|
|
Article: Get passionate for tart, aromatic passion fruit.
- Article from:
- Environmental Nutrition
- Article date:
- December 1, 2005
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 Belvoir Media Group, LLC. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
The Folklore. Native to southern Brazil, this tropical fruit of the passion-flower vine (Passiflora edulis) was first discovered in South America by Spanish explorers in the late 1500s. Brought back to Europe, the leaves were made into a tea soon famous for its sedative properties. Passion fruit made its way to Australia and Hawaii in the 1800s, where it remains an important crop. It's believed that Roman Catholic missionaries in South America gave passion fruit its name for marks on the flower that resemble signs of the crucifixion, evoking the passion of Christ.
The Facts. Passiflora grows as a vigorous vine with dramatic flowers of white and purple petals with ...