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, ranging from the size of an extra-large grapefruit to the diameter of a basketball,[1] and usually weighing between 1 and 2 kg. Other names for pomelo include pummelo, pommelo, Chinese grapefruit, Lusho Fruit, jabong, pompelmous,[2] and shaddock.[3]
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 b??i N?m Roi is cultivated in the Trà Ôn district of Vinh Long Province of the Mekong Delta region and b??i 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.