Pomelo Fruit

 

Pomelo Fruit                                                                                                                                       Pomelo - citrus maxima   

Pomelo is a large citrus fruit.  They are bigger than any other citrus fruit with skin that can vary in colour from green to yellow and everything in between. Some fruits are perfectly round in shape while some lean more toward a pear shape.  Beneath the vibrant skin is a layer of pith which can be more than an inch thick. The flesh can vary just as much as the skin with some touting a pink hue while others are white, yellow, red or even orange.

Pomelo fruit is the largest variety of citrus fruit in the world. It originated in South and Southeast Asia. It is most closely related in appearance to grapefruit and can be successfully hybridized with other citrus fruits. The tangelo, for example, is a pomelo / tangerine cross, and the grapefruit is believed to have originated as a pomelo / orange hybrid. This fruit is the principal ancestor of the grapefruit.  It is a natural, i.e., non-hybrid, citrus fruit, native to Southeast Asia.  Similar in taste to a large grapefruit, the pomelo is commonly consumed and used for festive occasions throughout Southeast Asia. This fruit is also spelled as pomello, pummelo, pommelo, pumelo,  pompelmoes, pamplemousse, bali lemon, limau besar, shaddock and pummelos. 

This fruit also known as Jeruk Bali in Indonesia and the Chakotra in India, is an exotic large citrus fruit. It originated in Asia and is grown in many eastern countries including China, Japan, India, Fiji, Malaysia, and Thailand. It is also now grown in the Caribbean and in the United States, in California and Florida. Although it is most commonly known under the name of pummelo, depending on the region where it is grown. 

These large citrus fruits are either round or oval in shape and have a rind that ranges in colour from green to yellow with a textured rind. Filled with a creamy white, bright pink or somewhere in between pulpy core, pomelos have thicker pith than most other varieties of citrus fruit.  Pomelos can either be filled with seeds, have very few or none at all.  In Southeast Asia, pomelos are often served as desserts but they also garnish salads with them.  A popular way to serve pomelos is with a salt mixture on top to cut the sweetness of the fruit.  Like other citrus fruits, pomelos are high in vitamin C. Depending on the variety.

Some pomelos can be as big as volleyballs. The pale green or yellow fruit has a pink, white, or red inside that tastes like a slightly sweeter grapefruit. It is native to Southeast Asia and is less commonly consumed in the United States, adding pomelo in diet can boost nutrition and provide certain health benefits.

Pomelos have thicker skin than their citrus cousins. The most readily available variety is the Chandler pomelo, which has bright green skin and pale pink flesh. The pomelo can also be crossed with other citrus fruits to make hybrids like the tangelo.

Pomelo tree grows to heights of up to 30 feet. Additionally, the pomelo tree produces very attractive, fragrant and large white coloured flowers. These flowers are often used in Asia to make perfumes. While the leaf and flower extracts are extensively used in the ancient Indian medicinal system of Ayurveda to treat innumerable ailments.  Because the pomelo fruit is related to the grapefruit, it has a taste that is tangy. However, pomelo fruit is sweeter in taste than the grapefruit. 

This large citrus fruit, 15 – 25 centimetres in diameter, usually weighing 1– 3 kilograms.  It has a thicker rind than a grapefruit and containing 12–18 segments.  The flesh has little of the common grapefruit bitterness. The enveloping membranous material around the segments is bitter, considered inedible, and usually discarded.  Mainly there are two varieties: a sweet kind with white or yellow flesh, and a sour kind with pinkish flesh, the latter more likely to be used as a ceremony, 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, either raw or sprinkled with sugar. In large parts of Southeast Asia where pomelo is native, it is a common dessert, often eaten raw and sprinkled with, or dipped in, a salt mixture. It is eaten in salads.  In the Philippines, the juice is mixed with pineapple and made into a pink drink.

Pomelo is a popular ingredient in various standard dishes in Asian cuisine such as salads, soups, noodles, fried rice and desserts such as cakes and pudding. Pomelo juice is a refreshing drink that assists in cooling down the body and it is also commonly infused into many cocktails to add an exclusive flavour. In addition, the tough exterior peel of pomelo fruit, although not consumed raw, is used in making marmalades and jams.

