Dragon Fruit, of the Hycocereus undatus family (a vine-like cactus), is known by several names including pitaya, pitahaya fruit and sometimes strawberry pear or spelled as one word, strawberrypear. The term dragon fruit, however, is the most popular in English speaking countries.

The fruit's texture is sometimes likened to that of the kiwifruit due to the presence of black, crunchy seeds. The flesh, when eaten raw, is mildly sweet and low in calories and has a nutty flavor. It is often converted into juice, purees, wine, or used to flavor other beverages.

The Hylocereus cactus 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. It grows in tropical climates in Southeast Asia as well as Central and South America. The fruit is round and its exterior rind ranges in color from yellow to red, and the flesh is either white or red, always with dark seeds. It is delicious as a fresh fruit or as juice.

Dragon fruit is now being discovered in the US and that market is growing as people realize the special health benefits of dragon fruit and its great nutritional benefits like its high antioxidant amounts, vitamin C levels and dietary fiber.

Encore Fruit Marketing can provide an excellent source of dragon fruit puree to help consumer products deliver one of the 5 A Day vegetable servings.

Dragon fruit puree is carefully processed from fresh, ripened dragon fruit to provide the essential flavor, nutrition and color, in a convenient, ready to use ingredient form for processed beverage and food applications. Dragon fruit puree is an excellent ingredient to add a fruit serving to your retail label for beverages, dairy products, pastries, sauces, jellies and other processed foods like nutrition bars and snacks.

Contact Encore Fruit Marketing today for product samples and information on dragon fruit puree at www.encorefruit.com or Click Here to use our convenient Contact Form.