TFM Exhibits: Passionfruit

Passion Fruit

Passion fruit (Portuguese: maracujá; Spanish: maracuyá) comes from passion flower vines, plants of the genus Passiflora, native to tropical and sub-tropical America. The members of this genus produce beautiful flowers that are extensively cultivated outside their natural range.

Passiflora edulis is cultivated commercially in northwestern South America, the Caribbean, Brazil, south Florida, Hawaii (where it is called lilikoi), Australasia (where it is always spelled passionfruit), East Africa, and South Africa (where it is called granadilla) for its fruit. The passion fruit of commerce is round to oval, yellow or dark purple at maturity, with a mushy interior filled with numerous seeds. The fruit is grown 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 passion fruit (for example, in Brazil) can grow up to the size of a grapefruit, with a smooth, glossy, light and airy rind. The dark purple passion fruit (for example, in Kenya) is smaller than a lemon, with a dry, wrinkled rind at maturity.

On the island of Puerto Rico it is called parcha. It is widely believed to lower blood pressure. In Venezuela it is called parchita. In Malaysia and Indonesia it is also known as markisa and the yellow one is called konyal in Sundanese language.

Brazilian passionfruit (maracuya) mousse (image source)

In Brazil, passion fruit mousse is a common dessert, and passion fruit seeds are routinely used to decorate the tops of certain cakes. Some say there that eating too many seeds makes one sleepy.

It is said in some cultures, after eating a Passion Fruit, you fall in love with the next person you make eye contact with.

The flower of the passion fruit is a source of cyanide.

Image sources: upper left; upper right