Passion fruit: A South American Passion

Passion fruit is a fruit of South American origin whose common name can have many variations. However, its Latin name Passiflora edulis will identify it anywhere you are. This interesting plant was so named by the early Jesuits who found it because the flower reminded them of various elements of the Passion of Christ. I hope you get a chance to see its interesting floral structure even in a photograph. At the moment it is the fruit that comes from this flower that we use, as it can be a fun and nutritious accessory in your cooking.

The Passion fruit, externally, slightly resembles a small tangerine, but its interior is very different as there are clusters of seeds covered by a somewhat viscous pulp, dark in colour like a pomegranate, hence perhaps in some places they call it “granadilla” (literally "big pomegranate" in Spanish). It is the inside that is normally consumed, and this fruit is known for its vitamin C that contains up to as much as 30mg per 100g of fruit consumed. Remember that vitamin C is a good antioxidant and one of the most important vitamins to fight seasonal colds. It also provides vitamin A that helps keep our skin in good condition. Passion fruit also provides important micronutrients such as iron, copper, magnesium and phosphorus.  Fresh, it is delicious but try consuming it when it is slightly more mature because when the fruit is young it contains a slight toxin that causes drowsiness, like many other fruits in nature.

Passion Fruit Water

Ingredients

• Sugar or sweetener of your choice, to taste.
• 5 passion fruits
• Water
• Ice

Preparation

1. Cut fruit in half, remove the pulp and add it to your blender cup.
2. Add the water, in a ratio of 3:1 with respect to the pulp.
3. Add sugar or sweetener and blend.
4. Once liquefied, strain the liquid to separate the seeds from the rest of the liquid.
5. Try water and if it needs it, add a little more sugar or sweetener. If more pulp is necessary, blend a little fruit with the liquid.
6. Add ice before serving, or add less water and incorporate ice in step (2) before blending.

Tropical Fruit Salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup of plain yogurt
• 1 orange
• ½ cantaloupe melon, you can also use honey dew melon too.
• 5 strawberries
• ¼ pineapple
• 1 mango
• 1 passion fruit
• Granola, to taste
• 2 tsp. of honey

Preparation

1. Extract pulp from the passion fruit, add to yogurt and mix.
2. Add two tsp. of honey to yogurt with passion fruit pulp and mix.
3. Remove peel of all fruits except strawberries.
4. Split the orange into four parts.
5. Cut the pineapple, melon and mango into cubes.
6. Slice strawberries in half.
7. Place fruit where you serve.
8. Cover fruit mixture with yogurt.
9. Sprinkle over with granola.
10. You can you add more fruits of your choice.

Passion fruit Biscuits

(makes just over 10 servings)

Ingredients

• 250g of unsalted butter
• 220g of icing sugar
• 300g of flour
• 75g of cornmeal
• 50g of rice flour
• 4 tsps. of passion fruit pulp

Preparation

1. Mix butter, sugar and three types of flour for at least 7 minutes or until all ingredient are incorporated into the mixture.
2. Add pulp to the mix and incorporate.
3. Place mixture on a floured surface.
4. Knead until smooth.
5.  Put in a previously greased or non-stick tray.
6. Refrigerate for 1 hour, putting a plastic film over the dough to protect it.
7. Preheat oven to a moderately heat.
8. Cook for about 20 minutes or until cookies acquire a slightly golden colour.
9. Remove cookies and allow to cool.

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