Top-end department store Selfridges are to begin working with traditional produce growers to introduce a new fruit to the UK.
The cucumelon, commonly called the Pepino (solanum muricatum), is a native of South America. The plant is grown in Peru and Chile but attempts to export overseas have been unsuccessful as the pepino is sensitive to handling and does not travel well. Now Selfridges’ expert growers will grow the pepino under cover in continental Europe.
Curiously, while the cucumelon may taste between a cross between a melon and a cucumber (as the name suggests), it is actually a member of the potato family. It grows like a tomato, but looks more like an oversized white pear with stripes.
The cucumelon can be eaten in a fruit salad, or served chilled on a bed of ice. Early estimates are that they will be priced at a jaw-dropping £5 each.
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