Passionfruit

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Name Variations

 * passion fruit
 * granadilla
 * maracudja
 * maracuja

About Passionfruit
Wikipedia Article About Passionfruit on Wikipedia

Passion fruit (Portuguese: maracujá; Spanish: maracuyá) comes from passion flower vines, plants of the genus Passiflora, native to tropical and sub-tropical America. The members of this genus produce beautiful flowers that are extensively cultivated outside their natural range.

Passiflora edulis is cultivated commercially in northwestern South America, the Caribbean, Brazil, south Florida, Hawaii (where it is called lilikoi), Australia (where it is always spelled passionfruit), East Africa, and South Africa (where it is called granadilla) for its fruit. The passion fruit of commerce is round to oval, yellow or dark purple at maturity, with a smooth skin and mushy interior filled with numerous seeds. The fruit is grown for its juice, which is usually added to other fruit juices to add aroma. Popular in a party fruit punch drink.

The two types of passion fruit have greatly different exterior appearances, even though their interior seeds taste identical. The bright yellow passion fruit (for example, in Brazil) can grow up to the size of a grapefruit, with a smooth, glossy, light and airy rind. The dark purple passion fruit (for example, in Kenya) is smaller than a lemon, with a dry, wrinkled rind.

On the island of Puerto Rico it is called parcha. It is widely believed to lower blood pressure. In Venezuela it is called parchita. In Malaysia and Indonesia it is also known as markisa and the yellow one is called konyal in Sundanese language.

In Brazil, passion fruit mousse is a common dessert, and passion fruit seeds are routinely used to decorate the tops of certain cakes. Some say there that eating too many seeds makes one sleepy.

This tropical fruit is said to be named not for the passionate propensity it promotes but because particular parts of the plant's flowers resemble different symbols of Christ's crucifixion, such as the crown of thorns, Though native to Brazil, passion fruit (also called granadilla) is now also grown in Australia, California, Florida, Hawaii (where it's called lilikot) and New Zealand. The most common variety marketed in the United States is egg-shaped and about 3 inches long. When ripe, it has a dimpled, deep-purple skin and a soft, golden flesh generously punctuated with tiny, edible black seeds. The flavor is seductively sweet-tart and the fragrance tropical and perfumy. Choose large, heavy, firm fruit with a deep-purple color. Store ripe passion fruit in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It can be served plain as a dessert or used to flavor a variety of foods like sauces, ice creams and beverages. Canned passion fruit nectar is available in many supermarkets. Passion fruit contains a small amount of vitamins A and C.