-clymenia-: The Nobleman Retort

Since 2020, a private consortium (led by a former Dior perfumer and a Michelin-starred chef) has managed to cultivate a micro-orchard of 200 trees inside a climate-controlled bunker in Bordeaux, France.

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.” The Nobleman Retort -Clymenia-

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. Since 2020, a private consortium (led by a

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. Instead of spitting it out, the nobleman smiled,