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On one of my many fruit-stall trips in Beijing, I pointed at a large, pale yellow, melon-sized fruit and asked what it was. Grapefruit, I was told. Grapefruit? That large? That color? Yes, grapefruit. Fine, I thought, I am a wuss when it comes to even the slightest amount of tartness, I don’t need strange Chinese giant grapefruit. Oh, no, I was reassured, these are much sweeter than what you are thinking of. Fine! I thought, and bought one, just to say I’d tried it.
Of course I’d never really eaten a whole grapefruit (I’d be crawling on the floor, spitting and yowling, from the sour taste!), and didn’t even get the concept of grapefruit spoons. Nevertheless, I bravely cut my Chinese grapefruit, which turned out to be a pomelo, a milder citrus fruit, open and attacked it with some sweetener (xylitol) and a regular spoon.
True to what I had been told, it was much sweeter than a Western grapefruit, though still tart enough for me to need sweetener and a break between halves. I am not made for tart foods… If I had to choose between eating a pomelo and, say, walking the plank, I’d definitely go for the pomelo, but for once one of my fruit experiments in China did not leave me with a craving once I got home.
What fruit can’t you abide? For me it’s grapefruit and pineapple. Do you like tartness? My wife sucks on lemons for fun, while I whimper at sour candy!
