Passiflora edulis or passion fruit is cultivated commercially for its
fruit in northwestern
South America,
India, the
Caribbean,
Brazil, southern
Florida,
Hawaii,
Australia,
East Africa,
Israel and
South Africa (where it is known as a
grenadilla or
granadilla). The passion fruit is round to oval, yellow or dark purple at maturity, with a soft to firm, juicy interior filled with numerous seeds. The fruit can be grown to eat or for its juice, which is often added to other fruit juices to enhance aroma.
The two types of passion fruit have greatly different exterior appearances. The bright yellow variety of passion fruit, which is also known as the Golden Passionfruit, can grow up to the size of a
grapefruit, has a smooth, glossy, light and airy rind, and has been used as a
rootstock for the purple passionfruit in Australia.
[1] The dark purple passion fruit (for example, in Kenya) is smaller than a
lemon, with a dry, wrinkled rind at maturity.
The purple varieties of the fruit reportedly have traces of
cyanogenic glycosides in the skin, and hence are mildly poisonous. However, the thick, hard skin is hardly edible, and if boiled (to make
jam), the
cyanide molecules are destroyed at high temperatures.
NamesOn the island of
Puerto Rico, the fruit is called parcha.
In
Panama, it is called maracuyá.
In
Venezuela, it is called parchita.
In
Colombia, it is known as maracuyá.
In
Ecuador, it is maracuyá.
In the
Dominican Republic, it is called Chinola.
In
Malaysia and
Indonesia, it is also known as markisa and the yellow variety is called konyal in
Sundanese language.
In
Hawaii, it is called lilikoʻi in
Hawaiian or lilikoi in English, although "passion fruit" is widely recognized.
In South Africa the purple variety is called a granadilla whereas the golden/yellow variety is called guavadilla.
[2]In Brazil and
Portugal the fruit is known as maracujá.
In
Jamaica it is called sweet cup.
In
Nicaragua it is known as calala, a sweet-tasting
juice is made when the fruit is cut in half and boiled in water.
[3]The distinctive flower of the passion fruit plant is called
Passion flower or Passionflower, and is noted for its unusual visual characteristics. The leaves and roots of the plant have medicinal uses and are also called
Passion flower.
Early European explorers gave the plant its common name because the flower's complex structure and pattern reminded them of symbols associated with the
passion of Christ. It was said that the flower contained the lashes received by Christ, the crown of thorns, the column, the five wounds and the three nails.
[4]UsesIn Australia, passion fruit is the most common topping for the
pavlova (a
meringue cake) and the vanilla slice. It is also used to flavour soft drinks such as
Passiona.
In Puerto Rico, it is widely believed to lower
blood pressure.
In Brazil passion fruit mousse is a common dessert, and passion fruit seeds are routinely used to decorate the tops of certain cakes. Passion fruit juice is also very common.
In the
Dominican Republic it is commonly used as an ingredient in a fruit drink containing strained passionfruit juice, sugar and water. It is also eaten fresh and used to flavor things from hard candies to popsicles.
In
Indonesia it is eaten straight as a fruit. Nevertheless, it is common to strain the passionfruit for its juice and cook it with sugar to make some sort of thick syrup. It is then mixed with water and ice to be drunk.
In
Hawaii it is normally eaten raw. Lilikoi flavored syrup is a popular topping for
shave ice.
Ice cream and
mochi are also flavored with lilikoi, as well as many other desserts. Lilikoi fruits are not widely available in stores, so most of the fruit eaten comes from backyard gardens or wild groves.
