A Neon Pink Hand Grenade

February invariably means dull and dreary days. But a blast of neon pink, courtesy of the pitaya, might brighten things up. The flavour’s mild, which is okay with me, and the colour startling.

A member of the cactus family and a thorny species native to Central and South America, the dragon fruit, or “strawberry pear,” can have a soft pulp with a nice satiny texture along with delicately crunchy seeds like those of kiwis.

The fruit has been around as long ago as the 1200s and was apparently introduced to Vietnam (where they grow in abundance) by the French and to the Aussies by the Colombians. So, it’s a colourful fruit but also one with a international traveller’s reputation.

Some bright colour and flavour for drab February.

My favourite way of eating them is to cut them in half, gently scoop out the insides, cut into chunks at eat either with other fruit or on its own. The skin is not digestible.

The dragon fruit comes in yellow as well, but I have never seen one of those.