CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI

Dragon Fruit Salad l Okinawa Hai!

Beautiful, simple, and fresh, I always make this salad when I have dragon fruit (ドラゴンフルーツ). You might see these pretty fruits growing at the Southeast Botanical Gardens or in your Japanese neighbor’s garden.

Dragon Fruit Salad l Okinawa Hai!

It’s eye-popping and delicious. To me, dragon fruit tastes like a subtle mix of kiwi, pear, and chia seed. I like to use the small Okinawan limes, shikuwasa (シークワーサー) with this recipe.

The recipe:

  •        1 dragon fruit
  •         Juice of 3 shikuwasa
  •         1 tbsp honey
  •         Zest from 3 shikuwasa
  •         1 tbsp torn mint

Cut the dragon fruit in half. Remove the inside with your fingers. It should slide out pretty easily in one piece. This can be white or pink.

Dragon Fruit Salad l Okinawa Hai!

Dice into small pieces and toss into a bowl.

Dragon Fruit Salad l Okinawa Hai!

Add shikuwasa juice, honey, mint, and zest to the bowl and mix.

Dragon Fruit Salad l Okinawa Hai!

Put the dragon fruit mix right back into the peel for simple and beautiful plating or eat from the bowl.

Dragon Fruit Salad l Okinawa Hai!

The juice of the pink dragon fruit will color your hands a lovely shade of pink. If you care, you should get some gloves. If not, enjoy the beautiful color.