The ugli fruit or uglifruit is a Jamaican tangelo, a citrus fruitcreated by hybridizing a grapefruit (or pomelo), an orange and atangerine Its species is Citrus reticulata × Citrus paradisi. It has been marketed under the trade names “UgliFruit” and “UniqFruit“.
It was discovered growing wild (possibly having developed in the same way grapefruit was created) in Jamaica where it is mainly grown today. Its name derives from the unsightly appearance of its rough, wrinkled, greenish-yellow skin, wrapped loosely around the orange pulpy citrus inside.The light green surface blemishes turn orange when the fruit is at its peak ripeness. An ugli fruit is usually slightly larger than a grapefruit (but this varies) and has fewer seeds. The flesh is very juicy and tends towards the sweet side of the tangerine rather than the bitter side of its grapefruit lineage, with a fragrant skin. The taste is often described as more sour than an orange and less bitter than a tangerine, however, and is more commonly guessed to be a lemon-tangerine hybrid. The fruit is seasonal from December to April. It is distributed in the United States and Europe between November and April, and is on occasion available from July to September.
Benefits of Ugli Fruit
- Ugli fruit belongs to citrus family and the rich source of Vitamin C helps in providing good refreshment throughout the day in the form of juice.
- The pulp of the Ugli fruit is used to be applied on skin for fairness.
- Ugli fruit combined with other fruits and vegetables for the preparation of salads gives delicious taste.
- Ugli fruit also has property of being anti-allergic and also helps in controlling blood pressure.
