What is Dragon Fruit?

Dragon fruit (or pitaya) is a delicious tropical fruit native to Mexico and Central America. Its taste profile is like a combination of a kiwi and a pear.

From the genus Hylocereus, there are various species of the edible fruit that grows on night flowering cactus. They are harvested in warm and humid climates like Mexico, South America, Central America, South East Asia, the Caribbean, and parts of the United States like Florida.

You can find them at specialty grocery stores and Asian and Latin markets. They are great for making a dragon fruit smoothie as they have a mild, sweet taste with a little tartness, letting the tropical taste dominate. When you take a bite, the pulp has a similar texture to kiwi and pear, especially the crunchy black seeds.

Types of dragon fruit

There are four common culinary plants of dragon fruit or pitaya that you can purchase. Depending on the cultivar, you most often see the bright pink-skinned varieties, which is difficult to tell the flesh color without opening it up, and yellow-skinned dragon fruit is rarer.

Hylocereus undatus

Magenta skin, green leaves, white flesh, and small black seeds. Commonly grown in South East Asia, Central America, and Mexico, easiest to find in markets. 

Hylocereus polyrhizus

Magenta skin, green leaves, reddish-pink flesh, and small black seeds, larger in size than Hylocereus undatus species. High in antioxidants due to its red pigment in the pulp. Most often grown in South America, more expensive, most commonly found in the freezer section. 

Hylocereus guatemalensis

Magenta skin, green leaves, purple flesh, and small black seeds. From Central America, grows large with sweet flesh.

Hylocereus megalanthus

Also known as Selenicereus megalanthus. Yellow skin, white flesh, and small black seeds. Native to South America, which grows smaller in size, sweetest taste and smaller in size,  and is harder to find in stores.

Selection

The fruit’s peak season is in the summer months until early fall. Since they are grown around the world, there’s a good chance you can find them year-round. When selecting a dragon fruit, look for vibrant colored skin and leaves, with even pigmentation.

When lightly squeezed, dragon fruit should be firm but not hard and have a slight give. Any brown spots, dried stems, and leaves, or soft spots are signs of being too ripe. Dragon fruit’s skin is very thin, making it relatively easy to open. Here’s how to cut dragon fruit.