the best known of the fruits of various species of the genus Passiflora. This is a large group of climbing herbs and shrubs native to tropical America, SE Asia, and Australia. The names granadilla (or grenadilla) and water lemon are also used of the fruits of this group, overlapping with the name passion-fruit in a way which necessitates treating them all together. Granadilla is derived from granada, Spanish for pomegranate, and means ‘small pomegranate’. Maracuya is the name generally used in Brazil.
In S. America, the passion-flower became known as Flor de las cinco lagas (flower of the five wounds) because Jesuit missionaries used it in their teachings to illustrate the crucifixion of Christ. Each part corresponds to a particular emblem of the passion. Thus the three styles represent the three nails; the five stamens the five wounds (hands, feet, and side); the ovary, which is oval and set on a stalk, is taken to be either the sponge soaked in vinegar and offered on a stick, or the hammer used to drive in the nails; the spiky corona, prominently visible above the petals, is the crown of thorns; and the equal petals and sepals signify the ten apostles (Peter and Judas are not included).
Hence the name ‘passion-fruit’, most usually applied to Passiflora edulis, a plant native to Brazil. Since the 19th century it has been grown in Australia, New Zealand, S. Africa, and Hawaii; and now also in some other countries such as Israel. An alternative name is ‘purple granadilla’, referring to the deep purple rind of the main variety. There is also a yellow type, var. flavicarpa, which is the basis of the passion-fruit industry in Hawaii and Fiji.
The fruit, about the size of an egg, has a brittle outer shell which becomes slightly wrinkled when it is ripe. The soft, orange pulp is full of tiny seeds. These are edible, and liked by many, but others avoid them and prefer their passion-fruit in the form of jelly or juice. (Over a hundred fruits are needed to make one litre of juice, so it is a costly delicacy; but the juice has exceptional viscosity, because of its high starch content, and calls for considerable dilution.) Passion-fruit is also used in sherbets and confectionery, ice cream and yoghurt.
The flavour is of subtle composition and delicious. It is also very strong. Elizabeth Schneider (1986), writing in New York, rightly observes that many recipes from the countries where these fruits grow bid one take what would be impossibly expensive elsewhere, e.g. ‘one cup of strained fruit pulp’; but that, ‘fortunately, passion fruit works best as a flavoring. There is so much perfume and so little pulp that you can think of it as you would vanilla, or Cognac, or a spoon of dense raspberry purée—something to aromatize a dish.’ In Australia passion-fruit icing is popular for cakes, especially for sponge sandwich, and passion-fruit is used in the most traditional of various recipes for pavlova.
The giant granadilla (or granadilla real), P. quadrangularis, is native to the hotter regions of tropical America. The fruit is larger, up to 20 cm (8″) long, and greenish-yellow shading to brownish when ripe. It is popular in many tropical regions, including the hotter parts of India and SE Asia. In Indonesia it is made into a drink called Markeesa which is available in bottles. The flavour of the ripe fruit is inferior to that of P. edulis, but is eaten raw or used for juice or jelly. Unripe fruits are cooked as a vegetable in the same way as marrows.
The sweet granadilla, P. ligularis, is another tropical American species extensively cultivated in mountainous areas of Mexico and grown also in Hawaii, where it may be called water lemon, being very juicy. It has an orange shell when ripe.
The water lemon, P. laurifolia, sometimes called passion fruit, or Jamaica honeysuckle, is another tropical American species with yellow or orange fruits. The flesh is sweet, scented, and as good as that of P. edulis.
Curuba is the name in Colombia, where it is especially appreciated, of a yellow-fruited species, P. maliformis. It grows in other countries of the region, and the W. Indies, and has many other names: sweet calabash, sweet cup or conch apple (Jamaica), banana passion-fruit (New Zealand), and banana poka (Hawaii). The aromatic fruit, apple shaped with a thin yellowish-brown rind, is of high quality.
Alan Davidson was a distinguished author and publisher, and one of the world's best-known writers on fish and fish cookery. In 1975 he retired early from the diplomatic service—after serving in, among other places, Washington, Egypt, Tunisia, and Laos, where he was British Ambassador—to pursue a fruitful second career as a food historian and food writer extraordinaire. Among his popular books are Seafood of South-East Asia, North Atlantic Seafood, and Mediterranean Seafood. In 2003, shortly before his death, he was awarded the Erasmus Prize for his contribution to European culture.
Schneider, Elizabeth (1986), Uncommon Fruits and Vegetables, New York: Harper & Row.
