Tasting South American Fruits (Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Columbia, Venezuela)

• published: 15 May 2015
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Tasting South American (Andean) Fruits DRAGON FRUIT (Hylocereus megalanthus) GRANADILLA (Passiflora Ligularis) COCONA (Solanum Sessiliflorum) STARFRUIT (Averrhoa Carambola) CAPE GOOSEBERRY (Physalis Peruviana) YACÓN (Smallanthus Sonchifolius) PRICKLY PEAR (Opuntia Ficus-Indica). Hylocereus megalanthus (Yellow Dragon Fruit) is a cactus species in the genus Hylocereus that is native to northern South America, where it is known, along with its fruit, by the name of Pitahaya. The species is grown commercially for its yellow fruit, but is also an impressive ornamental climbing vine with perhaps the largest flowers of all cacti. The yellow fruit has thorns, unlike the red dragon fruits (H. undatus, H. polyrhizus, H. costaricensis), and is commonly known as "yellow dragon fruit", "yellow pitahaya" or "yellow pitaya". It is native to the region from Venezuela to Bolivia, including Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, in tropical riparian forests. It is Epiphytic or xerophytic. Passiflora ligularis, commonly known as the Sweet granadilla or Grenadia is a plant species in the Passiflora genus. It is native to the Andes Mountains between Bolivia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Colombia. It grows as far south as northern Argentina and as far north as Mexico. The seeds, which are hard and black, are surrounded by a gelatinous sphere of transparent pulp. The pulp is the edible part of the fruit and has a soft sweet taste. The main producers are Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil (where it is known as maracujá doce or "sweet passionfruit"). Solanum sessiliflorum or Cocona is a tropical shrub belonging to the Solanaceae family. Cocona is harvested in parts of South America around the Amazon rainforest. The fruit of cocona is a red, orange or yellow edible berry. Cocona is native to the Andean region of South America, where it is cultivated for human consumption. Carambola, also known as starfruit, is the fruit of Averrhoa carambola, a species of tree. The original range of Averrhoa carambola is unknown today. It is believed that it may have originated from Sri Lanka or Moluccas, Indonesia; but has been cultivated in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia for hundreds of years. The fruit is popular throughout Southeast Asia, the South Pacific and parts of East Asia. The tree is also cultivated throughout non-indigenous tropical areas, such as in Latin America. The fruit has distinctive ridges running down its sides (usually five but can sometimes vary); in cross-section, it resembles a star, hence its name. The entire fruit is edible and is usually eaten out of hand. They may also be used in cooking and can be made into relishes, preserves, and juice drinks. Physalis peruviana (physalis = bladder) is the plant and its fruit, also known as Cape gooseberry (South Africa, UK), Inca berry, Aztec berry, golden berry, giant ground cherry, African ground cherry, Peruvian groundcherry, Peruvian cherry, pok pok (Madagascar), poha (Hawaii), ras bhari (India), aguaymanto (Peru), uvilla (Ecuador), uchuva/ochuva (Colombia), fisalis (Spain), harankash (Egypt), amour en cage (France, French for love in a cage), and sometimes simply Physalis (United Kingdom). It is indigenous to the South American Andean region. The Yacón (Smallanthus sonchifolius, syn.: Polymnia edulis, P. sonchifolia) is a species of perennial daisy traditionally grown in the northern and central Andes from Colombia to northern Argentina for its crisp, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots. Their texture and flavour are very similar to jicama, mainly differing in that yacón has some slightly sweet, resinous, and floral (similar to violet) undertones to its flavour, probably due to the presence of inulin, which produces the sweet taste of the roots of elecampane, as well. Another name for yacón is Peruvian ground apple. Opuntia ficus-indica is a species of cactus that has long been a domesticated crop plant important in agricultural economies throughout arid and semiarid parts of the world. It is thought to possibly be native to Mexico. Some of the common English names for the plant and its fruit are Indian fig opuntia, barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus, and prickly pear, although this last name has also been applied to other less common Opuntia species. In Mexican Spanish the plant is called nopal, while the fruit is called tuna, which are names also used in American English, especially as culinary terms. South America includes twelve sovereign states – Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela.