The pomelo (pummelo, pompelmoes, pamplemousse, Citrus maxima or Citrus grandis), the largest of the citrus fruits, is the grandaddy of many of the citrus fruits we so love. The pomelo, the citron (Citrus medica) and the mandarin (Citrus reticulata) make up the three main citrus groups. The Seville orange is a hybrid of the pomelo and the true mandarin, while the (sweet) orange (Citrus sinensis) is a hybrid of the pomelo and later mandarin admixtures. The lemon is a direct descendant of the citron. All three primary groups have their origins in Asia, a history often ovelooked when we see the citrus so much at home in the Mediterranean countries. Archaeobotanical studies show that the citron, the first citrus to be introduced to the West, seemingly from Persia or the Southern Levant, reached a Persian garden near Jerusalem as early as the fifth or fourth century BC. The fruits had reached the Western Mediterranean by the next two centuries, with the rise of the Romans leading to the establishment of their empire in 31 BC.
To the Chinese, the arrival of the giant pomelo in the autumn brings much festive cheer at home and in their many diasporas. The pulp, eaten raw or added to a sweet milk base, makes a delicious seasonal dessert, with its trace of grapefruit bitterness and satisfying crunch. Try it. Exclusive Chinese restaurants sometimes serve it, off menu, to their favoured clients. Although the fruit is still unfamiliar to many in the West, it is slowly finding its way to major European supermarkets where they can be found in November or December. One pomelo is enough to satisfy six people at the table.
The photos show how best to peel it. Enjoy.
The health benefits?
In Asia, tea brews of the leaves, flowers or rind are used as a sedative, in a similar way to chamomile. Compresses or decoctions of the leaf are applied to swellings and ulcers. The fruit juice is said to lower fever and the seeds are employed against coughs, dyspepsia, and lumbago. Does it work? I suspect, only if you believe hard enough. I have not found any hard evidence. I am sure it is an effective placebo for self-resolving illnesses. Just enjoy it and think of king and country and la dolce vita.
Beware though, the fruit in common with other citrus fruits, notably the grapefruit, contains substances that inhibit some metabolic enzymes involved in the elimination of some medicines. This may lead to increased blood levels. So, if you are on medication, before you indulge, check with your pharmacist or doctor.
Photo Credits: ALWP CEBP. Photos showing the relative sizes of the pomelo and various fruits (Grapefruit, sweet orange, Seville orange, mandarin from left to right) and stages in the undressing of the pomelo. #MedicineTrees #MedicinalHerbs #MedicinalPlants#HerbalMedicine #PlantMedicine #HerbalTeas #FolkloreRemedies #TakingLeadFromNature #CitrusGrandis #CitrusMaxima #Pummelo #Pomelo #Pamplemousse #Citron #CitrusMedica #Archaeobotany #MandarinFruit #CitrusPhylogenetics #CitrusSinensis #CitrusReticulata #DrugDietInteractions #DrugFruitInteractions #Jambola #Shaddock
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