Corfu is famous for olive oil, kumquat and traditional dishes, but the island also has a fascinating world of old-fashioned fruits that many visitors never notice. Some still grow in village gardens, beside country roads or in small family orchards, while others have almost disappeared from local markets. As someone who grew up in Corfu, several of these fruits immediately remind me of older gardens, grandparents and the days when people simply picked whatever was ripe from the tree. Here are 12 Corfu fruits you may never have tried.
2Merlin Oranges
Corfu also has an interesting historical connection with Merlin oranges.
The name is associated with Sydney Merlin, whose family name is also closely connected with the introduction and cultivation of kumquat in Corfu.
Merlin oranges became known for their juicy, sweet flesh and relatively few seeds and were once much more strongly associated with local orchards.
Today the name may still be familiar to many Greeks, but relatively few foreign visitors realise there is a Corfu connection behind it.
Health benefits: Oranges are an excellent source of vitamin C and also provide folate, fibre and citrus flavonoids. Eating the whole fruit provides considerably more fibre than simply drinking the juice.
When to look for them: Winter.
