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Its misshapen, wrinkled, dimpled peel caught her eye. Did that spotty, yellowish-green appearance seem out of place among the other attractive fruit in the produce department? Evidently, since my kids were immediately drawn to it: “What is this, Mom? What does it taste like?”
I picked it up and looked for clues. And according to the helpful little sticker on its side: “It’s an ugli fruit—do you want to try this as our new food of the month?”
“Yes!” Their eyes lit up at the thought of mom buying and using something so obviously unattractive. Would it taste as disgusting as it looked?
When I mentioned the topic of this week’s column to my editor, he said: "Ugli fruit"--ha! I'm not surprised your daughter would be curious about that one. I remember I always wanted us to buy a star fruit when I was a kid, but my mom said they were too expensive. In retrospect, she possibly wouldn't have known what we could even do with it.”
Precisely. It’s exactly that unknown part that makes trying new foods intimidating, and I’ve had to catch myself from brushing off a child’s newly expressed interest in light of my own lack of knowledge. Yet the Internet makes it easier than ever before to learn about the new or unfamiliar. By just going to your favorite search engine and typing in the unknown food, you’ll bring up a plethora of pages that can tell you anything from nutrition to preparation tips. That’s exactly what we did.
We learned ugli fruit was actually discovered in Jamaica at the beginning of this century. While doubts exist regarding its origins, it is generally considered to be a cross between a tangerine and mandarin orange with a grapefruit. And while we Americans say “ugly,” in its native land, Jamaicans say “hoo-glee.” UGLI® is actually a registered trademark of Cabel Hall Citrus Ltd., and is the trade name for an exotic tangelo from Jamaica. We even pulled out the globe to learn where Jamaica is located.
Slicing the ugli in half was a pleasant surprise, since it was similar to an orange. After tasting several segments (juicy, sweet and slightly tangy), we used the remainder in a Jell-O fruit salad (see recipe below). Ugli fruit would also be delicious in a tropical fruit salad with bananas, grapes and pineapple, or sliced and served with a green salad, perhaps with crisp bacon and Vidalia onion dressing.
Ugli fruit is an excellent source of vitamin C, plus it provides potassium, vitamin A and folic acid. Look for ugli fruits that are undamaged and heavy for their size, with no signs of mold or soft spots. Also, it’s wise to avoid an ugli with a dried-out stem end. They are commonly available December through April and may be stored a week or two in the refrigerator.
The next time your kids ask to try that unknown food, remember: With a bit of brave typing and a courageous spirit, you too can help them discover new international culinary worlds—right from home!
©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/christine-gable/288-ugli-fruit/
New Food of the Month: Ugli Fruit
I picked it up and looked for clues. And according to the helpful little sticker on its side: “It’s an ugli fruit—do you want to try this as our new food of the month?”
“Yes!” Their eyes lit up at the thought of mom buying and using something so obviously unattractive. Would it taste as disgusting as it looked?
When I mentioned the topic of this week’s column to my editor, he said: "Ugli fruit"--ha! I'm not surprised your daughter would be curious about that one. I remember I always wanted us to buy a star fruit when I was a kid, but my mom said they were too expensive. In retrospect, she possibly wouldn't have known what we could even do with it.”
Precisely. It’s exactly that unknown part that makes trying new foods intimidating, and I’ve had to catch myself from brushing off a child’s newly expressed interest in light of my own lack of knowledge. Yet the Internet makes it easier than ever before to learn about the new or unfamiliar. By just going to your favorite search engine and typing in the unknown food, you’ll bring up a plethora of pages that can tell you anything from nutrition to preparation tips. That’s exactly what we did.
We learned ugli fruit was actually discovered in Jamaica at the beginning of this century. While doubts exist regarding its origins, it is generally considered to be a cross between a tangerine and mandarin orange with a grapefruit. And while we Americans say “ugly,” in its native land, Jamaicans say “hoo-glee.” UGLI® is actually a registered trademark of Cabel Hall Citrus Ltd., and is the trade name for an exotic tangelo from Jamaica. We even pulled out the globe to learn where Jamaica is located.
Slicing the ugli in half was a pleasant surprise, since it was similar to an orange. After tasting several segments (juicy, sweet and slightly tangy), we used the remainder in a Jell-O fruit salad (see recipe below). Ugli fruit would also be delicious in a tropical fruit salad with bananas, grapes and pineapple, or sliced and served with a green salad, perhaps with crisp bacon and Vidalia onion dressing.
Ugli fruit is an excellent source of vitamin C, plus it provides potassium, vitamin A and folic acid. Look for ugli fruits that are undamaged and heavy for their size, with no signs of mold or soft spots. Also, it’s wise to avoid an ugli with a dried-out stem end. They are commonly available December through April and may be stored a week or two in the refrigerator.
The next time your kids ask to try that unknown food, remember: With a bit of brave typing and a courageous spirit, you too can help them discover new international culinary worlds—right from home!
Serves/Makes: 8
- 2 packages orange gelatin powder
- 1 ugli fruit, sliced into 1/4" pieces
- 2 bananas, sliced into 1/4" pieces
If your kids like Jell-O with fruit, here's an easy dessert kids can help peel, slice, stir and eat!
Prepare Jell-O as directed. Add sliced fruit. Chill in refrigerator for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally to suspend fruit throughout Jell-O.
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/christine-gable/288-ugli-fruit/