Produce Guide - U

Ugli Fruit

The ugli fruit is a trademark name for a citrus hybrid specific to Jamaica. Technically the Ugli is a tangelo, a term that describes a number of hybrid crosses between a mandarin and either a pomelo or a grapefruit. Tangelos range from the popular Minneola, which is dark orange with a distinctive bump on its stem end, to the well-named Ugli fruit. Properly pronounced oogli, the fruit's name has nothing to do with the absence of beauty. That said, like the donkey, this odd-looking hybrid isn't exactly a stunner. Large and ungainly, the Ugli is covered in a thick rind, which is best described as baggy, since it pulls up at the top like an ill-fitting turtleneck.

But although it might not win any beauty pageants, the Ugli gets first prize for flavour. Bearing traces of both the grapefruit and the mandarin, the flesh is at once sweet and acid, similar to pineapple. The fragrance is heavenly, more like a citron than any other citrus fruit. And the Ugli tends to be much more succulent than most citrus fruits, producing fantastic juices. Because of this, the segments tend to disintegrate, so peel an Ugli over a bowl in order to catch the juices.

The Ugli fruit should be heavy for its size and slightly squishy, which hints at juicy flesh. Don't worry if the skin is mottled or scabby. Small fruit may be slightly more flavourful than large, as well as drier, which may be desirable if you're using them in a salad. They will keep in the refrigerator for at least a week, but you probably won't be able to hang on to them for that long. You can peel and eat them out of hand as you would an orange, or slice them in half and eat with a grapefruit spoon. As with pomelos and grapefruit, Ugli fruit go well in both fruit and tangy green salads, although you may want to drain some of the juice into a dressing.