A pitaya ( /pɨˈtaɪ.ə/) or pitahaya (/ˌpɪtəˈhaɪ.ə/) is the fruit of several cactus species.

"Pitaya" usually
refers to fruit of the genus Stenocereus, while "Pitahaya" or "Dragonfruit" always refers to fruit of
the genus Hylocereus.

Contents

 1 Vernacular names of Hylocereus

 2 Distribution

 3 Pitaya Varieties

 4 Pitahaya Varieties

 5 Cultivation

o 5.1 Pests and diseases

 6 Consumption

o 6.1 Taste

o 6.2 Nutritional information

 7 Uses

 8 Gallery

 9 See also

 10 Footnotes

o 10.1 References

[edit]Vernacular names of Hylocereus

These fruits are commonly known as "dragon fruit" as in the Chinese huǒ lóng guǒ, "fire dragon
fruit", and lóng zhū guǒ, "dragon pearl fruit". The Vietnamese thanh long meaning "green dragon", the
Indonesian and Malaysian buah naga, the Lao mark mang gohn, and the Thai kaeo mangkonor
"dragon crystal". Other vernacular names are strawberry pear or nanettika fruit.

[edit]Distribution

The vine-like epiphytic pitahaya-producing cacti of the genus Hylocereus are native to Mexico, Central
America, and South America. Currently, they are also cultivated in East Asian andSoutheast
Asian countries such as Indonesia (especially in eastern Java), Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand,
the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and more recently Bangladesh.[1][2] They are also found
in Okinawa, Hawaii, Israel, Palestine, northern Australia, southern China[citation needed] and in Cyprus.

The fruit was probably introduced by Europeans who brought it from the New World.[3] In the case of
Taiwan, the fruit was brought in by the Dutch.[4]

Hylocereus blooms only at night; the large white fragrant flowers of the typical cactus flower shape
are among those called "moonflower" or "Queen of the Night". Sweet pitahayas have a creamy pulp
and a delicate aroma. It is also grown as an Ornamental plant, used in gardens as a
flowering vine and a house plant indoors.
Stenocereus queretaroensis pitaya prepared for eating

[edit]Pitaya Varieties

Selling dragon fruit juice in Thailand

Stenocereus fruit (sour pitayas) are a variety that is commonly eaten in the arid regions of the
Americas. They are more sour and refreshing, with juicier flesh and a stronger taste. The sour pitaya
or pitaya agria (S. gummosus)[5] in the Sonoran Desert has been an important food source for Native
Americans. The Seri people of northwestern Mexico still harvest the fruit,[6] and call the plant ziix is
ccapxl – "thing whose fruit is sour". The fruit of related species, such as S. queretaroensis and
the dagger cactus (S. griseus),[7] are also locally important food. The Organ Pipe Cactus (S. thurberi)
fruit (called ool by the Seris) is the pitaya dulce ("sweet pitaya"). It still has a more tart aroma
than Hylocereus fruit, described as somewhat reminiscent of watermelon; it has some uses in folk
medicine.

Fruits of some other columnar cacti (mainly Cereeae) are also called "pitayas" – for example those of
the Peruvian Apple Cactus (Cereus repandus), which are very rare.

[edit]Pitahaya Varieties
Ripe dragon fruits, Vietnam

Sweet pitahayas come in three types, all with leathery, slightly leafy skin:

 Hylocereus undatus (Pitahaya blanca or White-fleshed Pitahaya) has red-skinned fruit with white
flesh. This is the most commonly seen "dragon fruit".
 Hylocereus costaricensis (Pitahaya roja or Red-fleshed Pitahaya, also known as Hylocereus
polyrhizus) has red-skinned fruit with red flesh.
 Hylocereus megalanthus (Pitahaya amarilla or Yellow Pitahaya, also known as Selenicereus
megalanthus) has yellow-skinned fruit with white flesh.
Early imports from Colombia to Australia were designated Hylocereus ocampensis (supposedly red
fruit) and Cereus triangularis (supposedly yellow fruit). It is not quite certain to which species
these taxa refer, though the latter is probably the red pitahaya.

The fruit can weigh from 150 to 600 grams; some may reach one kilogram.

