Fruit of the Week: Pluot

Name: Pluot

Brand: Washington Organic (that's what's on the label)

Place of Purchase: Wheatsfield Coop Grocery in Ames, IA

Country/Region of Origin: Washington State, USA

Price in Iowa: 2.99/lb.

Description: It looks like a plum, but burgundy-colored and speckled with tiny orange stars. Also it is a lot firmer than a ripe plum. The meat inside is juicy and red red red.

Flavor: Super sweet. The skin still has the tang you would expect from a plum, but the sweetness washes it away fast.

Aroma: nothing strong, slightly flowery.

Texture/Mouth-feel: firm skin; the flesh inside is so tender, it may as well be jam.

Notes: I like the idea of hybrids. I enjoy the process of pollinating plants. The act of creation has never been so obvious and worthwhile. Bees and bats must live satisfying lives.

The pluot was first bred by Floyd Zaiger, founder of Zaiger's Genetics, as a cross between an apricot and a plum. When I first started putting my fruit list together, a number of fruits jumped out with a strange country of origin: Zaiger Genetics. Digging a bit deeper I discovered that Zaiger has bred apricots, nectarines, plums and peaches into a variety of new hybrids. Taking it once step further, his company continues to isolate new breeds of the original hybrids, selecting for color, flavor, sugar content, vitamin content and texture.

So, the pluot is my first Zaiger product. It knocked me out with sweetness, and it's red flesh was very appealing to the eye. The flavor was plum-like. I was expecting something more exotic, but there are over a dozen varieties of pluot (I got a Raspberry Jewel). Some of the others are bred for their fruitier flavor. I'll have to try those and see if they're any different.

A great, sweet fruit. Chilled in the summertime, I can't imagine a better treat.