What to do with 66,000 pounds of surplus dragon fruit?

[asakiyume]

I heard this story on BBC World News, but the online links I could find with the best images were from this Business Insider story by Kate Taylor.

The founder of ABC Bakery in Ho Chi Minh city found that thousands of pounds of red dragon fruit were going unsold out in the Vietnamese countryside because Vietnam had closed its borders with China, the main buyer. So this bakery began buying the fruits and using them in their baked goods:

pink baguettes

(photo: Kate Taylor)

pink buns

(photo: Angela Kao)

and dragon fruit cake!

(photo: Angela Kao)

Here's what red dragon fruit looks like, so you have an idea of where the color comes from:


(image from eBay)

These offerings have been wildly popular, and it's really benefited the local farmers.

Comments

[sovay]

The founder of ABC Bakery in Ho Chi Minh city found that thousands of pounds of red dragon fruit were going unsold out in the Vietnamese countryside because Vietnam had closed its borders with China, the main buyer.

Oh, my God, I want a dragon fruit baguette.

[minoanmiss]

Several mail order places sell freeze-dried dragonfruit powder, including my favorite, nuts.com . Baguettes are famously difficult, but you could dragonfruit-infuse your favorite homemade baked goods?

[rachelmanija]

WANT.

[cmcmck]

Pink things are pink!

Stand away from all those small girls (and doubtless some small boys)! :o)

[mallorys_camera]

Oh, I love this!!!! ❤️❤️❤️

[asakiyume]

That was how I felt at midnight-something, listening to the BBC story!

[asakiyume]

Oh ho!! Good to know! (Though I bet nothing beats fresh, ripe dragon fruit ... though that's not an option for us in the best of times, so...)

[asakiyume]

Right??

[asakiyume]

They are most definitely pink! And dragon fruity? I kind of want to taste them. I've only had dragon fruit once, and it was kind of bland, but I had a destined-for-export, ended-its-days-shivering-in-a-northern-supermarket, doubtless-picked-unripe dragon fruit (plus, I had the sort that's white on the inside, not pink), so I have a feeling I didn't experience the real thing.

[asakiyume]

:D I'm glad. I loved the story as I was hearing it.

[amaebi]

Wow!

(It would be even better if dragon fruit weren't a snooze. But I bet it's nutritious.)

[shewhomust]

What a great story! My local greengrocer has dragonfruit, I've never got up the courage to buy one ...

[osprey_archer]

That dragonfruit cake looks amaaazing, I want it right now.

[asakiyume]

Right?! SO MAGENTA. (BTW this was the last thing I wrote you about in the letter I'm mailing you today... so you're going to get me enthusing about this in the letter, and you will know--from your vantage point in the future--that I couldn't contain my enthusiasm and ended up posting an entry about it.)

[asakiyume]

The one time I tried it, it was very bland, but it was one with a white center instead of a pink one, and I'm wondering if it was maybe not quite ripe, etc.

[asakiyume]

Do you think maybe fresh, local dragonfruit is less of a snooze? That's my hope/expectation. The one time I had supermarket dragon fruit, it was pretty bland, but still I'm hopeful.

[osprey_archer]

I bet the letter does not have a photograph of the MOST MAGENTA CAKE, so it's probably just as well that you posted as well as wrote in the letter!

[asakiyume]

You are *correct* ;-)

[queenoftheskies]

I saw that article and thought they were ingenious!

[asakiyume]

Human creativity!

[cmcmck]

It's like nashi pear, which is disappointingly watery (but very refreshing).

Have you tried jack fruit? That's becoming a real thing here among vegans. I saw it turning up on a vegan pizza t'other day! :o/

[asakiyume]

I love nashi! So crisp and juicy!

I haven't had jackfruit...so many delicious things to try.

[sartorias]

I can't help wonder what it tastes like, but for pretty, can't be beat!

[asakiyume]

Yes! I would be willing to volunteer to taste test :-)

[kore]

The fruit and the cake are AMAZING. I want some!

[asakiyume]

Goals for the next shopping expedition!

[athenais]

I will ask my friend who lives in Saigon if he has sampled any of these delights yet!

[amaebi]

Baguettes are difficult in what sense? With the regard to the desired oven humidities? (I ask as a veteran baguette-maker.)

[amaebi]

I keep looking at jackfruit but feeling intimidated by the size of the whole fruit, though I know I can buy just a chuck. Could you describe it?

[amaebi]

I so hope.

[minoanmiss]

I am so impressed with you! My one try at baguettes came ot misshapen and leathery, in part because i couldn't get the humidities right.

[asakiyume]

Yeah, this is Ho Chi Minh city but maybe the wonders have traveled ;-)

[zyzyly]

That dragonfruit bread looks delicious! I'm glad they are being creative.

[asakiyume]

Me too--it's wonderful <3

[amaebi]

There is a trick. As well as putting in a pan of hot water, I throw in some ice cubes as I put the bread pan in.