Dragon Fruit Farming

[liuzhou]

Yesterday, as part of a seminar discussing ways to promote local rural tourism, I went off to visit, among other things, a dragon fruit farm in southern China. The area is home to the Zhuang ethnic minority.

 

Dragon Fruit Plantation

 

New plants being grown from cuttings

 

Cuttings awaiting planting

 

 

Unripe Fruits

 

 

Ripe Fruit

 

My harvest

 

 

Edited August 17, 2019 by liuzhou (log)

[liuzhou]

P.S. THe Chinese for 'dragon fruit' is  火龙果  (huǒ lóng guǒ), which translates literally as 'fire dragon fruit'.

[BeeZee]

When we get dragon fruit here, it is often disappointing, beautiful but tasteless. I will assume you have better fruit at the source? Or perhaps it is the nature of this fruit, all looks?

[liuzhou]

6 minutes ago, BeeZee said:

When we get dragon fruit here, it is often disappointing, beautiful but tasteless. I will assume you have better fruit at the source? Or perhaps it is the nature of this fruit, all looks?

 

The taste is mild, yes. I find the red ones tastier. Certainly what I ate yesterday (and today) were tasty, but they were literally straight from the plant. Still a bunch more in the fridge.

[cdh]

So they're a cactus like plant?  The plants look a lot like night blooming cereus.  I may have to try to get a cutting and start one myself.  

[liuzhou]

39 minutes ago, cdh said:

So they're a cactus like plant?

 

Yes it's a cactus. And they are night flowering.

[KennethT]

Fascinating!  Thank you for sharing!

[chromedome]

1 hour ago, liuzhou said:

 

The taste is mild, yes. I find the red ones tastier.

 

I've hard that, but have yet to see the red-fleshed variety at a store here. It's hard to justify the premium price for such an understated flavor, but I do splurge occasionally and use them as part of a fruit platter or fruit salad.

[KennethT]

I've never had them at home (they look like they've been sitting around way too long) but I always have them when on vacation in Asia. Yes, mild, but are really refreshing and great with a little salt and a squeeze of lime.

[Shelby]

Wow!   Thanks so much.  Very interesting.  They look almost like a Christmas Cactus in a way.

 

I splurged and bought a white fleshed one a few years ago.  Very underwhelmed.  

 

I'm sure fresh like yours, they are very very good.  And the red is SO pretty.

[kayb]

Must confess to never having had a dragon fruit. What do they taste like?

 

[Shelby]

2 hours ago, kayb said:

Must confess to never having had a dragon fruit. What do they taste like?

 

Mine tasted like styrofoam that had been-- maybe been --within a couple feet of a cucumber.

Edited August 17, 2019 by Shelby (log)

[chromedome]

1 hour ago, kayb said:

Must confess to never having had a dragon fruit. What do they taste like?

 

It's very mild, kind of like a watermelon rind in its faint hints of sweetness and cucumber, but without the faint sourness you get from melon rind. The texture is similar to kiwi, to my mind.

 

As stated upthread it's definitely enhanced by a squeeze of lime (as is papaya, another fruit I considered to be rather a letdown). It plays a nice supporting role when paired with other fruits, and it certainly brings plenty of juiciness with it.

[IowaDee]

Several years ago our daughter and her hubby went to Jungle Jim's International Market in Ohio.  I asked them to bring us something we have never had and can't get locally.  That turned out to be dragon fruit and a camel roast.  I have no desire to eat either one again. However I still have the place on my bucket to visit!

[liuzhou]

 I think the white fleshed variety works best in a mixed fruit salad. More for visual effect than taste. But the red ones I'll happily scarf on their own.

[haresfur]

They seem to be able to tolerate very harsh conditions. An online course I took on volcanic hazards included a film about a Central American village in an area where the volcanic gases were so bad that houses couldn't have any metal nails outside, most of the children had asthma, and the only food they could grow were dragon fruit and pineapple.

 

I don't usually buy them because I find them bland, but inoffensive.

[johnnyd]

19 hours ago, chromedome said:

It's very mild, kind of like a watermelon rind in its faint hints of sweetness and cucumber, but without the faint sourness you get from melon rind. The texture is similar to kiwi, to my mind.

 

As stated upthread it's definitely enhanced by a squeeze of lime (as is papaya, another fruit I considered to be rather a letdown). It plays a nice supporting role when paired with other fruits, and it certainly brings plenty of juiciness with it.

 

Hey Mr. Dome - RE: Papaya - The secret to good papaya is to let it ripen for a few days until it turns yellow and blotchy and begins to give when you squeeze it.  I find this works especially well in summertime.  We have had one a week since June here in Maine, served with a spritz of lime. The peppery seeds are good for the gut too. Buy it green and let it sit until it looks like hell and you want to throw it out - that's when they're sweetest.  Cheers.

[whisks]

The first time I tried dragon fruit, I thought it the most boring fruit I had ever eaten; all looks and nothing much else to recommend it. Since then, I’ve come to terms with it, and eat it quite happily for its refreshing nature (I can’t say “taste” or “flavour” because it has neither). 

It is easily and readily available when in season where I am (Sydney, Australia), I assume because of the Asian population, and their striking looks.

[chromedome]

1 hour ago, johnnyd said:

 

Hey Mr. Dome - RE: Papaya - The secret to good papaya is to let it ripen for a few days until it turns yellow and blotchy and begins to give when you squeeze it.  I find this works especially well in summertime.  We have had one a week since June here in Maine, served with a spritz of lime. The peppery seeds are good for the gut too. Buy it green and let it sit until it looks like hell and you want to throw it out - that's when they're sweetest.  Cheers.

 

That's pretty much my approach to bananas, though I only buy green when forced to it. Usually stores mark 'em down right around the time they're finally getting ripe (by my lights) so I get to pick them up at their best (again, by my lights...my sister's the opposite, and prefers them when the first flush of yellow has barely begun to lighten the green) and only pay half price.

I doubt you're betting better papayas in Maine than I am next door in NB, so I'll give that a try next time I see papayas for a decent price.