Dragon Fruit is the fruit of a pitahaya cactus, with leathery red, pink, or yellow skin studded with green scale-like bracts and red or white flesh with a bland taste.
Here is where to buy dragon fruit in South Africa
Dragon Fruit SA – South-Africa Pitaya
Address: 1 Milfoil Road With Wood Plank Gate IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE OFFICE, Pretoria, 0001
Phone: 082 856 9925
Where is dragon fruit grown in South Africa?
Dragon fruit is grown in the Natal Midlands and coastal regions of KwaZulu Natal, the Lowveld area from Nelspruit to Tzaneen, Eastern Cape, and in the Western Cape. The biggest new dragon fruit plantings in South Africa are around Dendron and Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province.
When can you buy dragon fruit?
When choosing a dragon fruit, look for a specimen with bright, evenly colored skin. If it has too many brown blotches, or if it has a dry, shriveled stem, it’s probably overripe. If the fruit is very firm, let it ripen a few days until the flesh gives slightly.
How do I grow dragon fruit?
Dragon fruit needs sun to produce fruit so plant it in a full sun spot or a place that gets at least 6 hours of sunlight a day. When situated indoors, make sure your plant is in a warm and sunny spot. Unlike most cactus, dragon fruit likes to have its soil on the slightly moist side.
What kind of ingredient is dragon fruit?
Dragon fruit contains the antioxidants vitamin C, beta-carotene, lycopene, and betalain. Studies have linked diets high in antioxidants to a reduced risk of chronic disease.
Health benefit in Dragon Fruit
The health benefits of dragon fruit are due to its antioxidant, antibacterial, and nutritional properties, helping to boost immunity, due to high levels of vitamin C, speed up metabolism and the digestive process.
Is dragon fruit poisonous to humans?
Dragon fruit skin is not poisonous, it can be eaten but it does have a distinct savory taste. Dragon fruit skin is regularly used in a stir fry in Indonesia, and nutrients are extracted from it to produce cosmetics and food additives. Quite in contrast to other people who have defended the fruit, I tend to agree.
Uses of dragon fruit
Usually the skin of the dragon fruit is red and the pulp is red or white. Dragon fruit is sometimes used as medicine. The fruit is also popular as a food.
Dragon fruit is used for diabetes, prediabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
Dragon fruit can be eaten raw or made into wine, juice, spreads, or desserts. The flowers are sometimes eaten as a vegetable or made into tea.
In manufacturing, the peel of the fruit is used as a food coloring and as a thickener.
How does it work ?
Dragon fruit contains chemicals that act as antioxidants. These compounds might help protect the body.