Shortly after the announcement that Ecuadorian dragon fruit will soon gain access to the U.S. market, a California-based importer has drawn attention to the Nicaraguan deal now underway for the fruit. 

Unlike the Ecuadorian dragon fruit which tends to have a yellow exterior and white flesh, Frieda’s Specialty Produce has highlighted a red-skinned cultivar with magenta-flesh.

In a release the cmopany said now was the perfect time to drive retail sales for red-fleshed dragon fruit - also known as pitahaya - with a lower retail price point.

"Summertime is peak season for dragon fruit, and the prices are very reasonable," said Alex Jackson Berkley of Frieda’s Specialty Produce.

"Dragon fruit is one of the top-selling and trending tropical fruits, and also resonates with Asian and Hispanic shoppers," said Berkley, who was also included in Produce Business Magazine's special edition of '40 Under Forty'.

"Build a big, beautiful dragon fruit display with signage about the different varieties, as shoppers may want to try all the colors and flavors. Merchandise other tropical fruits along with the dragon fruit to make the display a truly exotic destination."

Available from June through November, Nicaragua red dragon fruit has a rounder shape - like a pink softball - with a deep magenta flesh and what Frieda's describes as a better flavor than the mild Vietnamese variety.

The company ships Nicaragua fruit from both Miami and Los Alamitos, California, in pallet or truckload volume.

In addition to Nicaragua, Frieda’s supplies dragon fruit from several other growing regions to offer year-round availability on this trending fruit:

• Vietnam Dragon Fruit: Available in white and limited red flesh, this top-selling variety boasts a beautiful appearance and is available year-round. (It’s also the only dragon fruit that has to be irradiated.)

• Israeli Pitahaya: Available from July through March, the non-irradiated Israeli crop has multiple colors and appearances, from white flesh, to red flesh, to the popular yellow skinned fruit with white flesh. Some varieties feature curly “leaves,” while others may have a more unique pinecone-type shape.

• USA White and Red Dragon Fruits: Similar in appearance to the Vietnam fruit, they’re grown in Florida and California, and available from June to August.

“We always get asked the difference between dragon fruit and pitaya. The names can actually be used interchangeably,” said Berkley.

"The key is to have the fruit properly labeled with a PLU—which we do on all the fruit we ship."

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