Food & Drink / Mercado Monday
Mercado Monday: Pitaya
Pitaya (Dragon Fruit)

Although this colorful fruit is readily available in most grocery stores in Canada, before moving to Nicaragua we didn’t know what it was, nor had we tasted it. But now that we know how to eat it, it’s become a favorite!

To learn all you need to know about dragon fruit – otherwise known as pitaya here in Nicaragua – continue reading below.

BUYING GUIDE

Look for bright, even-colored skin.  Hold the dragon fruit in your palm and try pressing the skin with your fingers – it should give a little (like a ripe kiwi), but shouldn’t be too soft or mushy.

HOW TO EAT IT

Cut the dragon fruit in half. You can cut it into quarters like an apple and peel the skin off. Alternately you can spoon it out like you would a melon. It also tastes great in juices and smoothies.

FLAVOR

Dragon fruit has mild sweet flavor with tiny crunchy seeds similar to a kiwi.

HARVESTING SEASON

Pitaya is only available in rainy season (June to November).  The fruit grows on a type of cactus that climbs along rocky terrain, walls and often trees.

NUTRITION

Pitaya is very low in calories and the seeds contain omega-3 fatty acids. It is high in calcium, vitamin A, C and antioxidants.

INTERESTING FACT

Pitaya makes your pee and poo electric pink.

6 Comments

  3. Every post you guys put up makes my family and I that much more excited to get to Nica. We were supposed to be there in November but stuff fell apart with plans and money dwindled away in our savings. So because of all that happened we have had to move our plans around and won’t be able to actually get to Nica for a couple of years, but we are keeping positive and looking forward to the day we get to step off the plane. 🙂

    Thx for always posting great stuff!! 🙂
    Sam

    samsntha

    1. Hi Sam,

      Sorry to hear you’ve had to postpone your move.

      In the meantime we are happy to be able to share a little bit of Nica with you and your family through articles and photos on In Nica Now.

      Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!

      Cheers,
      Elisha & Gordon

      In Nica Now

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