Zing, zang, zest! It’s time for the Central Market Citrus Fest…and it’s out of this world! This is not just some marketing gimmick to get you in store—the Citrus Fest is a bonafide celebration of citrus in all is sweet and sour glory.
Now I love lemons, oranges and grapefruits as much as the next person, but what really got me excited was the promise of Bergamot. A key flavor of Earl Grey tea (my current favorite), I couldn’t resist the opportunity to try actual Bergamot—a type of orange by the way. But with such a huge variety of oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruits we got so excited we almost missed them.
There’s Heirloom Oranges, Meyer Lemons, Minneola Tangelos, Pummelos, Mango Oranges, Strawberry Papaya, Kumquats, Cara Cara Navals, Moro Blood Oranges, Mandarinquat…and so much more! There’s even an Interstellar Tasting Station!
Moving beyond the produce section you may think you’d be leaving the Citrus Fest behind, but you’d be wrong. As you weave your way through the rest of the store you’ll find citrus peppercorn marinated beef, citrus steak pizza, orange-cranberry-pecan pork, Cat Island lemon and lime butter cookies, citrus shortbread cookies, lemon bread, lemon ricotta cookies, lemon poppyseed gelato… And to wash it all down there’s Citradelic Exotic Lime Ale, Sicilian Lemon Soda, Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA and Revolver Blood & Honey beers. There’s even a selection of “squeezy clean” personal products such as hand soap and bath bombs.
Be warned: With so much citrus-fun to see and enjoy you’ll probably get carried away!
That night we had our own Citrus Fest at home: Achiote lime chicken, baguette and chile and lime cheddar. Admittedly it may seem like a bit of a mismatch, but when washed down with some Bishop Grapefruit Mint Cider…it was out of this world!
And what of the Bergamot oranges? Well it turns out they’re bitter like lemons, not ideal for eating really. However, they do have a great flavor and made a fantastic addition to our morning pot of tea!
Citrus Fest continues through January 24. At Central Market, 320 Coit Rd, Plano.
