The humble backyard fruit you should be passionate about

Sweet and tangy, peppered with tiny crunchy black seeds, passion fruit is a gift from nature that calms one’s nerves as well as cools the body. It grows in wild abandon in our backyard and is quite a beauty with its round yellow shape and mild seductive smell.

Though a native of America, especially of the eastern parts, the fruit, which hangs down from climbers, grows uninhibitedly in India, New Zealand, the Caribbean Islands, Brazil and almost all over the world.

The climber spread its tentacles to France and Central Europe centuries ago. Contrary to the notion that passion fruit was brought to India by the British, it actually landed in our country from Sri Lanka.

Subsequently, it was farmed quite successfully in the Nilgiris, before it became an agricultural produce in Angamaly and Kasaragod.

Special efforts are being made by the Plantation Corporation to make its production popular and extensive.

Passion fruit juice not only slakes our thirst, but is also a health drink.

Read more: Passion fruit lemonade, a luscious way to beat the summer heat

Rich in nutrients, the flavonoids in the fruit are ideal stress-busters. In fact, the drink is being touted as a nerve-smoothie, and marketed for its wonderful medicinal properties.

The west had identified the effectiveness of drinking a glass of passion fruit juice as a cure for insomnia years ago. It also heals mouth ulcers and eases the discomfort of whooping cough.

Try out this tempting mango passion fruit souffle