Compared to the rest of the citrus family, the grapefruit is fairly new. As the offspring of the Pummelo, it most likely first appeared in Jamaica in the 1700s, though no one knows for sure. Some have argued that the grapefruit is actually a cross between the Pummelo and the orange, but there are no records to prove this.
The first description of the grapefruit was by Reverend Griffith Hughes in 1750, when he was searching for the origin of the tree of good and evil in the Garden of Eden. He called it the “forbidden fruit” of Barbados. By 1789, that name had traveled to Jamaica, where the fruit was also called the “smaller shaddock.” In 1814, the “grapefruit” was described in writings by John Lunan as a “variety of the shaddock,” and he also called it the “forbidden fruit.”

Did You Know?
Grapefruit got their name because they grow in clusters, like grapes. There have been several attempts to change the name to something with more commercial appeal, but they have all been unsuccessful.

-1/2 grapefruit = 4-6 oz. of grapefruit juice
-Toss with cooked shrimp and fresh avocado into a salad to add an exotic twist