Crazy Fruit Adventure: Passionfruit

I have heard many things about the exotic Passionfruit. It seems like one of those fruits that either you love or hate. I have heard it described as the most delicious fruit in the world. I have also heard described as a slimy fruit that tastes like old lady perfume. So naturally I needed to try one. I paid almost $3 for one Passionfruit and as you can see in the picture it isn't very big at all. So this would be a special occasion splurg fruit for me.

Native to South America this fruit is rich in Vit C, Iron, Beta Carotene and potassium. I myself had never actuall had a real Passionfruit and was very surprised by the appearance. They feel almost like fake fruit because they are so light inside and have a smooth and hard outer skin. I didn't know this at the time but if you allow your Passionfruit to get wrinkly it will be sweeter. I thought wrinkly was bad so I ate mine when it was still quite smooth.

Imagine my horror to open up my Passionfruit to find what looked like frog eggs covered in milky yellow snot. These are the Passionfruit seeds with are completely edible but not very yummy looking. The flavor it one of those very distinct flavors that do not bring to mind any other fruit. If you have ever had a Passionfruit Starburts then you have a pretty good idea of what to expect. Mine was very tart and I know now that was because I hadn't let it ripen quite enough. The seeds are very crunchy and have a really delicious flavor. 

Mine was too tart to eat on its own so I added it to some Passionfruit/carrot/pineapple juice blend that I had on hand and it was awesome. I would say drinking the Passionfruit was very similar to what drinking tapioca pearls would be like. If tapioca pearls were crunchy that is. If you try this I  recommend using a milk shake or smoothie straw just so the seeds won't get stuck. This fruit is not a normal feature at our local grocery but it is definitely one I will repurchase if I see it again.

Hope this was interesting and might encourage someone out there to try a Passionfruit for the first time. Bye!