Dragon fruit are native to South and Central America where they are known as Pitaya. Most of their breeding and variety selections have occurred in Southeast Asia. There are three species of dragon fruit in the genus Hylocereus: guatemalensis, polyrhizus, and undatus, as well as hybrids of the three and one species in the genus Selenicereus. The dragon fruit flesh can be white, red or magenta depending on the variety. The red and magenta flesh varieties contain lycopene, which is an antioxidant knownto fight cancer and heart disease. Despite its health benefits and spectacular appearance and taste, the fruit had gone virtually unnoticed for centuries. Over the past 8-10 years it has been rapidly growing in popularity in the United States. Today itis the leading fruit export of Vietnam.
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