The Perfect Fruit: Good Breeding, Bad Seeds, and the Hunt for the Elusive Pluot

by Chip Brantley

The creation story of the "perfect fruit," delving into the world of the demanding farmers, brilliant obsessives, and food fanatics who create the fruits we love.

Is it possible to create the perfect piece of fruit―a fruit that cannot be improved upon? Since the dawn of agriculture, people have been obsessively tinkering to develop fruits that are hardier, prettier, and better tasting. Today, consumers have sophisticated palates and unparalleled access to the best fruits from around the world, and many of them believe that in California's San Joaquin Valley, a fruit breeder may have developed the perfect a sweet, juicy, luscious plum-apricot hybrid known as a pluot.

In The Perfect Fruit , Chip Brantley goes in search of what it takes to trick nature into producing gustatory greatness―and to bring it to a market near you. The story begins with Floyd Zaiger, a humble and wily octogenarian who is arguably the greatest fruit breeder in the world. From there, it stretches both back and back through a long line of visionaries, fruit smugglers, and mad geniuses, many of whom have been driven to dazzling extremes in the pursuit of exotic flavors; and forward through the ranks of farmers, scientists, and salesmen who make it their life's work to coax deliciousness out of stubborn and unpredictable plants. The result is part biography, part cultural history, and part horticultural inquest―a meditation on the surprising power of food to change the way we live.

Genres: Nonfiction, Food, Plants, Gardening, Science

240 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2009

Reviews

[Colin · Rating 2 out of 5]

some fascinating gems sprinkled in amongst mostly awful prose

[Rebecca Yao · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have so much more appreciation for stone fruit now! It was very interesting to read about fruit breeding and fruit markets, though I most enjoyed learning the stories of the people behind the fruit. Brantley, though, often gets distracted by less interesting factoids, and gives too much (boring) context. A little outdated (this was published circa 2007?) and too many pages—I would have enjoyed it as a longform article. Anyway I’m going to go eat a pluot now.

[Tbloxham · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing book, which cast an interesting light on the process which goes into creating and growing delicious new fruit and demonstrates how we the consumer often ruin our own dinner tables with our preconceived notions of how fruit should behave and taste. The author spins an interesting tale, but this is a book which is crying out to be written by Zeigler himself or another insider. True, we learn about the origins of pluots but it is interesting how little attention is paid to the emerging trends in farmers market fruit etc which is actually the reason so many delicious varieties of the fruit exist. Furthermore, the author just doesn't quite have the knowledge about the subject to give enough detail where it is wanted. I feel we could have learned less about the vagaries of the market, and more about fruit. Especially considering the whole book was structured about the summer of 2007 and what was going on in the fruit market, but we never actually learned why the market for plums etc was down that year.

I expected for the whole book that he was going to come across someone who would say "Plums, peaches and whatnot are down because people are buying pluots", that seemed to be the story he wanted to tell, and implied was coming but never arrived. I guess like so many books about recent events, you're lefting crying out for knowledge of what happens next.

Still, while I give the book 4 stars, I rate the pluots themselves 5 stars!

[Kristin Riddick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether you consider yourself a bon vivant, a culinary neophyte, or someone wandering in the middle, 'The Perfect Fruit' is both history and story, for food, farming, even relationship enthusiasts. Mr. Brantley takes us on his journey where he discovered the pluot, which in and of itself wouldn't necessarily appeal to the masses. But his mixture of naivete, humor, and pure eagerness make the much unknown stone fruit industry not only interesting but intriguing. You find yourself rooting for these farmers to succeed, wanting to see different varieties of pluots and plumcots not just in farmer's markets, but in grocery stores and restaurants, in hands and on plates in kitchens everywhere... you feel as if you have become a part of the long and arduous process of creating something that, in the end, is simply and beautifully delicious and satisfying... much like the novel itself.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed learning bits and pieces of scattered histories of the plum. Especially interested in the Miner Plum that was bred in Knoxville, TN. The book has made me a little more curious and interested in fruit growing in general, for instance I would love to visit orchards in early Spring as the author did. It also makes me want to keep a sharp eye on prices and varieties of fruit in supermarkets and farmers markets.

[Cliff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been looking forward to reading this for some time. The topic of pluots is one that is of similar interest to me as it was to Chip Brantley. But while the book is a fascinating look into the business world of stone fruit in California, it was not exactly what I was looking forward to. But in the course of reading, I discovered that my own lack of knowledge is what created any misconceptions.

