Pomelo

Opened pomelo fruit

Pomelo (emphasis on the e ) is a trade name in the German-speaking area for various cultivated varieties of grapefruit . Pomelos are not a species of their own ; the varieties known as pomelos belong taxonomically to the grapefruit ( Citrus maxima ), even if they have a smaller inheritance from the grapefruit ( Citrus paradisi ).

The fruits of the pomelo taste milder than those of other grapefruits and have slightly different properties.

The name pomelo is used in different languages with slightly different meanings. In English is pomelo for grapefruit including pomelos, in French for grapefruit, and in Spanish for grapefruit and grapefruit including pomelos. In the Middle East, especially in the Levant , the fruit is also known under the name Bomali or Pomaly (Arabic بومَلي).

description

Pomelos in the Philippines

The pomelo is similar in its general properties to the grapefruit . The evergreen tree can grow up to 15 meters high; in commercial cultivation, however, it is usually cut significantly lower. It needs a warm, frost-free climate. The fruits are round to pear-shaped and weigh 500 to 2000 g with a diameter of 15 to 25 cm. Under the white-yellow to greenish surface of the pomelo there is a white, spongy layer about a finger-thick. The central axis of the fruit is hollow. The fruit is divided into segments, each surrounded by a firm skin. This skin tastes bitter and is therefore peeled off the pulp before consumption. The flesh is light yellow to pink in color, has a firm consistency and a slightly sourish-sweetish, sometimes slightly bitter, refreshing taste.

Half-peeled pomelo
Pomelo segments with partitions ("skin")
The pulp freed from the skin

Packaging of fruits in stores

For the sea trade in particular , pomelo fruits are often individually shrink -wrapped after harvesting . This serves to reduce the drying out and shrinkage of the fruit, to protect the peel from damage and soiling while it is being transported, and its shine ensures that the fruit looks attractive to buyers. In addition to being shrink-wrapped, they are often sold individually in plastic nets with handles. As a further form of sale, peeled fruits are shrink-wrapped in shrink film to save the buyer the work of peeling and disposing of the voluminous peel.

Pomelos in shrink film (bottom left) and in plastic bags
Pomelos in shrink wrap and nets
Peeled, shrink-wrapped pomelos

use

Pomelos are eaten raw as a fruit. They can also be made into fruit juice , chutneys or fruit spreads . The peel can be used for seasoning or candied if it comes from untreated fruit.

ingredients

The pulp of the pomelo has a physiological calorific value of 105 to 210 kJ / 100 g (25–50 kcal / 100 g) and contains 0.5 g fat, 0.5 g protein, 1 g fiber and 41 mg vitamin C per 100 g .

Like grapefruit, pomelos contain naringin , which can interact with drugs.

In 2009, the Oldenburg food institute des LAVES examined 25 pomelo samples for pesticide residues . The countries of origin were China (twenty samples) and Israel (two samples). The origin of three samples was unknown. Residues of pesticides were found in all samples. A total of 24 different pesticides were detected, such as the insecticide Chlorpyrifos from Dow Chemical Co., which was contained in 21 samples. However, due to legal regulations, the pomelos were examined including their thick skin. This investigation left open whether and how much residues are contained in the pulp or whether the residues detach from the fruit during normal handling.

In contrast, a study by the NDR in 2014 found no pesticide residues in the tested fruits from China.

History of origin

Origin of the pomelo through multiple crossing of mandarins and grapefruit

Pomelos have been grown independently several times in different regions. For example, around 1970 in Israel, when grapefruit and grapefruit were crossed again, a fruit called pomelo was created, which was first available in Germany in 1974. This was grown in Israel and South Africa. Later, independently of this, fruits from Southeast Asia and China also came onto the German market under the name “Pomelo” or “Honey Pomelo”.

The pomelo was created by crossing tangerines and grapefruit several times. The orange - both sweet and bitter orange ( Citrus × sinensis / Citrus × aurantium ) - is the result of the first crossing of mandarin ( Citrus reticulata ) and grapefruit ( Citrus maxima ). Through repeated crossings, first the grapefruit ( Citrus paradisi ) and finally the pomelo emerged. While the bitter taste of grapefruit has prevailed in grapefruit, orange and pomelo taste more fruity.