2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Pomelo is a large citrus fruit that grows throughout Southeast Asia and many islands in the South Pacific, including Tahiti and Fiji. Commercial exports have led to widespread access to the fruit around the world, including in orchards with warmer climates from Florida to Australia. The fruit remains one of the most popular in Asian cultures and cuisines. It is known in the West as one of the "parents" of grapefruit: grapefruits are a hybrid made by crossing pomelo with orange.
Pomelo is spelled pummelo or pommelo, depending on the region. In some places the fruit is also known as jabong. In the Caribbean, it is often referred to as a grapefruit-like fruit. The fruit is easily recognizable - it has the shape of a large pear. It grows on trees like many citrus fruits, but requires a lot of light and moisture to maintain its large size: fully ripe fruit often reaches 12 inches (about 30 cm) and can reach 10 kg.
The bark is quite thick and the color is pale pink when fully mature. The heart that surrounds the segments is usually too bitter to consume, although the fruit itself is quite sweet. The inside can be cut into pieces and is usually eaten raw.
Eating and cooking
Pomelo is a popular addition to many Asian dishes and is especially often served with dessert - sprinkled in syrup, dipped in salt broth or to decorate the best cakes and other confectionery. Of course, pomelo is also widely consumed as a snack.
Innovative chefs have already found many applications for thick crust. It is usually boiled and used to flavor soups and stews or pickles. It is also used as an aromatic garnish. The crust and sugar syrup are used to make candies, which are popular in many places. Rolled in sugar or dipped in chocolate - are a real treat! The peel can also be used to make jam.
Nutrition Facts
Like most members of the citrus family, the fruit is very high in vitamin C. It is also a good source of dietary fiber and is usually very low in sugar - which contributes to lower calories. The fruit also contains small amounts of calcium, magnesium and potassium, all of which are essential for good health.
Pomelo cultivation
Pomelo trees grow best in tropical or near tropical climates, which means that there are some species that grow north of the equator. Gardeners in the relatively mild climates of San Diego, California and parts of Florida have been lucky enough to cultivate and grow pomelo in special greenhouses.
Like most citrus fruits, they ripen in winter. Extensive trade growth and export from orchards to much of the Asian continent means that the fruit is widely available throughout the world during the winter months. Sometimes, thanks to cold storage technology, they are actually available all year round, although it depends on the location.
Medicine and cosmetic uses
Ancient alternative medical practices show that the fruit was used to soothe seizures and coughs. Even today, the plant is still used for these purposes. In some parts of Brazil, for example, pharmacists mix the bark and sap of the pomelo tree and make cough syrup. Medical professionals in some Asian provinces use the broad leaves of the tree to treat skin swelling, rashes and ulcers.
Pomelo is also used for cosmetic purposes. In Vietnam, people collect the color of pomelo and prepare perfumes. Fruit juices and essential oils can be added to soaps and lotions, and the seeds are often ground, have an exfoliating effect and are used to rub the skin during cleansing.
Hybrids
Pomelo is relatively easy to cross with other citrus fruits, which has helped many gardeners to experiment with different combinations - many of which are able to grow in places with different climates. Grapefruit is one of the most common results / cross with orange /. The tangelo is also widely known and is derived from a cross with mandarin.
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