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Grapefruit

“A grapefruit is just a lemon that saw an opportunity and took advantage of it.” Oscar Wilde

Origin

The grapefruit is an ancient hybrid between the sweet navel orange and the pomelo. It is the only citrus fruit that was never grown in the Far East, where all the others originated. Recognised as a species in 1830, it didn’t become a common ingredient until the mid 19th century. Before that point, grapefruits were only used for ornamental purposes. The biggest producers are in the United States, while in Italy they’re grown by some citrus producers in Sicily. Interestingly, the name comes from the fact that grapefruit used to be grown on tree branches that were so closely intertwined that they looked like grape vines.

Cookit

This fruit has a sharp flavor, though the red variety is slightly sweeter. Grapefruit is often used in juices and herbal teas. It also works well in savory or tart dishes, such as chicken or shellfish salads, or crab and prawns with avocado. The largest exporters or grapefruits are the Spanish, and it’s from them that we get the recipe for “grapefruit and baccala”, a seafood salad with salted cod.

Did you know

Refreshing, zesty and rich in vitamins, grapefruit has strong antioxidant and fat-burning properties, so it is recommended for low-calorie diets. At the end of a meal, it helps the body convert fat into energy due to its digestive and cleansing power. However, not everyone can eat grapefruit: some of the substances in the fruit interact with certain medications, causing them to be absorbed up to 5 times more than normal.

Variety

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