Passiflora edulis
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- This article describes the tropical passion fruit. For the German pop group, see Passion Fruit.
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 Ripe yellow passion fruit, or "maracuyá"
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| Passiflora edulis Sims |
Passiflora edulis or passion fruit is cultivated commercially for its fruit in northwestern South America, India, the Caribbean, Brazil (called maracujá), south Florida, Hawaii (where it is called lilikoʻi or lilikoi), Australia (where it is always spelt passionfruit), East Africa, Israel and South Africa (where it is called granadilla). The passion fruit is round to oval, yellow or dark purple at maturity, with a soft to firm, juicy interior filled with numerous seeds. The fruit can be grown to eat or for its juice, which is often added to other fruit juices to enhance aroma.
The two types of passion fruit have greatly different exterior appearances. The bright yellow passion fruit (called "guavadilla" in South Africa[1] and also known as the Golden Passionfruit) can grow up to the size of a grapefruit, has a smooth, glossy, light and airy rind, and has been used as a rootstock for the purple granadilla in Australia.[2] The dark purple passion fruit (for example, in Kenya) is smaller than a lemon, with a dry, wrinkled rind at maturity.
The purple varieties of the fruit reportedly have traces of cyanogenic glycosides in the skin, and hence are mildly poisonous. However, the thick, hard skin is hardly edible, and if boiled (to make jam), the cyanide molecules are destroyed at high temperatures.
On the island of Puerto Rico it is called parcha. It is widely believed to lower blood pressure. In Venezuela it is called parchita, and in the Dominican Republic it is called Chinola. In Malaysia and Indonesia it is also known as markisa and the yellow variety is called konyal in Sundanese language.
The distinctive flower of the passion fruit plant is called Passion flower or Passionflower, and is noted for its unusual visual characteristics. The leaves and roots of the plant have medicinal uses and are also called by the name Passion flower.
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[edit] Uses
In Australia, passion fruit is the most common topping for the pavlova (a meringue cake) and the vanilla slice. It is also used to flavour soft drinks such as Passiona.
In Brazil, passion fruit mousse is a common dessert, and passion fruit seeds are routinely used to decorate the tops of certain cakes. Besides that, it is very common in Brazil passion fruit juice.
In the Dominican Republic passionfruit is known as Chinola and is commonly used as an ingredient in a fruit drink containing strained passionfruit juice, sugar and water. It is also eaten fresh and used to flavor things from hard candies to popsicles.
It is also known that this fruit provokes the sensation of sleepiness.[citation needed]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ [www.sanparks.org/parks/kruger/conservation/scientific/ff/alien_biota/layout.pdf Alien invasive plants in the Kruger National Park p. 28]
- ^ Reynhardt, Debbie. "Gardening with Debbie Reynhardt", Dispatch Online, Dispatch Media (Pty) Ltd, 8 February 2003. Retrieved on 20 Nov 2006.
[edit] External links
- Fruits of Warm Climates: Passionfruit
- California Rare Fruit Growers: Passion Fruit Fruit Facts
- Passiflora Society International
- Australian Passionfruit Varieties
- Phytochemicals in Passion Fruit
- Passiflora Online
- Passionfruit Flower in bloom and fruit growing on a vine
 Purple passion fruit, which in Colombia is called "gulupa", to distinguish it from the yellow maracuyá |
 Ripe purple passion fruit |
 Yellow passion fruits for sale |
 Passion fruits on sale |
 Yellow and purple passion fruits, side by side |
 Passion fruit still on the vine |
