Kerala - Kollam   

Now, indulge in dragon fruit

Exotic: Dragon fruits on sale in Kollam.

KOLLAM: The name hints at oriental connections, but the dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus) is a round, red sweet pitaya native to Mexico and South America.

The beautiful fruit has now made its debut in the Kollam market and seems to be steadily gaining acceptance.

In Kollam, the dragon fruit comes from Thailand via Bangalore and is priced at Rs.420 a kg.

It was French settlers who introduced dragon fruit cultivation in Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and the Phillippines, apart from Thailand, in the 19th century.

Dragon fruit is scaly, with a pink hue and weighs nearly 400 g. It tastes best when eaten chilled. The fruit is from a climbing cactus that flowers at night. Cross pollination the same night leads to the fruit.

In the natural environment, they are pollinated by moths and bats but in plantations of Southeast Asia, artificial pollination is resorted to.

It is the pulpy core that is eaten. The white flesh is flecked with black mustard-like seeds that can also be eaten. The fruit is also called strawberry pear and belle of the night. It is also used for garnishing salads, making wine and juice.

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