It is no stranger to Vietnamese people, with its typical sweet and sour taste and cool scent. Passion fruit is always popular when summer comes. Not just a refreshing drink. Passion fruit is also a particularly good medicine for health due to the rich source of vitamins from this fruit. Join Van Xuan to learn more about this special fruit.

Characteristic

The Passion fruit tree (in English called Passion fruit) is also known by many names: passion fruit tree, purple passion flower, macadamia or longan, its scientific name is Passiflora incarnate, belonging to the Passiflora family. There are two types of passion fruit: yellow (key lime) and purple. The purple type grows faster and healthier, the fruit is larger and more fragrant, and much more fragrant than our passion fruit. Young passion fruit is green, when ripe it is yellow or purple depending on the variety. The berries are egg-shaped, have a lot of flesh, have a cool, sweet and sour taste, very pleasant, about 5-7cm in diameter. Each truss produces about 40 – 200 fruits/crop depending on the care regime. If you plant in pots, you also have a minimum of 30 fruits/root.

Nutritional value

Passion fruit contains many healthy nutrients, especially rich in fiber, vitamin C and vitamin A. On average, one fruit contains the following nutritional ingredients: Calories: 17% RDI – daily recommended nutritional value day; fiber: 2 grams; Vitamin C: 9% RDI; Vitamin A: 8% RDI; Iron: 2% RDI; Potassium: 2% RDI. They are also rich in beneficial plant compounds, including carotenoids and polyphenols. In fact, one study found it to be richer in polyphenols than many other tropical fruits (including bananas, lychees, mangos, papayas, and pineapples). Additionally, they provide small amounts of iron. Our bodies usually do not absorb iron from plants well. However, the iron in passion fruit comes with a lot of vitamin C – which helps enhance iron absorption.

Benefits to health

Passion fruit has many special health benefits. Its nutritional ingredients have created many great values for human health.

Rich in antioxidants

Passion fruit contains a lot of antioxidants. In particular, it is rich in vitamin C, beta carotene and polyphenols. Antioxidants protect your body from free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage cells when they exist in large quantities.

Good source of fiber

A single passion fruit provides about 2 grams of fiber. Fiber is important for keeping your intestines healthy and preventing constipation. Soluble fiber helps slow down the digestion of food. This prevents blood sugar spikes. High-fiber diets are also associated with a lower risk of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

Anti-inflammatory effect

The high antioxidant content of passion fruit peels may give them powerful anti-inflammatory effects when taken as a supplement. One small study investigated the effects of supplementing with passion fruit peel extract on asthma symptoms over four weeks. Results showed they were effective in reducing cough, wheezing and shortness of breath. In another study in people with knee osteoarthritis, those who took an extract from the peel of this fruit experienced a significant reduction in pain and stiffness.

Economic value of this plant

Introduced to Vietnam during the French colonial period, but in recent years, passion fruit has been identified as a crop with high economic value, replacing traditional low-value crops. In Lam Dong in general and provinces such as Gia Lai and Dak Nong in particular, this is a species that farmers eagerly grow, the varieties are mainly imported from Taiwan. If well cared for, this variety has an average yield of 70 – 100 tons/ha/year, with a market price of 15,000 – 17,000 VND/kg. After deducting costs, the grower earns a net profit of 500 – 700 million VND. VND/ha/year, the most effective farming cycle is no more than 2 years.

Passion fruit especially grows and develops well in Vietnam

Passion fruit trees grow strongly, branch quickly, and are not picky about soil, but it is best to choose soil that is well-drained and not waterlogged. The soil has a light mechanical composition, pH 5.5-6. The soil is flat, the weather is warm, and the humidity is reasonable, and passion fruit trees grow very well. The suitable temperature for tree growth is 16-30 degrees Celsius. Passion fruit trees grow well in sunny areas, especially passion fruit trees that cannot tolerate frost. Its growing conditions are completely suitable for Vietnam’s climate. Currently this tree is grown on a relatively large area and quite concentrated throughout the provinces from North and South, mainly concentrated in provinces such as Dak Lak, Lam Dong, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Kien Giang, Can Tho, Hoc Mon,…