Grapefruit
I wrote this back in January 2003. I am reposting here for posterity since it’s one of the few expository writings I’ve ever done for fun.
Eating a grapefruit from scratch is a labor of love.
Since the outer skin is pretty tough to penetrate or manipulate, I put it the entire grapefruit in the microwave to soften it up a bit. Then I proceed to stab it with a butter knife to get a break in the skin to start peeling; I was getting nowhere with my fingernails.
After peeling the outer waxy skin, a subdermal layer sits which isn’t very appetizing to eat, so you have to peel this part off also before you can start eating. By now I have invested about nine minutes. Ten more minutes pass before I get the second skin off.
I hold the entire grapefruit in my two fists; it’s now at least fifteen percent smaller with the outer layers gone. Grasping it and pulling apart, I separate it into two. The two seams where I pulled it apart have torn off and revealed the dark, red, meaty looking pulp inside. I suck at these pieces, and a rush of juice flows in my mouth.
I want to be able to eat the rest like orange slices, so I carefully squeeze out the few seeds inside, and pick away at the rest of the inner skin folds. I chew on several of the slices, and set aside a couple for tomorrow’s enjoyment. I’ve spent a good half hour now and only consumed about half of a grapefruit. My hands are sticky and my stomach isn’t hungry anymore. I’ll have to go wash my mouth out now, since my tongue is stinging from the acidic juices.
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