Pitaya and dragon fruit, are they the same thing?
Il dragon fruit, also known as pitaya or pitahaya, is a fruit that comes from a plant of the family of Cactaceae, little known in our latitudes but which, in some ways, is close to prickly pear.
Different names therefore, originating from translations and linguistic transpositions, for indicate the same thing, the same fruit.
In fact, in China, where the pitaya was introduced immediately after its discovery, the legend circulated that it was really a dragon egg, from which "dragon fruit", or that it was produced by the solidification of dragon fire, a kind of "fireball".
Pitaya, a "fat palm"
Typical of Central America and countries such as Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Guatemala, the pitaya plant is truly spectacular: a kind of palm, whose fat and drooping "branches" can also reach 12 meters in length and, at the end of which we find the precious reddish, purple or yellow fruits, depending on the variety.
The fruits, more or less the size of an egg, have one inside sweet and fragrant pulp (white or purple), soft and full of small black seeds, also edible and much smaller than those of passion fruit or prickly pear.
Much appreciated in the East, dragon fruit has also been successfully imported to Vietnam and Thailand. Let's get to know him better.
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What are the properties of the pitaya
Different varieties therefore, for equally similar properties: the pitaya is an exotic fruit rich in vitamin C, vitamin B1, carotene, proteins, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and fiber. Its small seeds are rich in fatty acids and vitamin E.
Among the properties that make the pitaya a superfood appreciated and sought after, there are just those antioxidants, essential to slow down the cellular aging process and emollients, excellent for regulating and helping lazy intestines.
Do not miss anti-stress, regenerating and anti-inflammatory properties.
The taste varies slightly, the yellow one being more delicate and insipid than that red and purple, sweeter and more succulent, with a flavor that is close to that of watermelon.
Pitaya antioxidant superfood
Rich in minerals, the pitaya really is low in calories, therefore excellent in sports diets, regenerating and slimming.
Considered a superfood since the pre-Columbian and Central American peoples, pitaya is one of the new superfoods in circulation, so that attempts are being made to plant and cultivate it also in Europe and in the country, a Latina .
If by any chance you live in an arid area and you want to try it too, here are some tips for growing pitaya.
The pitaya, in addition to invigorating and strengthening the body, is a fruit that helps counteract stress and the negative action of free radicals.
Friend of the digestive process, pitaya helps facilitate digestion and the expulsion of waste from the body.
According to recent studies, the pitaya helps strengthen the organism, strengthening the immune system, regulating blood pressure and fortifying bones and teeth. (Food Fact).
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Foto: Alexander Podshivalov / 123rf.com
