Pic Today 9/26/12

TROPICAL DRAGONS

IN RED AND YELLOW

When I first tried a pitaya fruit

(at the market, while living in Colombia),

I fell in love with its sweet, exotic flavor,

its meaty texture and crunchy seeds.

This bright yellow fruit grows on cactus

and is an excellent digestive aid.

(But "don't eat too much", I was warned,

"too many seeds can be toxic.")

So I ate one a day, and never had a digestive problem.

My trail snacks, before hiking anywhere,

were always the same . . .

pitaya, passion fruit and dark chocolate!

It seems pitaya and dragon fruit, its look-alike

red cousin, are "one and the same."

Red dragon fruits, marketed in the U.S.,

are actually less sweet than the yellow Colombian pitaya,

and suffer from the delay and refrigeration

of mass market distribution.

If you ever have the chance to try either one,

enjoy it fresh, at room temperature.

Just slice it in half, and eat by the spoonful.

But not too much . . .