THE FALL AND RISE OF THE GRAPEFRUIT SPOON

My love affair with grapefruit began in childhood (photo by author).

It was my grandmother who first introduced me to grapefruit. At that halcyon time in my childhood, I was becoming bored with apples and oranges and was ready for something new, a fruit that could stand up and bite back.

And so, with grandmother’s matchmaking, I began a love affair with grapefruit. I loved the tart taste. I loved how grapefruit went, oddly, with almost nothing. I loved how grapefruit came in its own carrying case and provided two servings per fruit. And after munching on the slivers of fruit from the half-shell, you could still drink the juice right from the carrying case (ok, I’ll stop with the “case” metaphor).

For me, grapefruit was a case of love at first slice. Think about it: “GrapeFruit”? “GirlFriend”? Both initials “GF.” Coincidence? Probably. But the real revelation to me was what my grandmother introduced me to next:

The Grapefruit Spoon!

To my adolescent mind this was a technological marvel. How it sliced effortlessly between skin and pulp, a little scooch right and left, then a perfect portion of fruit popped into the bowl of the spoon. I even discovered a number of other, practical uses for the spoon; more on that later.

Ok, you might say I have a thing for spoons…