Pitaya Is the New Acai: 3 Breakfast Recipes for Beauty’s Latest Superfood

A major color palette shift is at hand in the world of healthy eating. Beneath the artfully arranged slices of mango and studied sprinklings of granola that once adorned breakfast bowls heaped with pale purple acai, a new intensely fuchsia base has taken root: Pitaya. Otherwise known as dragon fruit, the vibrant ingredient is making its mark on everything from our Instagram feeds to the tables of our favorite restaurants. “It’s really versatile,” says chef Alissa Wagner, who introduced pitaya bowls to the menu of Manhattan’s newly reopened Dimes last month. “The flavor is a little sweet but with a nice brightness and acidity. It’s complex.”

The superfruit, which proves as visually appealing as it does beneficial to the body, is becoming a mainstay in eateries from Honolulu to Miami. “The seeds have a lot of fatty acids, and the skin—which is edible—has tons of magnesium.” Its bright pink flesh also boasts a host of anti-inflammatory and detoxifying nutrients, including Vitamins C and B. Luckily, pitaya bowls are as easy to re-create at home as they are to order. To that end, we asked a few of our favorite restaurants to share their exclusive twists on beauty’s newest phenomenon. From the Salted Lemon’s lychee-infused confection to JugoFresh’s mochi-topped recipe, here are three dishes we’ll be snacking on this month.

 

THE RESTAURANT: Dimes, New York City
THE BREAKFAST DISH: Ginger-Plum Pitaya Bowl with Bee Pollen and Mint

Ingredients:
1/2 frozen banana
1/8 cup buckwheat
1/8 cup hemp seeds
2 packs of pure frozen pitaya puree
1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk, plus more if needed
1/2 cup water
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced thin
1 small plum, pit removed, thiny sliced
6 blackberries
1 tsp. bee pollen
2 mint leaves, thinly sliced
Honey to taste

Procedure:
1. Peel a banana, cut in half, and freeze overnight.
2. Place buckwheat and hemp seeds in a small bowl, cover with water, and soak overnight.
3. In the pitcher of a blender, place frozen pitaya, frozen banana half, coconut milk, water, and ginger. Blend until smooth but thick, adding more coconut milk if needed to desired consistency.
4. Strain soaked buckwheat and hemp and rinse under cold running water.
5. Place pitaya mixture in a small bowl. Sprinkle with buckwheat and hemp.
6. Top with sliced plum, blackberries, bee pollen, and mint. Drizzle with honey to taste.

 

THE RESTAURANT: The Salted Lemon, Honolulu, Hawaii
THE BREAKFAST DISH: Hawaiian Tropic Pitaya Bowl

Ingredients:
1 3.5 oz. packet of pitaya
1 cup mango
1 cup lychee (fresh or canned)
1 cup coconut
1 cup ice

Procedure:
1. Blend all ingredients on high for 30 seconds.
2. Top with sliced strawberries and kiwis, blueberries, honey, and granola if desired.

 

THE RESTAURANT: JugoFresh, Miami
THE BREAKFAST DISH: Pitaya Acai Bowl with Maqui Berry Mochi Topping

Ingredients:
Splash of almond milk
1 3.5 oz. packet of pitaya
1/2 3.5 oz. packet of acai
1 peeled banana
1 tsp. coconut palm nectar
1 T chia seeds
20 drops borago officinalis extract
1 tsp. of moringa powder
1/2 cup ice

Procedure:
1. Add all ingredients in order they appear from the top to the bottom of recipe, adding ice last.
2. Blend in a high-power blender until smooth and creamy.
3. Place blueberry granola in glass bowl.
4. Add 6 slices of banana on top of granola.
5. Add blended acai/pitaya bowl onto banana slices.
6. Top with 3 strawberry slices, 1 tablespoon of diced pineapple, 1/4 teaspoon bee pollen, and 6 cubes of mochi topping (see below).

Maqui Berry Raw Mochi Topping:
1/2 cup coconut meat
1/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup coconut palm sugar
Pinch gray sea salt
2 T coconut flour
2 T rice flour
2 T maqui berry powder

Procedure:
1. Process coconut meat, cashews, coconut oil, palm sugar, and sea salt in a high-power blender until smooth.
2. Place mixture into a mixing bowl and add coconut flour, rice flour, and maqui berry powder.
3. Lay dough mixture out on a square baking tray and flatten it.
4. Let it freeze for 20 minutes, then proceed to cut it into desired shapes.
5. Roll the shapes in rice flour, removing excess flour, then place into freezer until ready to use.

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