What's The Difference Between Pitaya And Dragon Fruit?

Pitaya is an unusually beautiful fruit. Native to Mexico, Central, and South America, it's one of the five primary types of fruit that grow on cacti, along with prickly pear fruit, barrel fruit, cholla, and saguaro, per Matador Network. On the outside, pitaya boasts vibrant pink skin and green scales. Once you cut it open, you'll typically see white flesh dotted with tiny black seeds, but depending on the variety, you may be greeted with red flesh, which is higher in antioxidants and vitamin C (via Seeds del Mundo).

According to Pitaya Foods, ripened pitaya has a mildly sweet taste that's similar to a watermelon or a mixture of pear and kiwi. Its gentle flavor makes it perfect for fruit salads, smoothies, and juices, but many people opt to eat it raw. By now, you've probably noticed that pitaya sounds similar to dragon fruit, a fruit with bright pink skin and white flesh with tiny seeds. With that being said, what's the difference between pitaya and dragon fruit?

There are actually no differences between pitaya and dragon fruit. According to Pitaya Foods, pitaya was the original name given to this bright pink fruit when it was discovered in Central America. When pitaya was introduced to Asia, it became known as dragon fruit, which is what the vast majority of people continue to call it today. The name "dragon fruit" comes from the green scales on the outside of the fruit, which give it a dragon-like appearance, per Sambazon.

Additionally, if you ever hear about strawberry pear fruit, don't be fooled! This is yet another name for dragon fruit, explains Everyday Health. This name can likely be attributed to the look and taste of the fruit, as its skin ranges from a bright pink to dark red hue, similar to a strawberry, and its flavor resembles that of a pear. Regardless of what you call this fruit, it still has the same characteristics: a delicious, gentle sweetness and a distinctive beauty.

One of the easiest ways to eat dragon fruit is to incorporate it in a fruit salad. Its versatility allows it to pair nicely with a variety of fruits. Though you can pair dragon fruit with anything you like, its flavor blends especially well with sweeter fruits such as pineapple, mango, strawberries, and blueberries (via Everyday Health). The sweetness of these fruits will bring out the mildness of the dragon fruit.

If you don't want to make a fruit salad with dragon fruit, try making a dragon fruit salsa, per McCormick. To make a dragon fruit salsa, combine chopped dragon fruit with olive oil and lime juice. You can also add pineapple and cilantro for extra flavor. Dragon fruit will add a mild sweetness to the salsa, while still allowing the characteristics of the other ingredients, such as the acidity of the lime juice, to shine through. You can add this slightly sweet salsa to savory foods such as salmon for a nice contrast of flavors.