Top-end department store Selfridges is to begin working with European 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.
Early estimates are that cucumelons will be priced at a jaw-dropping £5 each.
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