The book did a very good job of informing me about the fluidity of the market and I learned a significant amount. And perhaps, the end result is that I closed the book with a near-salivating desire to consume some stone fruit. The timing couldn't be better as stone fruit season is just beginning.

[J. Boo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author is a tedious hipster of the type found living near the coastline and listening to NPR. But he falls in love with a backwater of the agricultural sector, and sets out to tell its story.

And while Brantley himself seems kind of annoying (*), the people he talks to are fascinating and for most of the book he steps aside to let them -- and their plums -- take center stage, quietly providing background when needed. He's no John McPhee, but he has managed to write something McPhee-esque.

3.8 / 5

(*) To be fair, a less annoying person -- especially as an outsider -- probably wouldn't have been capable of stringing together so many interviews.

[Donald · Rating 3 out of 5]

This might sound like a dull book, but it was actually pretty interesting. Growing up in the stone fruit capital of California, and having a farmer uncle who grows plums, I probably should have known more about the pluot/plum/apricot than I did. We think of the pluot as a half apricot half plum, but in reality all plums have been so hybridized over the years we can't really tell the difference between the pluot and a plum. This, combined with the back story about how marketing and nature intersect makes for a very good story.

[Lowery Banes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having lived in California and driven through the "salad bowl," I think that this author really "gets" this part of the country. I enjoyed the descriptions of the places and people as much as the journalism about the fruit industry. Also, I just loved how Brantley writes about his personal life. This book is not typical -- it's not all facts and it's not a memoir. I can see how readers looking for one or the other might be disappointed on some level, but for me, the fact that the book doesn't conform to a particular genre or format makes it even more brilliant. I

[Karyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating. Most likely this book was intriguing to me because quite a few of my relatives(mom's mom's side of the family)are stone fruit farmers in the San Joaquin Valley. This book explained the hybridization process along with the marketing side of things. Basically farmers grow what the consumer demands. It's a typically close-mouthed industry, but the author was given an insider's view for whatever reason. An interesting read, but I'm afraid most people would find it boring.. :-)

[Angela Sauros · Rating 5 out of 5]

You eat a plum and you don't think much about it, but as Brantley illuminates, that plum -- or pluot, or apple, or olive -- had many lives before it arrived in your hand. This book touches on so many important issues about the food industry, as well as the evolution California from desert to orange groves. Plus, there is a tie between what is happening on the land in California and what is happening in the author's life. I thought this book was really wonderful.

[Kbg503 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty fun read about pluots; growers, packers, breeders, retailers, trade associations, and consumers. Could've rated it 5 stars, but was unclear in some chapters if the author was trying to hold my interest with science, business, or the love of a nice piece of fruit. Some entertaining similarities to tasting wines.

[Dennis Willingham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe you've seen pluots at the store and wondered what they were. This book tells the story of how they came into being and is a bit of a primer on modern, medium sized agriculture. Gives a good overview of old school plant hybridization and why taste was bred out of supermarket fruit.

[Hadley Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. It's the perfect mix of information and personal story. Brantley is a stellar writer, which makes any subject interesting -- not to say that fruit breeding isn't interesting. This is just a truly enjoyable book that teaches you a lot about where your food comes from.

[Chani · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author shares my love for pluots and it was wonderful to read about his parallel journey. The book touches on the types of pluots, breeding, industry problems, and offers a behind the scenes look at orchards and competition. Enjoyable and informative.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It was midsummer then, and I was twenty-seven, and over the course of one month, I fell in love twice."

[Rimma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved learning more about the process of fruit breeding. The insight into fruit growing and marketing was also new to me.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look at how fruit is bred for consumption on a large and small scale. Made me want to eat a lot of plums.

[Sarah Pascarella · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like pluots, this is an enjoyable history of the hybrid fruit. Brantley's enthusiasm for his subject is infectious. By the time I was done, I wanted a whole bushel to eat.

[Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable book about the stone fruit industry in California and breeding of hybrids.

[Jim M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good..... not great. Glad I read but not sure I would read again,

[Chlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

easy to read, informative, and makes me want to pay more attention to my fruit trees.

[Yvonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everything you want to know about plums, pluots, and plumcots.

[Roar · Rating 2 out of 5]

10% of the book is interesting. 90% is not.