Dictionary Definition
scuppernong n : amber-green muscadine grape of
southeastern United States
User Contributed Dictionary
Extensive Definition
A scuppernong is a large type of muscadine, a type of grape native to the southeastern
United
States. It usually has a greenish or bronze color, and is
similar in appearance and texture to a white grape, but rounder and
about 50% larger.
The name comes from the
Scuppernong River in North
Carolina, where it was found and first cultivated during the
17th century. The name itself traces back to the Algonquian word
ascopo meaning "sweet bay tree".
The fruit consists of four parts: the outer skin
or hull; the pulp, or 'meat'; seeds; and juice.
Several small green seeds are found in each
grape. The skin is very thick and tart. The pulp is viscous and
sweet. The seeds, which are bitter, can be swallowed with the pulp
or extracted and spit out. The most desired part of the scuppernong
is the sweet juice that lies underneath its skin.
Scuppernongs figure prominently in the story "The
Goophered Grapevine" (1887) by Charles
W. Chesnutt, and are also mentioned in the book To
Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
The scuppernong also figures prominently in William
Faulkner's novel Absalom,
Absalom! as the plant under which Colonel Thomas Sutpen and
Washington Jones sit down to drink.
The winter will be short, the summer long, The
autumn amber-hued, sunny and hot, Tasting of cider and of
scuppernong;
Elinor
Wylie, from Wild Peaches, Nets to Catch the Wind (1921)
In addition, according to herbal lore, eating
this whole grape also has health benefits. The hull adds a
significant amount of fiber to the diet; while the seeds when
chewed provide a grape-seed extract that can aid in improving
memory and other functions. While no scientific validation of this
fact is availalble, it still makes for another good excuse to enjoy
this truly Southern delicacy.
Wines, jellies and jams can also be made from
scuppernongs. It is thought they were the first native grape to be
cultivated for these purposes.