There are so many different types of fruits in the world but most of us stay to the basics: apples, oranges, grapefruit, bananas, pears, grapes, pineapple, cherries and plums.  But what about all that “exotic” fruit that comes from many places around the globe?  What do they taste like?  And more importantly, what kind of vitamins and minerals do they contain.  In the interest of checking out something different, I thought I would write some posts on “exotic fruits” of the world.

Today I’m writing about the Passion Fruit.  This fruit is native to South America and is grown in India, New Zealand, Australia, East and South Africa and most of South America, including Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.  This fruit is round with a tough rind with a smooth, waxy surface.  The colour of the Passion Fruit ranges from dark purple to light yellow.  Inside is a membrane that contains an orange colored, juicy pulp with many brown or black pitted seeds.  Passion Fruit has a musky, guava-like taste and is somewhat tart.  The fruit is often used for its juice and added to other juices to increase the flavor.  Evidently the skin of the purple varieties is slightly poisonous; however the skin is very tough and not edible.  Fresh Passion Fruit has high levels of Vitamin A, Potassium and dietary fiber.  While the purple variety is sold in markets, the yellow one is generally used for juice.  Passion Fruit juice is also a good source of Vitamin C.