other vernacular names are strawberry pear or nanettikafruit.

Native to Mexico and Central and South America, the vine-like epiphytic Hylocereus cacti are also cultivated in Southeast Asian countries such as Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. They are also found in Okinawa, Hawaiʻi, Israel, northern Australia and southern China. Hylocereus blooms only at night; the large white fragrant flowers of the typical cactusflower shape are among those called "moonflower" or "Queen of the Night". Sweet pitayas have a creamy pulp and a delicate aroma.

If not otherwise stated, this article's content refers specifically to the pitayas of Hylocereus species, or "dragon fruit".

Stenocereus queretaroensis pitaya prepared for eating

Contents

[edit] Varieties

Stenocereus fruit (sour pitayas) are of more local importance, being commonly eaten in the arid regions of the Americas. They are sourer and more refreshing, with juicier flesh and a stronger taste, and are relished by hikers. The common Sour Pitaya or pitaya agria (S. gummosus)[1] 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[2], and call the plant ziix is ccapxl – "thing whose fruit is sour". The fruit of related species, such as S. queretaroensis and Dagger Cactus (S. griseus)[3], are also locally important food. Somewhat confusingly, the Organ Pipe Cactus (S. thurberi) fruit (called ool by the Seris) is the pitahaya dulce ("sweet pitahaya") of its native lands, as dragon fruit are not grown there in numbers. It still has a more tart aroma than Hylocereus fruit, described as somewhat reminiscent of watermelon; it has some uses in folk medicine.

Fruits of some other columnar cacti (mainly Cereeae) are also called "pitayas" – for example those of the Peruvian Apple Cactus (Cereus repandus).

[edit] Cultivation

Pitaya being grown commercially in southern Vietnam

Hylocereus has adapted to live in dry tropical climates with a moderate amount of rain. The dragon fruit sets on the cactus-like trees 30-50 days after flowering and can sometimes have 5-6 cycles of harvests per year. There are some farms in Vietnam that produce 30 tons of fruit per hectare every year.[4]

[edit] Pests and diseases

Overwatering or excessive rainfall can cause the flowers to drop and fruit to rot. Birds can be a nuisance. The bacterium Xanthomonas campestris causes the stems to rot. Dothiorella fungi can cause brown spots on the fruit, but this is not common.

[edit] Fruit

Ripe dragon fruits, Vietnam

Sweet pitayas come in three types, all with leathery, slightly leafy skin:

  • Hylocereus undatus (Red Pitaya) has red-skinned fruit with white flesh. This is the most commonly-seen "dragon fruit".
  • Hylocereus costaricensis (Costa Rica Pitaya, often called H. polyrhizus) has red-skinned fruit with red flesh
  • Hylocereus megalanthus (Yellow Pitaya, formerly in Selenicereus) has yellow-skinned fruit with white flesh.

Early imports from Colombia to Australia were designated Hylocereus ocampensis (supposedly red fruit) and Cereus triangularis (supposedly yellow fruit)[5]. It is not quite certain to which species these taxa refer to, though the latter is probably the Red Pitaya.

The fruit can weigh from 150-600 grams; some may reach one kilogram[6]. The flesh, which is eaten raw, is mildly sweet and low in calories. Few people find its taste offensive; some may consider it bland. It is generally recommended that dragon fruit be eaten chilled, for improved flavor; dragon fruit should not be used to accompany strong-tasting food – except to "clean the palate" between dishes. The fruit is also converted into juice or wine, or used to flavor other beverages. The flowers can be eaten or steeped as tea.

To prepare a pitaya for consumption, cut the fruit vertically into two halves. From here, either cut the halves into watermelon-like slices, or scoop out the two white fleshy halves with a tablespoon[6]. Eating the fruit is sometimes likened to that of the kiwifruit due to a prevalence of sesame seed-sized black crunchy seeds found in the flesh of both fruits which make for a similar texture upon consumption. Although the tiny pitaya seeds are eaten with the flesh, have a nutty taste and are rich in valuable lipids[7], they are indigestible unless chewed. The skin is not eaten, and in farm-grown fruit it may be polluted with pesticides.

