PASSION FRUIT

Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis), called lilikoi in Hawaii, is a delicious tropical fruit, with a sweet, and sometimes tart, flavor. Native to South America and grown in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world, passion fruits grow on a climbing vine and are botanically classified as a berry. The fruits are round to oval, 1.5-3 inches in diameter, yellow or dark purple when ripe, with a soft, fleshy, juicy interior with numerous dark seeds.

Rich in vitamin C, passion fruit is a very good source of dietary fiber, including low-methoxyl pectin, and contains high amounts of piceatannol, a phenolic compound, and the carotenoids beta-carotene and cryptoxanthin. The fruit also contains a moderate source of iron, potassium, copper, phosphorus, magnesium, and some B-vitamins like niacin, riboflavin, folate and vitamin B6.