7 Things About Dragon Fruit, Is Pitaya a Superfruit?

Most people want to know certain things about dragon fruit. First, what exactly is it?

As the name implies it is a fruit variety, also called pitaya, that comes from an equally interesting night-blooming plant in the cactus family.

Growing on downward-flowing branched tips, the ripe juicy flesh gives it a hefty feel. An average fruit can weigh about a pound or more.

Dragon fruit is believed to be native to Southern Mexico and regions of Central America, like Costa Rica, but it grows well in many dry subtropical and tropical climates around the world.

It is widely cultivated in regions of Vietnam, China, Thailand and Indonesia which are the top four leading producers in the global market.

Outside of its local habitat, it is a popular imported fruit often next to others in the tropical fruit section of many major supermarkets and health food stores.

A rather curious-looking fruit that, at first glance, doesn't look like something you would actually consume but more like something out of a fairy tale or Dr Seuss book.

The term "dragon" comes from the spiky scales on the leather-like exterior skin which somewhat resemble the scales of the mythological creature known as a dragon. They are usually long pointed and bright green when fresh but can dry up after harvest.

The common English name "dragon fruit" however was only adopted in 1963, before that it was mostly referred to as "pitaya" or "pitahaya".

Incidentally, is not related to the tropical longan berry species which is called "dragon-eyed" fruit.

There are basically three common types of dragon fruit all coming from the genus Selenicereus (or Hylocereus).

1) Pink Fruit with White Flesh (Pitaya Blanca) - Selenicereus undatus

2) Pink Fruit with Red Flesh  (Pitaya Rojo) - Selenicereus costaricensis or Hylocereus polyrhizus

3) Yellow Fruit with White Flesh (Pitaya Amarilla) - Selenicereus megalanthus

By far the most popular is the white and red variety which both have the classic fuchsia pink skin. Far less common, is the smaller yellow type which has bigger seeds and sometimes a very different exterior texture. You might even think it's a kiwano melon until you slice it open.

Outside of its local growing region, the red variety with its bright vibrant magenta flesh is typically found as a freeze-dried powder often marketed on the list of superfruits for the reason we will shortly discuss.

The weighty and plump dragon fruit has a very juicy flesh interior dotted with black seeds that make it a popular choice for adventurous fruit eaters.

But looking at the dramatic flashy appearance of the fruit itself, you might think that it has a very strong flavor. No, it does not.

We personally found the white-fleshed varieties underwhelming as far as taste. Perhaps in other countries when ripe harvested they may have a better flavor.

However, when we taste-tested imported white dragon fruit at two different markets in the U.S., it had a neutral, bland and pretty much flavorless taste profile. It would be a stretch to even say it was subtly sweet or slightly sour like often described online. It isn't either in our opinion.

The freeze-dried red dragon fruit powder on the other hand did have a mild sweetness.

Texture-wise, dragon fruit is a bit like a cross between a pear and a kiwi fruit with a crunch coming from the tiny seeds present throughout the flesh.

To us, they closely resemble the red or yellow fruits of the prickly pear cactus which also have a rather bland flavor. Although prickly pear has a skin with bristly hairs, the inside flesh tastes very similar to red dragon fruit.

If you've ever wondered how to eat dragon fruit, we'll discuss more about that below.

Although the common white dragon fruit might "look like" some kind of highly nutritious fruit variety, it is not.

Because it has a mysterious theatrical way about it, it's easy to market as a healthier nutrient-dense superfood. But you can't always judge a superfruit by its cover.

The white-fleshed dragon fruit has one thing going for it and that is FIBER. While the taste may be neutral, it can be added to blended smoothies or shakes with other more delicious ingredients to provide for one's dietary fiber intake.

The other benefit of dragon fruit is that is contains prebiotic gut-friendly OLIGOSACCHARIDES, which can support digestion as well as a healthy microbiome. This was identified in 2023 research.

Such fruits can be good digestive helpers for say someone on a low-sugar keto diet.

Next to more mundane common fruits, red or white dragon fruit can provide a slightly more interesting-looking snack for exploratory fruit lovers.

The red dragon fruit is also full of fiber, but we would say is closer to that of a superfruit because of its higher amount of ANTIOXIDANT flavonoid plant pigments and VITAMIN C content.

This variety is often available as a brightly pigmented fuchsia-colored freeze-dried powder, sometimes marketed as pitaya powder.

Like beetroot, it contains BETALAINS, specifically the reddish to violet BETACYANINS. These are compounds similar to anthocyanins found in many other superfoods.

In one study, betalain-rich dragon fruit was found to improve vascular function in males and females.

Red dragon fruit is often found as an ingredient in commercial superfood products and drinks. Likewise, it is also useful as a natural food coloring similar to blue spirulina or beetroot juice powder.

To a newbie, dragon fruit might seem a bit intimidating. How the heck do you eat it?

The skin, since it is tough and largely inedible, is most always removed before consumption. But luckily it easily peels off with a knife or even your fingers to reveal the juicy center flesh.

The sliced and peeled fruit can then be cubed and added to recipe creations for an extra special look or used in a fruit salad blend with other more tasty varieties like blueberries, mango, pineapple or banana.

Another way to eat dragon fruit is to cut it in half and simply scoop it out of the skin. But again, the white-fleshed isn't one of our favorites to eat straight because of its bland taste.

Fresh dragon fruit is somewhat versatile, adding fiber to anything its incorporated into. It is not a fruit, however, that is normally cooked.

Again, red pitaya freeze-dried powder can be a great one to have in your dietary arsenal of antioxidant-rich superfoods.

It's convenient and easy to use in chia puddings, agua fresca, mocktails, smoothie bowls, pink lemonade and protein shakes, adding a vibrant pink hue.