Submitted by Andrew Nehaul
The Grapefruit.
The grapefruit (Citrus × paradisi) is a subtropical citrus tree known for its sour to semi-sweet fruit, an 18th-century hybrid first bred in Barbados.[1] When found, it was named the “forbidden fruit”;[2] and it has also been misidentified with the pomelo or shaddock (C. maxima), one of the parents of this hybrid, the other being sweet orange (C. × sinensis).[3]
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grapefruit
Grapefruits have a rather recent history, having been discovered in Barbados in the 18th century. Many botanists think the grapefruit was actually the result of a natural cross breeding which occurred between the orange and the pomelo, a citrus fruit that was brought from Indonesia to Barbados in the 17th century.
The resulting fruit was given the name “grapefruit” in 1814 in Jamaica, a name which reflects the way it’s arranged when it grows—hanging in clusters just like grapes.
Grapefruit trees were planted in Florida in the early 19th century, although they did not become a viable commercial crop until later that century. Florida is still a major producer of grapefruits, as is California, Arizona and Texas. Other countries that produce grapefruits commercially include Israel, South Africa and Brazil.
When one reads the above it is a mystery why we have not used this fact to promote Barbados and/or create products for local use and export based on this wonderful fruit. For example –
Grapefruit liqueur
Grapefruit mister (rum, syrup, grapefruit juice & blue Curacao)
Grapefruit & cucumber soup (served cold)
Grapefruit cream pie (dessert) – In the late 70’s the Jolly Roger rum punch was the most famous item of the cruise. The base of this was a grapefruit syrup purchased from COKE which at the time made the grapefrutty drink.
Market it!
Grapefruit has many uses why not let us use it by having an annual world festival in Barbados based on this fruit. We should target the growers in Florida, California, Arizona, Texas, Israel, South Africa & Brazil. Use for example the family magazines in the USA, UK, Canada & Brazil and encourage the readers to come up with their own grapefruit recipe. Moreover, they should be encouraged to come to Barbados to compete in the local recipe competitions.
Kids
Get the gamers to create a grapefruit app and a game based on Barbados & grapefruit.
Internet
Use the Wikipedia source to promote the fact that this fruit was created in Barbados.
Social Media
Create a Facebook page for the fruit and link with the Barbados page.
The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.