The name passion fruit might evoke some images of passion while you’re eating it, but really, it’s also providing a plethora of nutrients, antioxidants, and various health benefits. You’re also helping yourself lose and maintain extra weight, and preventing negative health conditions. In other words, the passion fruit is an excellent addition to any person’s diet.
Well, where to begin? Passion fruit is a kind of “passion-flower,” growing on vines. It’s native to regions in South America, such as Paraguay, Brazil, and northern Argentina. (Remember that the hyped acai berry also comes from these parts!) Now, the passion fruit is also grown throughout the world in tropical areas.
Passion fruits are egg-shaped, with a structure somewhat like a watermelon. There is an inedible outer rind, that can be yellow or purple, and the edible inside, which consists of a juicy, jam-like mixture of pulp and seeds. Absolutely delicious!
Passion fruits come in two main types – one type, known as the Golden Passion Fruit, can grow up to the size of an orange. This type of passion fruit has a bright, yellow, outer rind. The more well-known type, known as the Purple Passion Fruit, is now mainly grown in Australia. Though it’s much smaller, it has, arguably, a richer flavor and aroma.
Though you may have only seen passion fruit as a flavor in yogurt or drink blends, passion fruits are renowned for their health benefits and flavor around the world. They are used in mousse, eaten by themselves, used as jelly, and more, all around the world. In fact, passion fruits are one of the most important fruits in Colombia.
Passion fruit is usually eaten by itself, fresh, but it can also be cooked to use as sauce or filling. To prepare it for eating or cooking, simply cut the fruit in half and scoop out the pulp. The pulp can immediately be eaten, or used as dressing for ice cream or other fruits. It also can be used as a great jam or jelly, and the seeds provide a crunchy, unique, feeling. However, if you do not like the seeds, they can be removed by straining them in a cloth.
I’ll go deeper into the health benefits of passion fruit in a later post, but for now, I’ll give a short summary. Passion fruits have an excellent supply of vitamins A and C, as well as many other antioxidants. They provide many times the nutrients of ordinary fruits, such as oranges, and even provide more health benefits such as fiber, potassium, and beta carotene. For fiber, be sure to eat the seeds; they are excellent for fiber intake. Passion fruit has also been proven to be excellent for people with high blood pressure.
If you cannot find fresh passion fruit in a local supermarket, try getting this delicious 100% fruit smoothie, packing in all the nutrients and health benefits of fresh passion fruit! Dr. Smoothie Forbidden Fruit