Pink Grapefruit

Grapefruit likely originated as a natural hybrid between sweet orange and pomelo on the island of Barbados in the 18th century. A Jamaican naturalist first described the fruit in 1750, and by the mid-1700s it had spread throughout the Caribbean and eventually to Florida. The name derives from the way the fruit grows in large clusters, resembling grapes on the branch. Grapefruit arrived in America in the 1820s and gained rapid popularity. Pink and red varieties appeared at the beginning of the 20th century, offering sweeter, more nuanced flavors than their white counterparts. The Ruby Red variety, discovered growing on a Texas property in 1929, became particularly prized. These colorful mutations transformed grapefruit from a bitter breakfast fruit into a sophisticated ingredient, eventually earning it a place in the perfumer's palette as a bright, contemporary top note.