![]() Last year, Melissa’s Produce distributed the crop to what is called “food service” – restaurants and other food venues such as sports arenas. The next year, there was a major planting, and the first crop emerged in 2011. The climate here is ideal for it, and in 2007 a few growers were quietly given plants to try. of Lindsay,Calif., 50 miles outside of Fresno, and planted on farms in the Central Valley. growers from pests and diseases that might be introduced from plants that come in from other countries and might devastate an entire industry.įast forward a few more years, and the budwood was finally out of quarantine, acquired by Suntreat Packing & Shipping Co. Although it is homely, it was prized for its magnificent flavor – sweet yet balanced by a nice acidity – and became not only the favorite, but the most expensive citrus, fetching $8-$10 a pop.įast forward to the 1990s, when a citrus grower in California imported some budwood – branches for grafting new trees – and put them in official quarantine, which is required to protect U.S. ![]() ![]() It’s called Dekopon in Japan, where it originated in the 1970s its parents were a tangor (cross of orange and Satsuma mandarin) and a ponkan (large mandarin). Loose skin that makes it easy-peel, seedless, endlessly sweet with melt-in-your-mouth segments, with a unique aroma – all characteristics of a winning fruit – this citrus has been #1 in Japan, but is brand new to the U.S. It’s the biggest mandarin you’ve ever seen, probably the sweetest, too, and comes with its own little topknot handle. In other words, the Sumo’s worst day is the naval orange’s best day.Ī little lumpy, a little bumpy, a little like an orange-colored Sharpei, if that dog were shaped like a blob, the Sumo Citrus is the Volkswagen Bug of the produce world – so ugly it’s cute! “A bad Sumo is equal to what a good naval orange tastes like,” says Seth Wollenman, the brand manager for this new fruit. ![]() Well, maybe “butt-ugly” is a little harsh, but you have to admit this citrus is cosmetically challenged. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |