This is definitely one of the prettiest fruits there is. It's a vivid pink with little green flaps, and about the size of a big apple, though a little heavier. Cut it open, and it's a brilliant white with lots of tiny black specks. There's another variety here that's a beet-purple on the inside. You can occasionally find these in asian supermarkets in the States, and I've bought them a few times, always to be far more satisfied with its appearance than its taste. There, and frequently here - if you get a dragonfruit that's not quite perfect, it has the texture of a soggy unripe honeydew melon, and it totally flavorless.
Having tried them before, when I saw them here, I wasn't that enthusiastic, but bought one early on and was disappointed as usual. Hard to believe such a beautiful creation could be so bland. When the red version appeared, tried that too, another experiment ending in failure. But recently, these came into prime season here, and there were stacks for sale on our way back from a weekend at the beach. So, we bought a couple just to see.
Perseverance was rewarded. Apparently just-picked ripe dragonfruits are the only kind worth eating. The flavor is still mild, but it's a gentle, fresh, juicy sweetness with the texture of a crunchy cucumber. Easily went through the couple we bought, and then put half of another one in the freezer before we went away for a weekend. When I discovered it there a couple weeks later, i was able to spoon out the flesh and it was like a dragonfruit sorbet. This isn't a fruit I'll terribly miss, but I can finally understand why they're so ubiquitous in the region.
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