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Le Pitaya
The pitaya or pitahaya (taïno "scaly fruit"), also known as "dragon fruit" (or dragon fruit, strawberry pear in English), is the fruit of different species of hemipiphytic cactus, especially those of the species Hylocereus undatus (formerly H. triangularis).
Flower:
Hylocereus undatus, or "turtle racket" or "Belle de nuit", is called in English night blooming cereus, that is to say "night flowering cereus". Indeed, this plant with triangular branches flowers at dusk and the big white flower with the sweet smell of vanilla is almost 30 cm in diameter but usually only one night. This was enough to make this species an ornamental plant.
This fruit plant has large leaves:
white with pink spots for Hylocereus undatus.
red dots for Hylocereus polyrhizus.
white with yellow dots for Selenicereus megalanthus.
Fruit:
Pitaya blood Hylocereus polyrhizus
White-fleshed Pitaya Selenicereus megalanthus
The pitaya measures about ten centimeters and weighs about 350 grams. Its flesh is edible and resembles by its texture and the presence of small black seeds to that of the kiwi, with a taste however much sweeter.
There are three kinds of fruits from as many distinct species, all of which are edible, low in calories, and have thick skin with small leaves:
Hylocereus undatus, white pulp and pink skin
Hylocereus polyrhizus, red pulp and pink skin
Selenicereus megalanthus, white pulp and yellow skin
Nutritional quality:
The pitaya has digestive virtues among others with regard to constipation, because the seeds of this fruit have a slight laxative effect.
100 grams of fruit contain only about 50 calories and the pitaya is rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and betacyanin (mainly the red flesh variety). The red pitaya (Hylocereus sp.) Has a low vitamin content (from 116 to 171 mg per gram of fresh pulp). However, the pulp is rich in antioxidants such as betacyanin (from 0.32 to 0.41 mg) and phenolic compounds: its ORAC index is 8.8 to 11.3 (antioxidant activity per g expressed in micromoles of Trolox equivalents) .
It also helps reduce uric acid levels in the blood and thus promotes the prevention of gout
The experience of eating a pitaya is close to that of the kiwi. We eat it raw. The seeds are the size of sesame seeds and are scattered in the pulp. They are therefore absorbed with the fruit. You can make juice or wine; the big flower of the pitaya is also edible and you can make tea.
Taste and aesthetic quality:
The attractive color of the fruit, even more than its nutritional qualities, make it an excellent marketing product. Indeed, the red pitaya has a slight taste4,5, compared to the yellow pitaya which is sweeter6. The blood pitaya is the most tasty of the three species, but it is a fruit that is hard to find in stores.
Production and consumption:
The pitaya has the advantage of requiring five to ten times less water than any other fruit crop, making it an interesting product to exploit in arid zones.
In 2010, the world's leading pitaya producers are Colombia and Mexico.
Originating in Mexico and extending as far as Central America, these virgin vines were imported to Vietnam by French settlers in the early nineteenth century. Initially, the fruits were reserved for the royal family and then for the local bourgeoisie. They then became Vietnam's first export and competed in price with Asia's star fruit, durian. They are now cultivated and appreciated throughout Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Taiwan) and the southeast coast of China. The bonsai version of the pitaya is common in Taiwan's flower markets.
In recent years, pitaya production has been growing in countries such as Vietnam, Israel (greenhouses because this cactaceae can not tolerate full sun), Guatemala, Australia or, as far as of the French Republic, on Reunion Island, Guadeloupe, Polynesia and New Caledonia. The only difficulty in producing this fruit lies in the fertilization of the flowers that were originally made by butterflies or bats from tropical forests. It is usually propagated rather by cutting.