Have you ever heard of or seen the yellow dragon fruit? It also goes by the name yellow pitahaya, yellow pitaya, Pitaya Amarillo, and Hylocereus megalanthus. I just call it a yellow dragon fruit, haha.
I did a review of the classic dragon fruit and thought I would do on on they yellow variety. Tasting unique and different fruits from around the world is one of my favorite hobbies. Fruit is so awesome! I enjoy learning about new fruits that I have never heard of or seen before.
In this post, I will tell you all about the yellow dragon fruit. You will learn where it comes from, what the health benefits are, how to eat it, and what it tastes like to me. Let’s get started!
Where does the yellow dragon fruit come from and where does it grow?
The Pitaya or Pitahaya (Dragon Fruit) is native to several countries in the Americas. Places like Colombia, Equador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, etc.
But it is cultivated all over the world in tropical and subtropical regions like Southeast Asia, India, United States, Caribbean, Australia, etc.
If there are tropical riparian forests these will most likely be able to grow there.
Did you know that it was only recently (early 2000s) that yellow dragon fruit was approved for export to places like North America and Europe?
The country of Colombia happens to be the largest producer.
Here in the United States they are grown in California and Florida, but on a much smaller scale.
The yellow dragon fruit just like the regular pink ones grows on a long climbing cactus. They are fairly heat resistant and fairly hardy in the cold.
I usually will find them at my local Asian market. The one showcased in this post came from the Ecuador.
What are the health benefits of the yellow dragon fruit?
These wonderful cactus fruits are very healthy, some of the benefits include:
- Good source of magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium
- High in dietary fiber
- Relatively high in protein
- Higher amount of calcium then the standard red dragon fruit
- Small amounts of iron, vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Niacin
- High in antioxidants
- The edible seeds contain good amounts of omega-3 fatty acids
Find out more about benefits here at specialty produce.
How to eat the yellow pitahaya
Time to learn how to eat the yellow pitahaya (dragon fruit). There are a few ways you can eat it.
It is always a good idea to give the fruit a good rinse first. Then take a sharp knife and cut it in half lengthwise. Although you can certainly cut it in half at the equator as well.
Once open you can see how cool it looks. First off, you will notice that the flesh is more translucent and grayish than the pink dragon fruit which is more white. Also the seeds are larger in this variety.
Now you can just take a spoon and start scooping it out if you like.
Or you can cut each half lengthwise again, so you wind up quartering the yellow dragon fruit. You can just hold that slice in your hands and take a bite out of it.
Or you can just peel back the corner of the skin, which will detach really easily and eat it that way. This works great if you want to cut it. up into small chunks to use for something else.
These are often used in fruit salads, smoothies, juiced, or churned into ice cream, and of course eaten fresh.
What does the Hylocereus megalanthus taste like?
Now what do they taste like? Well first of all they are sweeter than the pink dragon fruit. The small black seeds are a bit crunchy but very easy to eat and not off putting, at least to me. The texture is soft and similar to a kiwi.
They are extremely yummy to me. It is very juicy and succulent. There is a hint of tropical fruity taste with floral notes.
I definitely prefer the taste of the yellow dragon fruit over the pink variety. Although, I really like the way the pink one looks. Too bad the pink ones don’t taste like the yellow ones, haha.
There you have it, I hope you enjoyed learning about this amazing fruit. Let me know in the comments if you have tried it and what your experiences with it have been.
Yellow Dragon Fruit Video
Check out this video review I did of the yellow pitahaya.
Here are some other posts and recipes you may like:
Zulay Manual Citrus Press Review
No taste to me
Did you try the yellow one or the pink one? the pink one definitely has less taste.
Tried the fruit and it is delicious. Thanks for the valuable information you provided here.
I am so happy you gave it a try! You are very welcome, Phyllis! 🙂
Hiya. I was just given some cuttings of this cactus from a friend today which I have re-potted today. As they grow bigger I will put them on a trellis. I had never heard of them before today so I have been researching on the internet. Your post was very helpful so thank you. Take care! 😊
That is awesome, Julie!! 🙂 🙂 Glad you found this article helpful. Take care! 🙂