The Pluot

While at the friendly neighborhood Giant grocery store yesterday with some friends, we happened upon one particularly friendly and outgoing employee whilst gallivanting around in the produce section. As my friend and I discussed the age-old peaches-versus-nectarines argument (I've been on a huge nectarine kick as of late), this employee interrupted asking if we had ever laid taste upon the pluot, admittedly his favorite fruit.

The pluot? Was this some sort of joke?

Yes, the pluot. And no, no joke. In the spirit of unnatural fruit collaborations and alterations (a la Oceanspray's cherry-flavored craisins, or those genetically-altered giant tomatoes, or, even, the mythical and yet-to-be-seen bananaberry), the pluot is the offspring of a plum and an apricot. In fact, the name "pluot" is even a registered trademark of Zaiger Genetics.

What's interesting is that the plum-apricot marriage goes by many names. For example:

- 75% plum / 25% apricot = Pluot
- 50% plum / 50% apricot = Plumcot
- 25% plum / 75% apricot = Aprium

In fact, some pluots are reported to resemble dinosaur eggs (go figure, right?), and so in many circles they are referred to as such.

I'll admit, I was a bit skeptical of this whole pluot business... While I've never been a huge fan of either apricots or plums, when the friendly Giant employee offered me one of these suckers to try out, I couldn't help but take a bite. And then another. And then another.

These babies were delicious. The texture of a nectarine with the inside coloring of a ruby-red grapefruit. Not too sweet, and not sour at all. I was convinced. The only way the situation could have improved would have been if the guy gave me a free sample of some napkins. I had pluot juice running all down my hands and chin. Yummmm.

So there you have it. Just when we thought that nature had given us all we needed in terms of fruits and vegetables, some guy named Floyd Zaiger (dubbed the "Albert Einstein of Stonefruit") came along and taught us that Mother Nature just wasn't good enough.

So hats off to you, Floyd. And work on that bananberry. Please.