These spectacular and vibrant monstrous fruits are found abundant throughout the wet season in Darwin markets. They are grown throughout Darwin and the rural area and are actually the fruit of  a cactus. The cactus flowers only at night when a large and beautiful creamy white flower appears, the next day it starts to form this awesome bright fruit and is ready 30 days later. The rubbery outer is best cut through and the inside either scooped out or cut into segments. The flavor of the fruit is bought out with a squeeze of local lime, its flavor is quite subtle and a little sweet.

The fruits are found in two varieties- red or white, the red has a slightly darker outer skin, which is softer, the red is more prized with its amazing deep pink colour, but both are delicious. These fruits are great in savory and sweet salads and add awesome color to a smoothie and dragonfruit and lime sorbet is a winner. The fruit is also known as Pitaya (Botanical name Hylocereus undatus) and originally is from Central and South America. If you want to grow them in your yard it’s pretty easily done. They need a sunny spot, some sandy organic soil
and a trellis or something for them to grow up and then along. Star pickets with a bike tyre on top do really well- you just need a cutting of a section of cactus to get started.