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Food Finds is a semi-regular feature in which I channel my inner Andrew Zimmern to experiment and try exotic and new foods — sans creepy crawly bugs and bull’s testicles, of course.  Have an idea for my next food find?  Post your suggestions in the comments below!

It is a testament to the marvels of modern technology that I am able to savor an UGLI fruit while gazing out my window at steadily falling snow in my corner of the American Midwest.  What exactly is an UGLI fruit, you ask?  It’s the trademark name under which Cabel Hall Citrus Ltd. markets it brand of tangelos from Jamaica (pronounced there as “hoo-glee”).  The fruit was found in the 1920s growing wild on the island nation, and is believed to be a hybrid of grapefruit, Seville oranges and tangerines.  It’s available from December through April, and sometimes in the fall.   The company’s slogan for the fruit is, ““The Affliction is only Skin Deep so the Beauty is in the Eating,” so while a name makeover might make it more palatable to consumers, it’s a perfect food find for this blog.

As its name suggests, the UGLI fruit is indeed a rather unattractive fruit — it’s slightly larger than a grapefruit with misshapen, dimpled wrinkly green-yellow skin.  I bought mine at my local grocer for 99 cents, a price comparable to a grapefruit of similar size, and not knowing anything about the UGLI fruit, selected one with a bright Kermit-green colored rind.  The skin is easier to peel than a grapefruit or orange and sheds to reveal an orangey-yellow, pulpy, virtually seed-free citrus inside.  I later read that the green surface blemishes turn orange when the fruit is at its peak ripeness, so mine was perhaps a bit under-ripe for the eating (they can be stored for up to two weeks in the fridge). The UGLI fruit is much juicier than an orange and even a grapefruit, so make sure you aren’t wearing white, like I was.  Better yet, wear a bib.  For those of you raised with manners, Cabel Hall recommends cutting the fruit in half, loosening the segments and eating with a spoon.

I found the taste to be somewhat of a weak orange with a slight sour zest of lemony citrus.  In reading other accounts of people who actually waited until their fruits were ripe, the taste at its peak is comparable to a juicy naval orange.  I’ll probably stick to oranges and grapefruits for stand-alone fruits, but I think the UGLI fruit would be fantastic in a fruit salad or smoothie.  Check out these other creative UGLI food and drink recipes:

• UGLI Salad with Dressing

• Caribbean Cold Souffle

• Moroccan Fruit Salad

• Flambe’ed Bananas with Ugli Ice Cream

• Emeril’s Ugli Fruit Mojito

• Ugli Cerviche; Fennel Salad; Martini

Are you an UGLI fan?  Have a recipe to share?  Post your comments below!