These odd-looking grapes have a flavor that can’t be beat. Simply Recipes / Getty Images My husband jokes that I am a sucker for the term “limited edition.” Whenever I see it on a label, even though I know it’s a marketing ploy, my interest in the product spikes.
This is doubly true with seasonal fruit. Though I know we live in a global marketplace where a lot of fruit is available nearly all year round, some fresh varieties are truly limited to a short window of time. So when a fruit pops up at the grocery store or farmers market that I’m not familiar with, I immediately get curious.
That’s how I discovered Moon Drop grapes. When I saw these finger-shaped, black grapes with their distinctive, dimpled ends, I knew I had to buy them. The minute I popped one in my mouth, I was wowed by its intense taste and crisp texture.
This was the ideal grape for me: sweet but not too sweet, with a lush grape flavor and a dark, almost gothic black-purple color that looked as intriguing as the grape tastes. Moon Drop grapes, sometimes called Sweet Sapphire grapes, are sold in well-stocked and upscale grocery stores, as well as farmers markets. Though they look a little odd, my quick research into their origins assured me that they are not genetically modified fruits but were actually developed through selective breeding.
Read More: Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin Flavor is their biggest selling point. They boast an intense grape-jelly taste without the cloying sweetness of a jar of Sm.