Tangelos are hybrid citrus fruits. The name derives from tangerine and pomelo, but the name covers more ground than that. The tangerine half may include include anything related to mandarin oranges. A pomelo is a large thick-skinned grapefruit-like fruit, usually somewhat pear-shaped. The pomelo half may include anything related to grapefruit. There are quite a few different varieties of tangelo, some more interesting than others.

In Jamaica in 1924, a wild tree of an uncertain origins, some say a mandarin and a grapefruit, was discovered with an especially interesting fruit. Two companies gave the same fruit different names, UGLI[tm] [hoo-glee in Jamaica] and Uniq™. Both companies continue to export the fruit under their respective trademarked names. There is no non-trademarked name. Jamaican tangelo is as close to a generic name one can find.

The fruit is in season from about November through April. It looks like a greenish rough grapefruit.

It has a thick skin, easily peeled. The sections look similar to a grapefruit, but with an orange tint.

I put the flavor as between an orange and a pomelo. It is milder than a grapefruit and more juicy. It is sweeter than most grapefruit.

The fruit is often cut crosswise and eaten like a grapefruit. The membranes on the sections are a bit bitter and may be avoided.

There are lots of odd hybrid fruits in the market these days. “Hey, look, a cross between an olive and a cantaloupe. How interesting! … and only $17!” My Uniq fruit cost $2.50, no so bad, and it was worth experiencing. It is not a strange flavor, but refreshing and a little different from ordinary citrus.

The UGLI site has recipes, typical of citrus. the fruit is available in many supermarkets in the U.S. and Europe. In can be purchased online from International Fruit of the Month Club.