Pomelo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Pomelo | ||||||||||||||||
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| Citrus maxima Merr. |
The pomelo, (Citrus maxima or Citrus grandis), is a citrus fruit native to South East Asia. It is usually pale green to yellow when ripe, with sweet white (or, more rarely, pink or red) flesh and very thick spongy rind. It is the largest citrus fruit, 15-25 cm in diameter,[1] and usually weighing 1-2 kg. Other names for pomelo include pummelo, pommelo, Chinese grapefruit, jabong, pompelmous,[2] and shaddock.[3] Pomelos are also referred to as chakotara in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
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[edit] Cultivation and uses
The Chandler is a Californian variety with a smoother skin than many other varieties. An individual fruit can reach the weight of one kilogram.
The tangelo is a hybrid between the pomelo and the tangerine. It has a thicker skin than a tangerine and is less sweet.
The pomelo tastes like a sweet, mild grapefruit - it has very little or none of the common grapefruit's bitterness, but the membranes of the segments are bitter and usually discarded. The peel is sometimes used to make marmalade, or candied then dipped in chocolate. The peel of the pomelo is also used in Chinese cooking or candied. In general, citrus peel is often used in southern Chinese cuisine for flavouring, especially in sweet soup desserts.
In Vietnam, two particularly well known varieties called bưởi Năm Roi is cultivated in the Trà Ôn district of Vinh Long Province of the Mekong Delta region and bưởi da xanh in Ben Tre Province.
In the Philippines, the fruit is known as the suhâ, or lukban, and is eaten as a dessert or snack. The pommelo, cut into wedges, is dipped in salt before it is eaten, and pommelo is also a flavour for juice drink mixes.
[edit] Production
The United States of America is the top producer of pomelo, followed by China, South Africa, Mexico and Israel.
| Top Ten Grapefruit (inc. pomelos) Producers — 2007 | ||||
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| Country | Production (Tonnes) | Footnote | ||
 United States |
1580000 | |||
 People's Republic of China |
547000 | F | ||
 South Africa |
430000 | F | ||
 Mexico |
390000 | F | ||
 Syria |
290000 | F | ||
 Israel |
245000 | * | ||
 Turkey |
181923 | |||
 India |
178000 | F | ||
 Argentina |
176000 | F | ||
 Cuba |
175000 | F | ||
 World |
5061023 | A | ||
| No symbol = official figure, P = official figure, F = FAO estimate, * = Unofficial/Semi-official/mirror data, C = Calculated figure, A = Aggregate(may include official, semi-official or estimates); |
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[edit] Gallery
 Pomelos |
 Pomelo after being cut |
 Pomelo after being sectioned |
 Meat of the pomelo |
 Pomelo on tree |
 Ipoh pomelos on sale at Chinatown, Singapore |
 Fruit on tree; from the Philippines |
 Pomelo flower in early April. |
[edit] See also
- Grapefruit
- Oroblanco - a cross between a pomelo and a grapefruit
- Orange
[edit] References
- ^ Growing the granddaddy of grapefruit, SFGate.com, December 25, 2004
- ^ Dictionary.com
- ^ After an English sea captain, Captain Shaddock, who introduced the seed to the West Indies in the 17th century from the Malay Archipelago.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Citrus maxima |
- New York Magazine - Pomelo recipes
- Star Bulletin - Choosing, storing, and using Pomelos
