Goya Pitahaya or Dragon Fruit puree

[lperry]

Our local market carries Goya frozen fruit pulp/puree as well as a couple of other brands, and I've been collecting different packs in my freezer for a while now. I've been so entranced with the parcha that I have just now tried concocting a pre-dinner cocktail with the pitahaya fruit.

The bright purple/fuchsia puree has a very delicate, mild taste. According to my secondary, less tactful taste tester, it doesn't taste like anything. Everything I found online indicated that lime both improves and intensifies the flavor, so I figured a dragon-aiquiri was in order. I used 1 1/2 ounces of the puree, a half ounce of lime, a half ounce of simple, and two ounces of Don Q Cristal on the advice of Robert Burr, who mentioned in another thread that this is a good rum for mixing when you don't want to overpower the delicate fruit in a drink. I put in a dash of Angostura bitters out of habit.

The verdict? This is a tasty but simple drink, and it is definitely an impressive color. I can't, however, say that I would taste it and say, "Wow. That's some excellent dragon fruit." There's just a little something extra there that I can't really define - a subtle sweetness. So it was a bit of a disappointment in the flavor department. When I get to the end of this package, I don't know that I'll buy more unless I want it for color in something.

Has anyone else been mixing with pitahaya? Do you have a recipe that makes good use of it?

[Edward Hamilton]

I've only seen it in stores but never tried the canned version.

[RobertBurr]

We have fresh dragonfruit here in the fruit stands and it is one amazing color! It's outrageous. I think it might mix well with a bit of guava and passionfruit, but not enough to overpower.

[lperry]

I can get the fresh fruit here as well, but the one time I bought one, it was white-fleshed. There seems to be no way to know until you cut it open.

I'll pick up some guava and passionfruit and give that a try. I've also got guanabana - it might add a little sourness that would work. Here in the middle of winter, all I can get are the frozen purees, but so far, they have been surprisingly fresh tasting.

[RobertBurr]

guanabana (gwa-NA-bah-nah) is a great subtle flavor used in milkshakes and smoothies. The frozen purees are not bad and and very convenient.

[Tiare]

I agree that Guanabana juice would go well with the pithaya, as well as guava and passionfruit. I haven`t yet mixed with it, but i have been thinking of trying to make a sort of laid back tropical drink, really mainly for the amazing color and if you cut a slice of the pithaya you have a stunning garnish. I believe that some fresh lime would lively up the drink.

[lperry]

As it turns out, if you mix guanabana and pitahaya, it tastes pretty good, but you get an opaque, poison purple drink with little black seeds floating in the bottom of the glass. The effect is all the more frightening in a martini glass. If nothing else, I have a good idea for next Halloween.