Wellness Wednesday: Passion Fruit

Weekly tips to bring island-inspired wellness into your everyday life from Rosalie Bay Resort wellness coordinator Laura Lund. This is a guest post by Alma George and Roydon Bannis, therapists at the Spa at Rosalie Bay.

Passion Fruit as juice, fruit and a blossom at Rosalie Bay Resort, Dominica

Passion fruit. The very name and essence of the fruit denotes an experience of passion and ecstasy. The pleasant inviting look, the appealing size, sweet adorable scent and delicious tantalizing flavor. Each in its own order, a connotation of satisfaction to the senses. An invitation to pick, eat and the pleasurable reward for giving in.

It is believed the passion fruit was given its name by Catholic missionaries who thought the flower resembled a crown and the 12 petals represented the disciples. The Spanish nicknamed it “little pomegranate” because it contains many seeds inside a tegument.

This divine little fruit is a rich source of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins A and C, and fiber. It also helps remove LDL, or the “bad” cholesterol, from the body. Passion fruit is potassium rich, helping to regulate the heart rate and blood pressure.

On Dominica, passion fruit is used in local herbal medicine. A concentrated liquid is extracted from the plant and leaves, and used to relieve headaches. It has also been used as a sedative, narcotic and antispasmodic.

Passion fruit is used in desserts, juices, ice cream, jelly, sauces and syrup. It also can be enjoyed on its own, just scoop out the pulp and seeds and enjoy. Here at Rosalie Bay, you can taste this healthy fruit by sipping fresh made passion fruit juice at Zaman Restaurant.

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