Chironja

What it is

A chironja can have a broad, pear-like shape. The rind is smooth and bright yellow at maturity, and the flesh divides into about ten segments. The Riverside fruit has a moderate number of seeds. Its tender texture makes it a fruit to peel and eat fresh. Chironja names a group of related natural hybrids, rather than one uniform variety.

Where it comes from

Chironja came to attention in the 1950s in the mountainous Ángeles and Caguanas areas of Utuado, Puerto Rico. Other seedling trees turned up in isolated parts of the island’s coffee-growing zone. Its exact parents are unknown: sweet orange crossed with either grapefruit or pummelo are the proposed combinations.

Budwood, pieces of a tree used to graft new plants, reached Riverside from Puerto Rico via Glenn Dale in 1983.

How it's eaten where it grows

Fresh segments suit both fruit salads and green salads. In Puerto Rico, Bayamón chef Vivoni puts them in salmon tartare with pink grapefruit and diced carambola. Ají dulce peppers, onion, recao and honey join the fruit and fish. Elsewhere in the island’s kitchens, the fruit also goes into juice, desserts, marmalade and drinks.

How it's grown

The tree grows vigorously and bears its fruit mostly singly. In Puerto Rico, it grows in full sun with well-drained soil; young trees need shelter from strong winds. The nursery Desde Mi Huerto gives its grafted chironja trees a three- to four-year wait to harvest.

At Riverside, chironja is grafted onto Carrizo and C-35 citrange, the root-bearing trees supporting the fruiting branches.

When and where you'll find it

At Riverside in California, chironja usually ripens from January through May. The Todolí citrus collection gives its own fruit a December–April season. In Puerto Rico, the local-food shop PRoduce lists chironja by the pound, a fresh-fruit form for peeling into segments or using in a salad.