Banana passionfruit
Passiflora tarminiana · Passifloraceae · also known as Curuba, Tumbo, Taxo, Banana poka, Tacso
An elongated, banana-shaped yellow passionfruit from the Andes — soft orange pulp that's sweet-tart and intensely aromatic, the base of Colombia's beloved curuba juice and sorbets. A high-altitude vine, and a notorious invader of Pacific islands.
At a glance
- Taste
- Sweet-tart and highly aromatic, milder and less acidic than a purple passionfruit, with soft juicy orange pulp and many edible seeds inside a downy yellow, banana-shaped skin.
- Origin
- The Andes of South America
- Grown in
- Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia
- Peak season
- Year-round
Sensory & practical profile
Taste fingerprint
- Sweetness
- Tartness
- Aroma
- Juiciness
- Firmness
Approximate, at peak ripeness · 0–5
- Ripe when
- Skin fully yellow, downy, and slightly soft with a sweet fragrance; green fruit is unripe.
- How to eat
- Cut the banana-shaped fruit and scoop the aromatic orange pulp, seeds and all — or (better) blend it into curuba juice with milk.
- Typical price
- Budget
The banana passionfruit is a Jekyll-and-Hyde plant — a treasured juice fruit (curuba) in the Andean highlands, but a destructive invasive weed (banana poka) in Hawaii, where its vigorous vines smother native rainforest.
When it's in season, by region
| Region | Peak months |
|---|---|
| Latin America | Year-round in the Andean highlands |
How to select & store
Picking a ripe one
Choose plump, fully yellow, slightly soft fruit with unblemished downy skin; green fruit is unripe. Ripe curuba gives a little and smells sweetly fragrant.
Storing it
A few days at room temperature once ripe, longer refrigerated. The pulp freezes well and is widely sold frozen for juice.
Practical uses
🍽️ Culinary
- Curuba juice (jugo de curuba) — a beloved Colombian and Andean drink, often blended with milk
- Sorbets, mousses, and desserts
- Jams, cocktails, and sauces
- Scooped and eaten fresh, seeds and all
🌿 Health & traditional
- Vitamin-C-rich; the Passiflora family shares a calming folk reputation
🎎 Cultural
- Curuba is a fixture of Colombian juice culture and highland markets
- Introduced ornamentally to Hawaii and New Zealand, where (as banana poka) it became a serious invasive weed
Eating banana passionfruit: what to know
What regular consumption looks like
Banana passionfruit is a nutritious everyday fruit, best enjoyed as part of a varied diet. It is a good source of fibre (about 4 g per 100 g), which supports digestion and satiety. It is a good source of vitamin C (about 40 mg per 100 g), supporting immune function and helping the body absorb iron from plant foods.
Sensible amounts
A typical fruit serving is roughly a handful, one medium fruit, or about 80 g, and two or more varied fruit servings a day is a sensible everyday pattern.
Evidence & conditions
As a whole fruit, Banana passionfruit contributes fibre, vitamins, and beneficial plant compounds, but it has not been shown to treat or prevent any specific condition — so it is best enjoyed as part of a healthy diet rather than as a remedy.
Banana passionfruit: frequently asked questions
What does banana passionfruit taste like?
Sweet-tart and highly aromatic, milder and less acidic than a purple passionfruit, with soft juicy orange pulp and many edible seeds inside a downy yellow, banana-shaped skin.
When is banana passionfruit in season?
Banana passionfruit is typically in season Latin America (Year-round in the Andean highlands). Peak months shift between the northern and southern hemispheres.
How do you eat banana passionfruit?
Cut the banana-shaped fruit and scoop the aromatic orange pulp, seeds and all — or (better) blend it into curuba juice with milk.
How do you know when banana passionfruit is ripe?
Skin fully yellow, downy, and slightly soft with a sweet fragrance; green fruit is unripe.
Is banana passionfruit good for you?
Banana passionfruit is a nutritious everyday fruit, best enjoyed as part of a varied diet. It is a good source of fibre (about 4 g per 100 g), which supports digestion and satiety. It is a good source of vitamin C (about 40 mg per 100 g), supporting immune function and helping the body absorb iron from plant foods.
How much banana passionfruit should you eat?
A typical fruit serving is roughly a handful, one medium fruit, or about 80 g, and two or more varied fruit servings a day is a sensible everyday pattern.
The banana passionfruit looks exactly like its name: an elongated, banana-shaped yellow fruit with downy skin, hanging from a vigorous vine high in the Andes. Cut it open and it’s unmistakably a passionfruit inside — soft orange pulp full of seeds — but gentler, sweeter, and even more aromatic than the familiar purple kind.
Curuba: the Andes in a glass
Known as curuba in Colombia, tumbo in Peru, and taxo in Ecuador, this is one of the great juice fruits of the Andean highlands. Its fragrant pulp, scooped and blended (often with milk) into jugo de curuba, is a beloved everyday drink, and it flows into sorbets, mousses, jams, and cocktails; you can also just scoop and eat it fresh, seeds and all. Thriving at cool high altitudes where lowland passionfruit won’t grow, it’s a highland specialty — but it has a dark side abroad. Introduced ornamentally to Hawaii and New Zealand, it escaped as “banana poka,” a destructive invasive vine that smothers native rainforest. A treasured fruit at home and an ecological menace away, it’s the same aromatic pulp either way — best enjoyed as a cold glass of curuba in a Colombian market. For its North American wild cousin, see the maypop.