Ingestion of significant amounts of red-fleshed dragon fruit (such as Costa Rica Pitaya) may result in pseudohematuria, a harmless reddish discoloration of the urine and faeces.[8]

Red Pitaya (Hylocereus undatus)

Red Pitayas for sale in Poland

Red Pitaya, cut open

Another opened Red Pitaya

Costa Rica Pitaya (Hylocereus costaricensis)

Flesh of Costa Rica Pitayas

Costa Rica Pitaya flower

Yellow Pitaya (Hylocereus megalanthus)

[edit] Nutritional information

Dragon fruit served at a hotel in Xi'an
Red Pitaya, ready to eat

The typical nutritional values per 100 g of raw pitaya (of which 55 g are edible) are as follows:

  • Water 80-90 g
  • Carbohydrates 9-14 g
  • Protein 0.15-0.5 g
  • Fat 0.1-0.6 g
  • Fiber 0.3-0.9 g
  • Ash 0.4-0.7 g
  • Calories: 35-50

They may change subject to cultivation conditions.

The fatty acid compositions of two pitaya seed oils were determined as follows:[7]

"Hylocereus polyrhizus" (probably Costa Rica Pitaya) Hylocereus undatus (Red Pitaya)
Myristic acid 0.2% 0.3%
Palmitic acid 17.9% 17.1%
Stearic acid 5.49% 4.37%
Palmitoleic acid 0.91% 0.61%
Oleic acid 21.6% 23.8%
Cis-vaccenic acid 3.14% 2.81%
Linoleic acid 49.6% 50.1%
Linolenic acid 1.21% 0.98%

[edit] See also

  • Opuntia, prickly pear cacti whose edible fruit are called "cactus figs"

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Lauri (2000)
  2. ^ Felger & Moser (1985)
  3. ^ Villalobos et al. (2007)
  4. ^ Jacobs (1999)
  5. ^ a b c GF [2008]
  6. ^ a b GG (2006)
  7. ^ a b c Ariffin et al. [2008]
  8. ^ MMR (2008)
  9. ^ a b AS [2008], GF [2008]
  10. ^ GG (2006), GF [2008]

[edit] References

  • Agricultura Sensitiva (AS) [2008]: El cultivo de Pitaya y su posicionamiento en el mercado. Retrieved 2008-JAN-19.
  • Ariffin, Abdul Azis; Bakar, Jamilah; Tan, Chin Ping; Rahman, Russly Abdul; Karim, Roselina & Loi, Chia Chun [2008]: Essential fatty acids of pitaya (dragon fruit) seed oil. Food Chemistry (in press) doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2008.09.108
  • Felger, Richard & Moser, Mary B. (1985): People of the desert and sea: ethnobotany of the Seri Indians. University of Arizona Press, Tucson
  • Gasing Fruits (GF) [2008]: Nutrition facts about Pitaya. Retrieved 2007-JUN-16
  • Greenhouse Girl (GG) (2006): Dragon Fruit. Version of 2006-JUL-17. Retrieved 2007-JUN-16.
  • Jacobs, Dimitri (1999): Pitaya (Hylocereus undatus), a Potential New Crop for Australia. Australian New Crops Newsletter 11: 16.3. HTML fulltext
  • Lauri, Bob (2000): Ocean Oasis Field Guide - Stenocereus gummosus. Retrieved 2007-OCT-01.
  • Malaysian Medical Resources (MMR) (2008): Pseudohaematuria due to Dragonfruit ingestion. Retrieved 2008-FEB-24.
  • Villalobos, Soraya; Vargas, Orlando & Melo, Sandra (2007): Uso, manejo y conservacion de "yosú", Stenocereus griseus (Cactaceae) en la Alta Guajira colombiana [Usage, Management and Conservation of yosú, Stenocereus griseus (Cactaceae), in the Upper Guajira, Colombia]. [Spanish with English abstract] Acta Biologica Colombiana 12(1): 99-112. PDF fulltext

[edit] External links

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