Passion fruit

Although the name makes this fruit sound like an aphrodisiac, passion fruit was named by Spanish missionaries who said the appearance of the flowers had a significance to the Crucifixion. The missionaries used the flowers to illustrate the Crucifixion, explaining that the three styles (a portion of the center of the flower) represented the three nails that were used, and the five flower stamens represented the five wounds. Passion fruits are round, about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter, and have a hard, wrinkled, dark purple skin when the fruit is ripe. The skin, which is almost like a shell, is not eaten. The flesh consists mostly of seeds, which can be eaten, or the flesh can be forced through a sieve to extract the juice. Passion fruit juice can be used in ice creams (fortunately, neither the scent nor the flavor dissipates through storage or freezing), soufflés, sauces, and beverages. Passion fruits are native to Brazil but are also grown now in California, Hawaii, Florida, Africa, India, and New Zealand. Ripe passion fruits can be stored in the refrigerator for about one week.