Dragonfruit

 The memories of my family trip to China still linger in my mind. Believe it or not, I still miss China. I'm sure you guys can tell from the pictures I have on this post. I was actually the most relaxed when I was there. No homework to worry about, I didn't have to workout that much and all the food was basically fresh! The most important thing is that I learned more about my own culture and heritage.

I really miss the food I ate there. I tried new foods and you know what, they were really good. One of the most memorable foods I tried there was dragon fruit. In Chinese, it is called huo long guo. The translation is fire dragon fruit. I have to say, it does look like a fire ball from a dragon. 

Here's another picture of a dragon fruit. 

Another name for this fruit is called pitaya. The texture is sort of like a kiwi. There are different types too. There is one with more of a purple/pink flesh, which is really good. I ate the one with the pinkish flesh at my mother's aunt place in Guangzhou. I tried the white flesh one in the airplane to and from China. I also ate it in Northern China. I personally like the purple/pink flesh one better, as it is juicier and sweeter. The white ones are more bland. 

I did some online research on this fruit and I was surprised on what I found. Dragon fruit is originally from the Americas, mainly Central and Southern America. Their climate tends to be more tropical and humid. It may have been the Europeans who introduced it to Asia, namely Vietnam and China. They are now grown in Vietnam and imported to the United States! 

To confirm this, I asked my parents about dragon fruit. They said they have never seen it when they were were growing up. It was their first time seeing it when we went. Now, that says something! Maybe they were cultivated and grown in a different province and has recently become more available due to China's economic boom. But, who knows when it started becoming popular in China. 

• Dragon fruit has vitamin C in it. It contains 9 mg in 100 grams of dragon fruit. 
• It is rich in fiber. 
• Studies show that it helps lower blood sugar levels for patients with diabetes.

Those are just a few benefits of dragon fruit. I just thought that I'd introduce you guys to something new. 

Have you eaten dragon fruit? 

If so, did you like it?