Маракуя

Botany

Passiflora edulis, commonly known as passion fruit, is a vine species of passion flower native to southern Brazil, through Paraguay, and northern Argentina. It is a perennial vine of the family Passifloraceae. The fruit is a pepo, a type of botanical berry, round to oval, either yellow or dark purple at maturity, with a soft to firm, juicy interior filled with numerous seeds. Each seed is surrounded by a membranous sac filled with pulpy juice. The plant is cultivated commercially in tropical and subtropical areas for its sweet, seedy fruit, which is both eaten and juiced. In the United States, passion fruit is cultivated in Florida, Hawaii and California.

Varieties

There are two main varieties: a purple-fruited type, P. edulis f. edulis, and the yellow-fruited P. edulis f. flavicarpa. The fruit is 4-7.5 cm in diameter; purple fruits are smaller, weighing around 35 grams, while yellow fruits are closer to 80 grams. The yellow flavicarpa variety, also known as yellow or golden passion fruit, can grow up to the size of a grapefruit. The dark purple edulis variety is smaller than a lemon, is less acidic than yellow passion fruit, and has a richer aroma and sweeter pulp. The yellow variety is the most produced and marketed.

Aroma chemistry

Capillary gas chromatography of aroma extracts of yellow passion fruit revealed previously unreported sulfur-containing volatiles. 3-Mercaptohexanol was identified, together with the acetates, butanoates and hexanoates of 3-mercaptohexanol and 3-(methylthio)hexanol. Approximate amounts of these trace constituents were determined in freshly harvested fruits and in commercial passion fruit products. The newly identified compounds, especially the acetates, exhibit powerful sensory properties. 3-Mercaptohexyl acetate is also called passion fruit mercaptan acetate.

Composition and uses

Raw passion fruit is 73% water, 22% carbohydrates, 2% protein and 0.7% fat. Several varieties of passion fruit are rich in polyphenol content. Yellow varieties of the fruit were found to contain prunasin and other cyanogenic glycosides in the peel and juice. Fresh fruit pulp or passion fruit sauce is commonly used in desserts, including as a topping for ice cream. The juice is often added to other fruit juices to enhance aroma.