Pomelo

"Pamplemousse" redirects here. For the location on Mauritius, see Pamplemousses District.

Pomelo Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Eudicots (unranked): Rosids Order: Sapindales Family: Rutaceae Genus: Citrus Species: C. maxima Binomial name Citrus maxima Merr. Pomelo, raw Flesh of a pomelo Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) Energy 159 kJ (38 kcal) Carbohydrates 9.62 g Dietary fiber 1 g Fat 0.04 g Protein 0.76 g Vitamins Thiamine (B1) (3%) 0.034 mg Riboflavin (B2) (2%) 0.027 mg Niacin (B3) (1%) 0.22 mg Vitamin B6 (3%) 0.036 mg Vitamin C (73%) 61 mg Minerals Iron (1%) 0.11 mg Magnesium (2%) 6 mg Manganese (1%) 0.017 mg Phosphorus (2%) 17 mg Potassium (5%) 216 mg Sodium (0%) 1 mg Zinc (1%) 0.08 mg Link to USDA Database entry Units μg = micrograms • mg = milligrams IU = International units Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database

Citrus maxima (or Citrus grandis), (Common names: pomelo, pomello, pummelo, pommelo, pamplemousse, jabong (Hawaii), shaddick, or shaddock) is a natural (non-hybrid) citrus fruit, with the appearance of a big grapefruit, native to South and Southeast Asia.

Etymology

Flowering and fruiting branch with numbered fruit segment and flower section. Chromolithograph by P. Depannemaeker, c. 1885, after B. Hoola van Nooten

Citrus maxima was originally called "shaddick" in English, after the captain of an East India Company ship who introduced it to Jamaica in 1696. The word "pomelo" has become the more common name, although "pomelo" has historically been used for grapefruit. (The 1973 printing of the American Heritage Dictionary, for example, gives grapefruit as the only meaning of "pomelo".)

The etymology of the word "pomelo" is uncertain. It is thought to perhaps be an alteration of the Dutch pompelmoes (meaning Citrus maxima, although modern regional Dutch use may additionally refer to the yellow/white grapefruit, while the pink grapefruit may be called roze pompelmoes, and "pomelo" refers to Citrus maxima × Citrus × paradisi) or alternatively, perhaps an alteration of a compound of pome ("apple") + melon.

Citrus maxima is native to Southeast Asia where it is known under a wide variety of names. In large parts of South East Asia, it is a popular dessert, often eaten raw sprinkled with, or dipped in, a salt mixture. It is also eaten in salads and drinks.

Description and uses

Closeup of pomelo petiole

It is usually pale green to yellow when ripe, with sweet white (or, more rarely, pink or red) flesh and very thick albedo (rind pith). It is a large citrus fruit, 15–25 centimetres (5.9–9.8 in) in diameter, usually weighing 1–2 kilograms (2.2–4.4 lb). Leaf petioles are distinctly winged.

The fruit tastes like a sweet, mild grapefruit (which is itself believed to be a hybrid of Citrus maxima and the orange), though the typical pomelo is much larger than the grapefruit. It has none, or very little, of the common grapefruit's bitterness, but the enveloping membranous material around the segments is bitter, considered inedible, and thus is usually discarded. The peel is sometimes used to make marmalade, can be candied, and is sometimes dipped in chocolate. In Brazil, the thick skin is often used for making a sweet conserve, while the spongy pith of the rind is discarded. Occasionally some Asian fat-heavy dishes use sliced pre-soaked pith to absorb the sauce and fat for eating. Citrus maxima is usually grafted onto other citrus rootstocks but can be grown from seed, provided the seeds are not allowed to dry out before planting.

The fruit is said to have been introduced to Japan by a Cantonese captain in the An'ei era (1772–1781). There are two varieties: a sweet kind with white flesh and a sour kind with pinkish flesh, the latter more likely to be used as an altar decoration than actually eaten. Pomelos are often eaten in Asia during the mid-autumn festival or mooncake festival.

It is one of the ingredients of "Forbidden Fruit", a liqueur dating back to the early 20th century that also contains honey and brandy. This liqueur is most famously used in the Dorchester cocktail.

Drug interactions

Main article: Grapefruit–drug interactions

Some medicines may interact dangerously with pomelos and some pomelo hybrids, including grapefruit, some limes, and some oranges.

Varieties

Possible non-hybrid pomelos

• Banpeiyu

Hybrids

Main article: Citrus taxonomy

The pomelo is one of the four original citrus species (the others being citron, mandarin, and papeda), from which the rest of cultivated citrus hybridized. In particular, the common orange and the grapefruit are assumed to be natural occurring hybrids between the pomelo and the mandarin, with the pomelo providing the bigger size and greater firmness.

The pomelo is also employed today in artificial breeding programs:

• The common sweet orange (Citrus × sinensis) is a pomelo × mandarin hybrid
• The bitter orange (Citrus × aurantium) is another pomelo × mandarin hybrid
• The tangelo is any hybrid between Citrus maxima and a tangerine. It generally has a thicker skin than a tangerine and is less sweet.
  • 'K–Early' ('Sunrise Tangelo')
• Grapefruit is a pomelo backcross: pummelo × sweet orange (see above). The grapefruit is itself a parent to many hybrids:
  • 'Minneola': Bowen grapefruit × Dancy tangerine
  • 'Orlando' (formerly Take'): Bowen grapefruit × Dancy tangerine(pollen parent)
  • 'Nova': Clementine × Orlando tangelo cross
  • 'Seminole': Bowen grapefruit × Dancy tangerine
  • 'Thornton': tangerine × grapefruit, unspecified
  • 'Ugli': mandarine × grapefruit, probable (wild seedling)
• The Oroblanco and Melogold grapefruits are hybrids between Citrus maxima and the grapefruit.
• Mandelos: pomelo × mandarine (Citrus maxima).
• Hyuganatsu is a pomelo hybrid

Gallery

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  Whole ripe pomelo from Kerala (South India)

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  South Indian pomelo cut in half

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  Sectioned pomelo

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  Pomelos

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  Pomelo after being cut

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  Sectioned pomelo

• Citrus maxima0.jpg

  Pomelo on tree, has fruit and blossoms in the same time

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  Ipoh pomelos on sale at Chinatown, Singapore

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  Fruit on tree; Philippines

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  Pomelo flower in early April

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  Pomelo blossom

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  Cluster of blossoms

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  Yam som-o: spicy Thai pomelo salad with tamarind juice

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  Tam som-o nam pu: spicy Thai pomelo salad with crab extract

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  Fujian's Pinghe County is famous in China for its pomelos

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  Pink pomelo

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  Pomelo in southern Vietnam.

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  As a kitchen fruit

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  In growth

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  Pomelo in growth

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  Pomelo orchard

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  Pomelo seedling

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  Tree

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  Top view of 'Honey' cultivar

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  Side view of 'Honey' cultivar

External links

• Pomelo Nutrition Information from USDA SR 22 database
• Pomelo: The "lucky" giant citrus