What Is Passionfruit And How Do You Eat It?

Passionfruit is a totally unique and absolutely delicious fruit – as well as a personal favorite flavor. Working with the whole passionfruit can be a bit intimidating, though. Its peculiar exterior belies a wildly flavorful and sweet fruit, though, so it's totally worth it! 

Specialty Produce notes that there are 400 species of passionfruit that are grown throughout the world. That said, most of the passionfruit sold in supermarkets are purple or yellow and sport tough, waxy rinds. Upon cutting a passionfruit open, it may not be the most appealing-looking fruit. The innards are almost jelly-like and are dotted with dark seeds, all of which are edible. If not ripe, the fruit can be a bit acidic and bitter, but when it's ripe, the flavor is tart and subtly sweet (via Bon Appétit). 

They are delicious eaten raw but can be a bit tart for some. Beyond this, passionfruit flowers are conspicuous, brightly colored, and absolutely beautiful. Their appearance is said to have influenced Spanish missionaries to give the fruit the name "passionfruit" in a biblical reference to the "passion" suffered by Jesus Christ on the cross, according to Summit Daily. 

Rachael Ray notes that the darkest and most wrinkled and downright ugly passionfruit specimens usually taste the best. However, a single passionfruit doesn't yield much edible pulp. Because of this, many instead purchase passionfruit juice or frozen pulp instead of laboriously preparing their own.

Passionfruit is hugely versatile, with an amazing flavor that plays well with many desserts, smoothies, cocktails, and even savory preparations like sauces. It blends especially well with other tropical flavors, such as papaya, mango, coconut, and citrus. Passionfruit ice cream is also absolutely incredible! 

Not only are these fruits delicious, but they're also super beneficial health-wise. Healthline notes that they're great sources of dietary fiber, beta carotene, vitamin C, iron, and vitamin A. The passionflower that precedes the fruit is also said to treat and mitigate insomnia, and even anxiety, while also potentially helping with digestion (via Healthline). So, who else is craving some passionfruit?