If you ever see a small, necked fruit with a scent that smells like a lime being devoured by a jasmine flower—do not bite it like an apple. Respect the retort. Bite the peel first, endure the sour, and wait for the noble reply.
Unlike the common orange ( Citrus sinensis ) or lemon ( Citrus limon ), which are hybrids of older species, Clymenia is believed to be a —or close to it. Native specifically to the islands of Palau, the Bismarck Archipelago, and parts of New Guinea, the Clymenia fruit is small, resembling a tangerine, but with a distinct neck or "nipple" at the apex. The Nobleman Retort -Clymenia-
This is where the legend gets juicy. According to horticultural lore (recorded in the 19th-century journal Revue Horticole ), a French nobleman at the court of Versailles was served a bitter, unripe orange by a political rival hoping to humiliate him. Instead of spitting it out, the nobleman smiled, chewed the peel, and replied (in the original French): “Monsieur, even the thorns of this garden produce the sweetest revenge.” If you ever see a small, necked fruit
Critically Endangered (in cultivation). Alternate names: Clymenia polyandra , "Noble's Reply," "The Insult Fruit." Warning: Do not consume if you are allergic to sapindaceae compounds. Have you encountered the Nobleman Retort? Or is it just a fairy tale for fruit fanatics? Share your thoughts below. Unlike the common orange ( Citrus sinensis )
In chemistry, a retort is a vessel used for distillation. The Clymenia fruit has an incredibly thick, spongy albedo (the white pith). This pith acts like a natural distillation column. As the fruit ripens, it does not get sweeter in the standard sense. Instead, it performs a chemical retort : it breaks down bitter alkaloids and converts harsh citrus acids into incredibly complex, volatile aromatic esters.