Origin / Cultivationn

The exact origin of the passionfruit is uncertain. Experts presume that the fruit originated in the Amazon region of Brazil. The tropical regions of Central and South America offer ideal growing conditions for the plants but the passionfruit is also cultivated in America, India, Australia, and several African countries.

Description

Passionfruits are genuine tropical beauties. They grow from the magnificent large (up to eight centimetres) blossoms of the passion flower. With their reddish-purple colour and their white wreath, they are not only pleasing to look at, but also emit a pleasant fragrance. Passion flowers are climbing plants and may grow by as much as five metres per year. They often reach imposing lengths of up to 80 metres.

The fruit

The skin of the passionfruit is bluish to purple or yellowish, and has a somewhat leathery texture. The unripe fruit is round and smooth and about the size of a tennis ball. The skin appears wrinkled when the passionfruit is ripe and ready to eat. Typical of the passionfruit is its juicy yellow to orange pulp, which encircles roughly 250 small, dark-brown seeds. The seeds are considered particularly healthy, as they contain numerous unsaturated fatty acids, which is why their oil is also used in cosmetics.

Only the yellow fruits are used in fruit juice production. The bluish-purple varieties are sold fresh in supermarkets.

Flavour

Its refreshing acidity makes the passionfruit a favourite ingredient in unusual foods and beverages. It adds a fine, exotic finishing touch to desserts, salad dressings, poultry dishes and sauces. Eaten straight from the skin, the passionfruit is a tart-sweet, healthy snack that contains vitamin C as well as the B vitamins niacin and riboflavin, which are essential for energy and protein metabolism. The best-known product is passionfruit juice, which is frequently contained as an aromatic ingredient in multivitamin juice, but is often used pure in cocktails as well.