Appearance & Taste

The Passion fruit in appearance is an oval ball shaped fruit, with the skin, on the outside, varying from a dark purple to light yellow or pumpkin-colour, depending on the type of passion fruit. The bright yellow variety, which is also known as the yellow Passion fruit, can grow up to the size of a grapefruit and has smooth, glossy, light skin. The dark purple passion fruit, on the other hand, is smaller than a lemon, with dry, wrinkled skin when ripe.

Looking inside, the interior is filled with an intensely seedy, yet juicy pulp which is either yellowy-green in the purple variety or orangey-yellow in the yellow variety. This pulp is usually eaten with a spoon and has a powerfully juicy, tangy and refreshing taste.

Where It Comes From

The passion fruit is normally grown in hot, tropical locations which include the likes of South America, Central America, East Africa, West Africa, Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, Hawaii, Fiji, India and Indonesia.

Health Benefits

The Passion fruit is a good source of ascorbic acid (vitamin C), carotenoids (vitamin A), potassium and iron. One passion fruit has only 16 calories and when eaten with the seeds, is an excellent source of fibre.

Uses

Other than eating it fresh or drinking as a juice, the pulp is:

• sometimes used for toppings in cakes and some deserts
• used to make Sauces
• used for Making jams or jelly.
  

Fruit Facts

• The fruit is sweetest if you wait until it is uniformly coloured (red, purple or yellow) and when it begins to wrinkle.
• Passionfruit get its name from its flowers, which Spanish missionaries thought resembled symbols of Christ's Passion, such as the crown of thorns.
• Kenya is the largest exporter of Passion fruit followed by Ecuador.

How to prepare to eat

1. Choose the largest passion fruit available and look for one which is partially deflated or creased.
2. Cut the passion fruit in half with a sharp knife over a bowl (to make sure you don’t make a mess)
3. Scrape out the pulp, into a bowl, with a spoon. You can either this straight with the seeds or filter them out using a fine sieve.