Pomelo

Appearance

The pomelo tree may be 5–15 m tall, possibly with a crooked trunk 10–30 cm thick, and low-hanging, irregular branches. Leaf petioles are distinctly winged, with alternate, ovate or elliptic shapes 5–20 cm long, with a leathery, dull green upper layer, and hairy underleaf. The flowers — single or in clusters — are fragrant and yellow-white in color.

The fruit is large, 15–25 cm in diameter, usually weighing 1–2 kg . It has a thicker rind than a grapefruit, and is divided into 11 to 18 segments. The flesh tastes like a mild grapefruit, with little of its common bitterness . The enveloping membranes around the segments are chewy and bitter, considered inedible, and usually discarded. There are two varieties: a sweet kind with white flesh, and a sour kind with pinkish flesh, the latter more likely to be used in ceremonies, rather than eaten. The fruit generally contains few, relatively large seeds, but some varieties have numerous seeds.

The juice is regarded as delicious, and the rind is used to make preserves or may be candied. In Brazil, the thick skin may be used for making a sweet conserve, while the spongy pith of the rind is discarded. In Sri Lanka, it is often eaten as a dessert, sometimes sprinkled with sugar. In large parts of Southeast Asia where pomelo is native, it is a common dessert, often sprinkled with or dipped in a salt mixture. It is eaten in salads. In the Philippines, a pink beverage is made from pomelo and pineapple juice.

The fruit may have been introduced to China around 100 BC. In East Asia, especially in Cantonese cuisine, braised pomelo pith is used to make dishes that are high in fibre and nutritional value and low in fat.

Naming

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the etymology of the word "pomelo" is uncertain. It may be derived from Dutch ''pompelmoes''. Its botanical name, ''Citrus maxima'', means "biggest citrus". In English, the word "pomelo" has become the more common name, although "pomelo" has historically been used for grapefruit.

After a captain Shaddock of an East India Company ship introduced it to Barbados, the fruit was called "shaddock" in English. From there the name spread to Jamaica in 1696. The fruit is also known as jabong in Hawaii and jambola in varieties of English spoken in South Asia. In Nepali, it is known as "bhogate ".

Uses

The pomelo tree may be 5–15 m tall, possibly with a crooked trunk 10–30 cm thick, and low-hanging, irregular branches. Leaf petioles are distinctly winged, with alternate, ovate or elliptic shapes 5–20 cm long, with a leathery, dull green upper layer, and hairy underleaf. The flowers — single or in clusters — are fragrant and yellow-white in color.

The fruit is large, 15–25 cm in diameter, usually weighing 1–2 kg . It has a thicker rind than a grapefruit, and is divided into 11 to 18 segments. The flesh tastes like a mild grapefruit, with little of its common bitterness . The enveloping membranes around the segments are chewy and bitter, considered inedible, and usually discarded. There are two varieties: a sweet kind with white flesh, and a sour kind with pinkish flesh, the latter more likely to be used in ceremonies, rather than eaten. The fruit generally contains few, relatively large seeds, but some varieties have numerous seeds.

The juice is regarded as delicious, and the rind is used to make preserves or may be candied. In Brazil, the thick skin may be used for making a sweet conserve, while the spongy pith of the rind is discarded. In Sri Lanka, it is often eaten as a dessert, sometimes sprinkled with sugar. In large parts of Southeast Asia where pomelo is native, it is a common dessert, often sprinkled with or dipped in a salt mixture. It is eaten in salads. In the Philippines, a pink beverage is made from pomelo and pineapple juice.

The fruit may have been introduced to China around 100 BC. In East Asia, especially in Cantonese cuisine, braised pomelo pith is used to make dishes that are high in fibre and nutritional value and low in fat.