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Granadilla Versus Passion Fruit

By: Author Jess Smith

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Granadilla fruit is probably not as popular as passion fruit worldwide, but these are two types of fruit that are often mistaken for one another.

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Granadilla Versus Passion Fruit

If you have ever seen a granadilla flower before, then you may have mistaken it for a passion fruit, and this is commonly the case, due to the fact that they are from the same genus, which is the pentamerous Passiflora.

This would explain why they can appear to be very similar in nature, but they are actually very different.

They will vary in size, color, taste, texture, and more, and it is mostly what is on the inside that counts.

In this article, we are going to tell you everything that you need to know about the difference between granadilla and passion fruit, so you can find out exactly what makes them different from each other.

Granadilla Versus Passion Fruit

Both granadilla and passion fruit are two types of fruit that are very closely related. However, they are also both very different.

Firstly, granadilla has a yellowy-orange skin color, whereas passion fruit will have a bright yellow or deeper purple coloring.

As well as this, passion fruit is typically the smaller of the two, and the inside of these fruits makes them very different.

You will be able to eat the seeds of both fruits, but passion fruit seeds are usually black with soft and yellow pulp.

On the other hand, granadilla seeds are also black, but they feature larger and more transparent soft pulp.

Something that a lot of people get confused about is the fact that in some parts of the world, both of these fruits are referred to as passion fruits; so how are you supposed to know the difference?

Although, once you learn about each of these fruits and what makes them so different, it becomes much easier to be able to tell them apart.

Some of these differences may even surprise you.

When it comes to where these fruits come from, there isn’t much that is different between them. They both come from the same genus of vining, which is flowering plants, and they are also both native to South America.

In addition to this, they are both extremely popular in both tropical and subtropical regions.

However, you should know that these two types of berry are more than different enough to be classed as two separate species. The granadilla is the Passiflora ligularis species, which is known for its long and thin, daisy-like petals.

The passion fruit, or Passiflora edulis was only named after the fact that it can be eaten, which isn’t so original.

As you probably are already aware, you can eat both of these fruits. However, the Passiflora species was named after something that is much more interesting, which is the passion of Jesus christ.

Interestingly, in the start of the 18th century, there were missionaries hailing from Brazil that called this fruit the flower of the five wounds.

This is due to the fact that they viewed its pentamerous nature as a symbol for Jesus’ five wounds.

Now that you know about some of the main differences between these two types of fruit, we are going to dive deeper into all of the details that you should know about granadilla and passion fruit below.

Appearance

The bottom line when it comes to the appearance of both of these fruits is that they look different. Although they both have fruit flowers and vining stems, they don’t exactly look the same.

Both fruits have a thick skin, but the granadilla is yellow in color, whereas the most popular type of passion fruit features a deep purple coloring.

Although, this isn’t all that is different when you consider their physical appearance. Even though the granadilla is filled with slimy seeds, just like the passion fruit, it also encases a pith and pulp, which look entirely different to the passion fruit.

The granadilla has a clear and gooey inside that is almost mucus-like in consistency, which encases the grey seeds inside of the fruit.

As well as this this white pith, which is the part of the fruit that is next to the rind, pulls away from the rind slightly.

On the other hand, the passion fruit is different. Although the pith is also white, it will usually stick to the skin a lot more than the granadilla does.

The inside of the passion fruit is also known for being quite yellow in color, and it houses black seeds inside of the less syrup-like pulp.

You would need to be careful not to confuse the granadilla for a yellow passion fruit or a green and unripe passion fruit.

Even though both of these fruits will be encased in a bright saffron colored shell, the yellow type of passion fruit will contain a similar type of golden pulp inside of it as the normal passion fruit.

Unripe passion fruit will usually be quite hard in comparison, and it will be green in color.

This may not be helpful if you are buying the whole fruit and are unable to see the inside, which is why if you want to ensure that you are not making this mistake, you will need to keep any eye out for a shell that is less shiny and that has more of an orange tinge to it than the yellow passion fruit, which is pure yellow.

Taste

Taste

Granadilla fruit is known to be much sweeter than passion fruit. Passion fruit tends to taste much more sour and acidic, and as soon as you cut this fruit open, you will be able to notice a strong and pungent smell.

This matches up perfectly with the strong and almost overwhelming flavor of the passion fruit.

This fruit is not known for being sweet at all, which is why some people will even go as far as to add sugar to it to make the flavor more enjoyable.

Lots of people would describe this fruit as being a mixture between sour and bitter grapefruit and fragrant and floral strawberry.

The granadilla is the complete opposite of this, as it does not smell sour at all. Instead, the smell is quite faint, and you will notice a hint of sweetness among the scent of this fruit.

When it comes to the flavor, you will notice that it is very sweet, rather than sour. You won’t need to add any extra sugar, and you can expect potential notes of kiwi and melon.

Granadilla is thought to be one of the best-tasting and calming fruits that there is.

You will be able to eat the seeds of both of these fruits, but you cannot eat the rind of either of them. You will need to scoop the fruit out of the shell to enjoy either of these options.

Different Uses

These two fruits are also often used for very different purposes, due to their varying flavors. As passion fruit has such a strong smell and flavor, it is not typically eaten on its own, and it is usually part of a drink or a sauce.

It can work really well as a dressing or condiment, and its sour flavor can compliment meat and vegetables well.

Although, with that being said, passion fruit is also used for various sweet treats, like ice creams and jellies. However, there will also be added sugar to sweeten up the flavor. Passion Fruit is perhaps most commonly used for cocktails.

Granadilla is typically found more commonly in sweeter dishes, and this is because it has a much higher sugar content. It can be used for making cakes, curds, and so much more.

No matter how you choose to enjoy either of these fruits, you can be sure that you will enjoy their unique and exotic flavors.

You can store both of these fruits in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, so you also don’t have to use them up all in one go.

If you want to keep them for longer than this, you can remove the insides from the ring and put them in a freezer safe container.

Simply pop them in the freezer and use them within 3 months for the best results.

You can even mix them with fruit juices and pop them into popsicle molds to create your very own fruity popsicles for the summer.

Jess Smith
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