Great fruit: The grape fruit spawns from a cross between an orange and a pomelo

Though George Washington traveled broadly throughout what would become the United States, he left the country only once in his life, when in 1751 at the tender age of 19 he accompanied his brother to the Caribbean island of Barbados. The trip constituted a turning point in the young future president's life, widening his horizons and, as historian Jack Warren reports, initiating the trajectory that would make him the transcendent hero of American history.

This is the house in Barbados where George Washington stayed with his brother in 1751. The grapefruit originated in Barbados. (Submitted photo ~ Tom Harte)

But as I recently wandered around the grounds of the historic plantation house in Barbados where Washington stayed, I couldn't help but wonder whether the father of our country might have been the first American president to have grapefruit for breakfast.

That's because the grapefruit originated in Barbados. Indeed, they refer to it there as one of the island's seven wonders. Moreover, the fruit was first documented by the Rev. Griffith Hughes a year before Washington made his fateful journey.

The grapefruit -- right now in its peak season -- is the largest common citrus fruit and the only one that did not originate in the Old World. It is essentially a cross between the orange and the pomelo, a large pear-shaped citrus fruit native to Southeast Asia that was brought to Barbados in 1698 by a British sea captain named Shaddock. The grapefruit comes by its name not because it in any way tastes like a grape but, rather, because it grows in clusters that look all the world like humongous grapes (in Old French "grape" meant "cluster"). These days more than half the grapefruit grown in the world is grown in the United States, but it took awhile for the fruit to make its way here from Barbados. Credit for that belongs to a Frenchman, Count Odette Phillippe, who planted the first grapefruit trees in Tampa, Fla., in 1823, nearly three-quarters of a century after the fruit was first discovered.

And it took longer still for grapefruit to catch on. Before the late 19th century it was grown strictly as an ornamental plant. Early on, it was even called the forbidden fruit, not because it was somehow illicit but because its size and thick rind were slightly off-putting.

Scallops with pink grapefruit is a recipe that pleases the palate as well as the eyes. (Fred Lynch)

Even so, though history does not record what he ate for breakfast while in the Caribbean, I like to think that Washington was not only first in war and first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen, but just maybe the first president to join the culinary grapefruit league.

Scallops with Pink Grapefruit

Grapefruit is the not-so-secret ingredient in this recipe adapted from Gourmet magazine. Its tartness provides a perfect balance for the richness of the scallops. Though you can use any grapefruit, the pink variety makes for the prettiest preparation.

1/2 pound sea scallops

2 tablespoons flour

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup bottled clam juice

2 tablespoons minced shallot

2/3 cup fresh grapefruit juice

1 teaspoon grated grapefruit zest

1 teaspoon sugar

6 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

Grapefruit sections for garnish

Pat dry scallops and toss together with flour and salt and pepper to taste. In a large skillet, saute in a single layer in the oil over moderately high heat until just firm and slightly golden, about 3 minutes. Remove from skillet and deglaze pan with the wine, scraping up the brown bits. Stir in clam juice, shallots, grapefruit juice, zest and sugar and boil until reduced to about 2/3 cup. Strain. Over low heat, whisk in butter, one piece at a time, adding each new piece before the previous one has completely melted so that sauce does not get hot enough to liquefy but maintains the consistency of thin hollandaise. (It may be necessary to occasionally lift the pan from the heat.) Add green onions, scallops and any of their juices that have accumulated and heat through. Garnish mixture with grapefruit sections. Makes four servings.

Tom Harte's book, "Stirring Words," is available at local bookstores. A Harte Appetite airs Fridays 8:49 a.m. on KRCU, 90.9 FM. Contact Tom at semissourian.com or at the Southeast Missourian, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702-0699.