La Pitahaya Churuja: Hylocereus sp
- Kami Kenna
- Dec 12, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 18
THE pitahaya (dragon fruit in English) from Churuja, Bongará, Amazonas. Churuja is only about 20 minutes' driving from Gocta Lab, though you find the climbing cactus growing wild all over the area, like a weed. Endemic to this region, this pitahaya has recently become a crop in high demand in Lima and in export markets. The region is seeking to expand plantations to meet the rapidly growing demand.
The pitahaya churuja has a yellow outer shell. The inside is a very sweet, fleshy, white fruit with tiny black seeds. It’s crazy delicious, sweeter than other varieties that I've tried.
As it ferments from sweet to dry, it showcases flavors of melon and prickly pear. This feels exciting, especially in a region that is actively seeking to expand value-added products centered around this super star fruit.
Distilling Pitahaya Churuja:
12/7
1:1 pulp to water 2.47 kilos 12/7
12/9
Pulp is separated from the liquid below.
12/12
Tasting close to dry...
12/15
Convinced the 1:1 pulp to water was a mistake and planned to let it go to vinegar.
12/25
I came back this today, it measures at 5 brix, from the initial 20, and is at 2.35 ph - it’s fizzy, like the yeast is still working. I’m going to distill it.
12/29
2 Liters of pitahaya were distilled with 1 liter of guarapo (caña) and 1 liter of fermented yacon. To the mix, it adds an aromatic cactus fruit - almost melon/sandia, and some interesting dryness to the mix.
Further comments
It would be interesting to spin this into a fortified wine, like vermouth. The ferment on its own is champagne-like, fresh, and bright.
Sources:
Comments