Dragon fruit is blessed with several vitamins, especially vitamins B and C. It is also found to be rich in fiber. Not only the health benefits it offers, the red colored skin and sweet flesh are added attractions to consume this fruit. There are many ways to eat it.
It is a commonly available fruit in Asia; however, if you live in Europe or the US, you might have to visit the Asian markets in your town to buy the dragon fruit. Ensure to select ripe fruits, as this fruit tastes its best only when ripe. The most common way to eat this fruit is to cut it into half and use a spoon to remove its flesh.
The fruit tastes best when it is refrigerated. So make it a point to consume it cold. Its skin however is not eaten. Now, read to know 3 best ways to eat dragon fruit.
1. Smoothies
The dragon fruit smoothie tastes good if mixed with berries or bananas. After taking out the flesh of dragon fruit, blend it with banana (sliced into tiny cubes). As a base for the smoothie, you may choose either yoghurt or milk (soy milk or nut milk). The commonly used base is the skimmed milk; among nut milks, the popular choices include cashew or almond milk.
You can add flourish to the smoothie by mixing honey as well as cider or butter (either almond or peanut butter). If you choose to use berries, blueberries go well with this mix. Now, blend all the above items using a blender. You may dilute it with more juice or water if your smoothie has turned out to be thick; on the contrary, if the dragon fruit smoothie needs more thickening, you may add more yoghurt or butter. You can either use a spoon (if the smoothie is thick) or a straw if it is not so thick.
2. Sorbet
Pulse your blender after adding the flesh of dragon fruit mixed with sugar, needful quantity of water and lemon juice. The blender is pulsed till the mix becomes smooth. Use an ice cream freezer and pour the mix into it. Allow it to freeze overnight. When you open your freezer, you will find the blend has turned solid. Cut the solidified sorbet into several portions. It is served with pastry or cakes for enhanced taste.
If you do not have an ice cream freezer, you can pour the blended mixture into a dish, cover it with a plastic top and keep it in your freezer. Stir the mix every two hours for about eight hours. Then, let the dragon fruit sorbet freeze overnight.
3. Kebabs
A few wooden skewers are conditioned by soaking them in water for 8 minutes. If you have metal skewers, you can skip this step. Wooden skewers are soaked to avoid them getting charred while grilling. Use your grill –either electric or charcoal fired – at medium to high, even heat to make the dragon fruit kebab. Thread the sliced dragon fruit pieces onto the skewers. The kebab tastes well if skewered with other fruits. Commonly skewered fruits include pineapple and mango. Ensure to peel these fruits and cut them to the same size as dragon fruit cubes. Regardless of the fruits used, make sure to cut them into chunks that are easy to bite and chew.
Place the skewered fruits (kebabs) on your grill. Let them become brown on the side facing the grill; once the color becomes brown, turn the skewers for the other side to also get cooked.
If you are using an oven, use a baking cover or sheet and place them inside your oven. Let them be cooked for couple of minutes; then, turn them and have them cooked for couple more minutes.
Once the skewers are taken off the grill or the oven, they are ready to be eaten. Sugar is sprinkled to enhance the taste of dragon fruit kebabs.
In sum, selecting a ripe fruit is crucial to have the best possible taste. You are advised to avoid unripe dragon fruit. You are also advised to know how to choose the ripe fruit. Gently apply some pressure on the fruit and if it yields a bit, then it is the right type of fruit. In other words, it is ripe enough for use. On the other hand, if it yields a lot and is very soft, it indicates that the fruit is ripened way too much. It is recommended not to use such fruits.
Also, if the fruit is hard, then it means it will take some more days for it to become ripe. While choosing dragon fruit, it is also recommended not to select those with brown spots on them or those with dry spines or bruises.
Education: Master’s in Nursing (MSN) from Johns Hopkins University. Experience: 7 years writing for online health portals and nursing journals, specializing in patient education and chronic illness management.
