Dragonfruit facts for kids
The dragon fruit is a super cool fruit! It's also called pitaya or pitahaya. It comes from places like Central America, South America, and Asia. This fruit has a light, sweet taste. It looks amazing with its bright colors and unique shape. Its texture is a bit like a kiwi and an apple mixed together. Dragon fruit is not just tasty and refreshing. It also has a lot of water and important minerals. It's packed with good ingredients for you!
Health Benefits of Dragon Fruit
Dragon fruit is often called a tropical "super-food." This is because it has many health benefits. The true dragon fruit comes from a type of cactus called Hylocereus. Other similar fruits, called pitaya, come from the Stenocereus cactus.
Where Dragon Fruit Comes From
Dragon fruit first grew in Mexico, South America, and Central America. Long ago, New World travelers likely brought it to Southeast Asian countries. These include places like Cambodia, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Today, dragon fruit is still a very important part of the diet in these countries.
Images for kids
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A ripe pitahaya cut in half
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Dragon fruit for sale at a market in Taiwan
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Dragon fruit juice being sold in Thailand
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A ripe dragon fruit in Vietnam
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A young dragon fruit plant, called a seedling
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A field of dragon fruit plants in China
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Dragon fruit growing in Ninh Thuận, Vietnam
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A pitaya plant, which grows like a vine
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A dragon fruit farm on Naozhou Island, China
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Pitahaya flowers that bloom at night
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White pitahaya Selenicereus undatus
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Yellow pitahaya Selenicereus megalanthus
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Red pitahaya Selenicereus costaricensis
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Dragon fruit comes in many different colors
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A special dress for a folk dance called Flor de Pitahaya (Pitahaya Flower) from Baja California Sur, displayed in Mexico City
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See also
In Spanish: Pitahaya para niños