[edit]Cultivation

Pitahaya being grown commercially in southern Vietnam

Pitahaya seedling

Cereus peruvianus (Cereus repandus) Pitaya plants in Sde Nitzan (Israel)

After thorough cleaning of the seeds from the pulp of the fruit, the seeds may be stored when dried.
Ideally, the fruit must be unblemished and overripe. Seeds grow well in a compost or potting soil mix -
even as a potted indoor plant. Pitahaya cacti usually germinate between 11 and 14 days after shallow
planting. As they are cacti, overwatering is a concern for home growers. As their growth continues,
these climbing plants will find something to climb on, which can involve putting aerial roots down from
the branches in addition to the basal roots. Once the plant reaches a mature 10 pounds in weight, the
plant may flower.[clarification needed]

Pitahaya flowers bloom overnight and usually wilt by the morning. They rely on
nocturnal pollinators such as bats or moths for fertilization. Self-fertilization will not produce fruit in
some species, and while cross-breeding has resulted in several "Self-Fertile" varieties, cross-
polinating with a second plant species generally increases fruit set and quality. This limits the
capability of home growers to produce the fruit. However, the plants can flower between three and six
times in a year depending on growing conditions. Like other cacti, if a healthy piece of the stem is
broken off, it may take root in soil and become its own plant.

The plants can handle temperatures up to 40 °C (104 °F) and very short periods of frost, but will not
survive long exposure to freezing temperatures. The cacti thrive most in USDA zones 10-11, but may
survive outdoors in zone 9a or 9b.[8][9][10]
Hylocereus has adapted to live in dry tropical climates with a moderate amount of rain. The dragon
fruit sets on the cactus-like trees 30–50 days after flowering and can sometimes have 5-6 cycles of
harvests per year. There are some farms in Vietnam that produce 30 tons of fruit per hectare every
year.[11]

[edit]Pests and diseases

Overwatering or excessive rainfall can cause the flowers to drop and fruit to rot. Also, extended over-
watering can cause maturing fruit to split on the branch. Birds can be a nuisance.
The bacterium Xanthomonas campestris causes the stems to rot. Dothiorella fungi can cause brown
spots on the fruit, but this is not common.

[edit]Consumption

To prepare a pitaya for consumption, the fruit is cut open to expose the flesh. The fruit's texture is
sometimes likened to that of the kiwifruit because of its black, crunchy seeds. The flesh, which is
eaten raw, is mildly sweet and low in calories. The seeds are eaten together with the flesh, have a
nutty taste and are rich in lipids,[12] but they are indigestible unless chewed. The fruit is also converted
into juice or wine, or used to flavour other beverages. The flowers can be eaten or steeped as tea.
The skin is not eaten, and in farm-grown fruit it may be polluted with pesticides.[citation needed]

Ingestion of significant amounts of red-fleshed dragon fruit (such as Costa Rican Pitahaya) may result
in pseudohematuria, a harmless reddish coloration of the urine and faeces.[13]

Several of the Padres who missionized Baja California recorded an unusual form of consumption of
pitaya that is also shared in some O'odham stories from southern Arizona. It is called the "second
harvest" of pitaya seeds. With the scarcity of fruits in their lands, the pitaya was such a prized fruit that
once it was eaten, the natives would wait for their own excrement to dry, then break it apart
separating the pitaya seeds. These seeds would be ground into a flour and eaten again, giving the
pitaya's "second harvest" its name. Interestingly, the O'odham name for the Milky Way translates as
"the second harvest of pitaya."[14]

[edit]Taste

The mild taste of pitahaya flesh is often remarked upon, as it stands in stark contrast to the vibrant
exterior. The taste has been described as being "very bland... like a melon or kiwi," with a "mild
sweetness."[15]

[edit]Nutritional information

Dragon fruit served in a buffet

The edible parts of raw pitahaya consist of mostly water and carbohydrates, with some protein and fat
content. Pitayas contain slight amounts ofcalcium, iron, phosphorus, and other nutrients.
The fatty acid compositions of two pitaya seed oils were determined as follows: [12]

Hylocereus polyrhizus (Red-fleshed Hylocereus undatus (White-fleshed

pitahaya) pitahaya)

Myristic acid 0.2% 0.3%

Palmitic acid 17.9% 17.1%

Stearic acid 5.49% 4.37%

Palmitoleic acid 0.91% 0.61%

Oleic acid 21.6% 23.8%

Cis-vaccenic
3.14% 2.81%
acid

Linoleic acid 49.6% 50.1%

Linolenic acid 1.21% 0.98%

[edit]Uses

 Particularly red-skinned pitayas are a good source of vitamin C.[citation needed]

 Pitayas are rich in fiber and minerals, notably phosphorus and calcium.[citation needed] Red pitayas
seem to be richer in the former, yellow ones in the latter.
 The seeds are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, and in particular Red Pitayas contain very
little saturated fat.[12]
 Pitahayas also contain significant quantities of phytoalbumin antioxidants[citation needed]
 In Taiwan, diabetics use the fruit as a food substitute for rice and as a source of dietary fiber.[citation
needed]