It has been a week since I bought passion fruits from the Hillcrest Farmers Market. I was happy to see the purple skin becoming brittle and wrinkly, which means they are ripe and ready to be eaten. Passion fruits bring back fond memories of my rotation in Vietnam. For lunch, I frequented a local restaurant walking distance to the pharmacy school, where I was introduced to passion fruit, or “chanh day,” for the first time in my life. I still remember my first sip, an intense flavor, both sweet and sour, hitting my taste buds, unmatched by any other fruits. I would enjoy a bowl of banh canh and a glass of “chanh day” while taking in the crowd, motorcycles zooming by, and the hot, humid weather of Saigon.
Ever since I came back to the states, I have not been able to find passion fruits until this fall. Passion fruits are only available in early spring through summer so I definitely hit the jackpot. I was wavering between passion fruit mousse, sorbet, or crème brulee. In the end I went with something unexpected, panna cotta, an Italian dessert, and used the passion fruit pulp as the topping. What an amazing combination! The intense flavor of the passion fruit complimented the lightness and delicate taste of the panna cotta. The seeds added a wonderful crunch. It was a perfect dessert to end the weekend. I am looking forward to growing my own passion fruits one day!
Jessica {The Novice Chef}
Wow! Simply stunning photos!
foodie @ tastingpot
i like your pictures and would like to invite you to share them on tastingspot.com
vytran
Thank you Jessica! It took me a few hours to get them.
vytran
Foodie, thank you for the invite. You have an awesome website!
Anna
When I get lucky and stumble upon passionfruit, I always end up making juice or cocktails...I am excited to try this unique Panna Cotta recipe 😉
An Open Book
wow ..if only id seen this before using up all my passion fruit..gorgeous pic
vytran
Anna, I hope you'll like it =P
vytran
Thank you Open Book!
Laura
I love panna cotta, and had never thought of topping it with passionfruit...FABULOUS idea! May I ask where you got those wonderful little jars?
vytran
Hi Laura. I got these jars from a store at the Ferry Building in San Francisco. You can also find them at weckjars.com =P
tiho
we used to have a passion fruit vine that would yield the most divine passion fruits ever, but since they have only a 5-7 year life span, our passion fruit vine has died long ago. this recipe makes me long for that vine in our backyard again!
vytran
Hi Tiho. That's a shame that it only has a 5-7 year life span. I really want one but we live in an apartment so we can't get one for a while =(
Anonymous
Is that Donna Hay recipe? looking good
vytran
This one was inspired by Miette, but Donna Has has a great recipe for panna cotta from her Fast, Fresh, Simple cookbook.