Yellow Dragon Fruit

While grocery shopping, Desiree and I came upon a small display of yellow dragon fruit. I’m always willing to try an unfamiliar fruit, so we chose three and tucked them in with the rest of our groceries.

Yellow dragon fruit is native to northern South America. Botanically, it is a climbing cactus that favors warm tropical climates, ranging from dry to humid.

The plant produces spectacular nocturnal blooms known as the Queen of the Night. Each creamy white flower can grow nearly a foot across and releases a sweet perfume into the evening air, an open invitation to nighttime pollinators like bats and moths.

Today, yellow dragon fruit is still grown primarily in South America, though smaller operations have appeared in Israel, Thailand, Vietnam, and parts of the United States where the climate behaves properly.

Inside, the fruit is exceptionally juicy and mild. It nearly dissolves on the tongue. I’ve always found red dragon fruit, beautiful as it is, to be largely flavorless. Yellow dragon fruit, however, has something to say. I like it.

Yellow Dragon Fruit

—Mitchell Hegman