Caribbean Market: Passion Fruit

by Amber Charles-Alexis, MSPH, RDN

September 27, 2021

Background | Food uses | Nutrition | Health Benefits | Purchase & Storage tips

Picture: Canva

I have fond (and exciting) childhood memories of slicing a large bag of passion fruits in half for my mother to blend them to make juice.

As much as I enjoyed smelling passion fruit, its juice is an all-time favorite of mine, and it surely is popular in the Caribbean and among the diaspora.

As an adult, I now eat passion fruit straight from the rind, or maybe use it as a topper for my yogurt snack (try it before you knock it).

Here is another installment to the Caribbean Market.

Background

Alternate names: purple passion fruit (Passiflora edulis), yellow passion fruit (Passiflora flavicarpa), maracuya, granadilla

Passion fruit is believed to have originated in South America but can be grown in tropical and sub-tropical regions and are now found world-wide.

They have been used extensively in herbal medicine to treat many disorders, namely anxiety and depression, and continue to be explored for their potential pharmaceutical benefits (1, 2).

Food Uses

The passion fruit is quite versatile, though it may be tart.

It can be eaten directly from the rind, or made into a juice or concentrate for alcoholic beverages.

It may even be used to create jelly, much like the lilikoi jelly which is a staple part of the Hawaiian breakfast.

You can use it as a topping for your yogurt and smoothie bowls, or add flavor to baked goods such as cakes.

Nutrition Facts

Passion fruit is an excellent source of dietary fiber - with an astonishing 25 g in just 1 cup of passion fruit (seeds included)! This is 88% of your daily needs for fiber (3).