Passiflora ligularis was another of my sister's finds. Known in English as 'sweet granadilla' or 'grenadia,' the fruit of P. ligularis can be yellowish to orangey-green. It's about the size of lemon, but more round. The first thing that struck me about it is how light it was. The granadilla's leathery skin ,which is white and pulpy on the interior, is mostly air. Biologically, P. ligularis is a member of the Passifloraceae family, which contains 27 genera of tropical plants, Most plants in the family seem to be more valued for their flowers than their fruits. P. ligularis's range extends from northern Argentina to Mexico. Like other tropical fruits from Latin America, P. Ligualris has become established in part of Africa well as Australia.
When my sister presented it to me, I frankly had no idea what to make of it. The only thing that came to mind was the name 'granadilla,' which suggests a resemblance to pomegranates – called 'granadas' in Spanish.
When I cracked it open, I discovered that like a pomegranate, granadillas hold a large number of seeds suspended in a transparent pulp. The pulp is the edible part of the plant. Unlike pomegranates, an open granadilla smells like a eucalyptus tree after a heavy rain.
The fruit tastes more like sweet orange juice, but the faintest hint of eucalyptus hovers in the background. It is a flavor my sister described as 'not entirely unpleasant.' I'd rate it a little higher than that. But the swishing and spitting needed to separate the pulp from the seeds seems barely worth the effort.
No comments:
Post a Comment