Dragon Fruit: An Expensive, Yummy Dessert from Happy's

Dragon fruit, uncut.

Dragon fruit, inside.

Dragon fruit, which we found at Happy's Flea Market yesterday, is called, strawberry pear or pitaya and is a fruit of several cactus species with a sweet delicate taste and creamy pulp. This version is the red pitaya, but other varieties include the Costa Rica pataya and the yellow pataya.

You can make juice or wine from the fruit, and the flowers can be eaten or used for tea.This dragon fruit cost about $5 and is the size of a softball. I wouldn't want to make it a regular part of my diet because of the expense, but as a treat it is simply marvelous.

The pink rind on the dragon fruit peels off, not unlike that of a roll of bologna. But it ain't tastin' like no baloney, babies.

You'll note that the dragon fruit was used at my house as dessert at lunch today (along with a fresh papaya--also from Happy's). Lunch proper was 'mater sammiches. Mmmmmm. Luuuuuuu-nch.