The rind and membranes between pomelo segments are both inedible parts of the fresh fruit (though the rind is sometimes shaved to flavour cooking or candied as a dessert). Be sure to remove them prior to consumption. One way of eating a pomelo is to peel the rind and membranes with your hands the same way you would peel an orange. A pomelo can also be cut into quarters or eighths and eaten with a spoon, just like a grapefruit. 

Unlike with other citrus fruits, the membrane of the pomelo is extremely bitter and considered inedible.  The flavour of a pomelo is very much like the grapefruit, but much milder. Pomelos are sweeter and don’t carry that tangy, bitterness that can be associated with grapefruit.   They are often less juicy though again, that depends on the variety as some can be juicier than others.

Today, pomelos are still cultivated in Southeast Asia, but they also grow in India, parts of Africa, and Central and South America.  They are harvested as an important cash crop in Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, California, and Israel. Pomelos have become popular in many diverse cuisines worldwide.

The pomelo has most likely originated in Southeast Asia and Malaysia where it grew wild. However as time goes by, the pomelo seeds were introduced all around the world and was planted in many different parts of the continent. It has been especially presumed to have been grown by the Chinese for thousands of years and is currently much cultivated in Southern China.

This big-sized citrus fruit native to tropical and sub-tropical environments is indeed a wonderful gift from Mother Nature, which confers remarkable wellness incentives and guarantees optimal overall well-being. Browse through this infographic, to unravel the numerous rewards for health, of eating pomelo fruits on a regular basis.  Comprising significant levels of minerals - calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and zinc, pomelo supplies strength and nourishment to bones, tissues and muscles in the body. Being low on calories, while high on proteins and fibers, it is a wholesome food to incorporate in weight loss diets. Also, the delightful pomelo fruit, as well as the leaf and flower extracts, hold significant therapeutic applications in the ancient Indian practice of medicine - Ayurveda.

This fruit  rich sources of vitamin B1, vitamin B6, and vitamin A; these have been found to prevent issues in the nervous system, encourage heart health, and preserve eyesight respectively.  Pomelos contain a few choice nutrients that are fairly uncommon in other fruits and vegetables, the rarest being spermidine, a natural chemical that is known for its anti-aging properties. On top of that, the peel contains bioflavonoids that assist in cancer prevention.  The various vitamins and nutrients found in pomelos all add up to promote healthy hair. From fighting dandruff to encouraging hair growth, many common hair issues can be alleviated by eating small amounts of pomelo.  Pomelo is a great source of vitamin C. Pregnant women need at least 85mg of this essential nutrient every day. Consuming fresh pomelo fruit or its juice is a great way to fulfill vitamin C requirement during pregnancy. 

Pomelo is an immunity enhancer in a way that it contains a high amount of ascorbic acid. Pomelo has been used as one of the richest sources of Vitamin C in South East Asia and so it fulfills the daily required amount of Vitamin C quantities. Vitamin C enhances the white blood cell activity to fight infections and prevents various microorganism borne diseases. It’s rich in antioxidants that prevent premature aging of skin cells by protecting them from the free radical damage. This keeps the body healthy and, off colds, flu and other severe bacterial and viral infections. 

Pomelo is high in potassium that is necessary for proper absorption of essential minerals and maintaining bone calcium density. Pomelo intake prevents osteoporosis. Carnitine palmitoyl-transferase is a rare enzyme found in pomelo which has a link to weight loss. Pomelo also contains a high amount of fiber which helps in losing excess flab and controls obesity.  Sudden stiffening and unconscious shrinkage of muscles in limbs, mostly legs are caused due to lack of fluids and electrolytes in the body. Pomelo has a high amount of potassium, sodium and magnesium that can fulfill the daily electrolyte requirement. It helps in soothing and easing the muscle stiffness and lessens cramping.

Interestingly, it also gains the name ‘shaddock’ after an English sea captain, Captain Shaddock who became well-known after introducing this fruit to the West Indies in the 17th Century from the Malay Archipelago.

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