Food Cooking Tips & Techniques How to Eat Dragon Fruit Like a Pro Seen them on social media but not really sure what to do with dragon fruit? Don’t worry. You’re going to slay this. By Betty Gold Betty Gold Betty Gold is the former senior digital food editor at Real Simple. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 14, 2023 In This Article View All In This Article How to Eat a Dragon Fruit Selection Taste Dragon Fruit Nutrition Preparation Dragon Fruit Recipes to Try Storage Frequently Asked Questions The dragon fruit (also known as pitaya, pitahaya, and strawberry pear) is one of the prettiest types of produce. Their bright pink skins with shades of green and white interiors patterned with black seed polka dots are a stunning gift to the world of #wellness (and Instagram-ready food photography). Plus, they taste amazing. Dragon fruit is a tropical fruit native to southern Mexico and Central America. Many compare their fresh, sweet flavor to pears and kiwis. They're mega healthy, too. Dragon fruit contains a decent amount of iron, magnesium, and heart-healthy fiber. Yulia Reznikov/Getty Images How to Eat a Dragon Fruit Dragon fruit can be used as a delicious base for smoothie bowls: Just freeze the flesh in chunks and toss into a blender with some banana pieces and coconut water. You can also eat diced dragon fruit on top of Greek yogurt with macadamia nuts or toasted almonds, or serve it alongside mahi-mahi (it pairs perfectly with fish). Any dish you might eat with mango, pineapple, or another tropical fruit is fair game. Now that you know how to enjoy dragon fruit, let's look at how to shop for, prepare, and store dragon fruit...as well as some other important information. Selection You can find dragon fruit year-round, but their peak season is summertime through early fall. To pick one that's perfectly ripe and sweet, look for bright, evenly-colored pink skin. A few blemishes on the exterior are OK, but dragon fruit with lots of funky-colored marks on the flesh may be overripe. The skin should be a bit soft and tender when you press it with your thumb, but not mushy. If it still feels firm, allow it to ripen a couple more days. What Does Dragon Fruit Taste Like? If you like pears and kiwis, you’re in luck, as many people describe dragon fruit as having a taste that’s similar to a combination of those two fruits, with a hint of citrus. Additionally, the flesh of a ripe dragon fruit—aka the yummy, edible portion—is slightly sweet and refreshing, and has a texture similar to that of a ripe kiwi. However, if the dragon fruit isn’t ripe yet, the flesh will be harder and have little to no flavor. Dragon Fruit Nutrition Like many fruits, dragon fruit is low in calories but serves as a good source of antioxidants and satiating fiber. The tropical food also contains several key nutrients, such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium, as well as vitamins like vitamin C and vitamin A.According to the USDA, a typical dragon fruit has about 2.3 grams of fiber, 3.2 milligrams of vitamin C, and 6.8 milligrams of calcium. A 75-gram dragon fruit is also rich in folate, choline, and beta carotene, thanks to its bright hue. Preparation They may look intimidating (the name dragon comes from the leafy "scales" on their exterior), but this fruit is super easy to eat. Lay it on a cutting board and slice it length-wise down the middle with a sharp knife. To remove the inedible skin from the sweet insides, run a small spoon around the interior circumference of each side's skin to separate them. Alternatively, you can use your knife to peel it, but this prevents you from saving the pretty and intact "bowl" of pink peel for serving. Once the skin's removed, you can dice your dragon fruit or use a melon baller to make little spheres of it. Or eat the flesh right out of the skin using a spoon! Dragon Fruit Recipes to Try Believe it or not, you can enjoy dragon fruit the same way you would enjoy many other fruits. Toss it in a blender (along with a few other ingredients) to create a Pink Dragon Smoothie, add it to the base of a colorful breakfast, such as this Raspberry Smoothie Bowl, or throw in some bold dragon fruit slices as part of a vibrant Tropical Fruit Salad. If you’re ready to really experiment with dragon fruit, use it to make granita, or flavor a salsa that’s perfect for chips and tacos! Storage As with other fruits, you can keep these out at room temperature for several days as long as they're uncut. Once cut, eat your dragon fruit immediately or store it in the fridge for a day or so until it begins to brown. If you'd like to slow the ripening of an uncut dragon fruit, store it in the fridge inside a plastic bag (to keep it from absorbing flavors and odors from other foods). Frequently Asked Questions Can you eat dragon fruit raw? Yes, you can slice open a dragon fruit and eat it raw. You can also use raw dragon fruit to add flavor to a salad or a yogurt parfait. How can you make dragon fruit taste better? With a fruity, mildly sweet taste, many people enjoy dragon fruit as is. However, if you want to make the fruit a bit more palatable, try blending it into a smoothie or smoothie bowl with other ingredients you enjoy. You could also drizzle a little honey on top of dragon fruit slices, or add some dragon fruit pieces to a fruit kebab with other fruits you like. How do you know if a dragon fruit is ripe? A dragon fruit is ripe when the skin is bright and smooth and has minimal blemishes. It should also give slightly when you apply pressure with your fingertips, without being too soft or mushy. How can you tell if a dragon fruit is pink or white? There are a few different varieties of dragon fruit, and the color of the interior flesh depends on what variety you’ve purchased. Dragon fruits with white flesh inside tend to have wider but fewer scales, and boast a pinkish exterior. On the other hand, dragon fruits with pink (or red) flesh inside often have a dark red exterior and are typically smaller than dragon fruits with white flesh. Where can you buy dragon fruit? Though dragon fruit was once difficult to find in the U.S., you can now locate the fruit in many supermarkets across the country. Target sells frozen dragon fruit chunks that are ideal for smoothies, whereas Whole Foods, Walmart, and Amazon sell whole, fresh dragon fruits. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit