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Pomelo

[pom-uh-loh]

The pomelo (or Chinese grapefruit, pummelo, pommelo, Lusho Fruit, jabong, shaddock) Citrus maxima (Merr., Burm. f.), also Citrus grandis (L.), is a citrus fruit, usually a pale green to yellow when ripe (but also pink or red), larger than a grapefruit, with sweet flesh and thick spongy rind. It is the largest citrus fruit, growing as large as 30 cm in diameter and weighing as much as 10 kg; the peel is thick.

Origin and nomenclature

The pomelo is native to South-East Asia, where indigenous names include som o (ส้มโอ) in Thai and bưởi in Vietnamese. In Burmese, the fruit is called kywègaw thee in the south and shaupann thee in upcountry. In Malay and Indonesian, it is known as limau/jeruk bali ("Balinese lime/orange") after the island of Bali. In the Philippines, while the common name is pomelo, it is also known as suha in Tagalog and boongon in Visayan.

In Chinese, the fruit is known as yòuzi (柚子), although the same Chinese characters can also be used for the yuzu, a different species. The Japanese refer to the pomelo as or , apparently both derived from Cantonese captain 谢文旦, whose name is read Sha Buntan in Japanese.

Cultivation and uses

The Chandler is a Californian variety with a smoother skin than many other varieties. In Vietnam, a particularly well known variety called bưởi Năm Roi is cultivated in the Vinh Long Province of the Mekong Delta region.

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.

Production

The United States of America is the top producer of pomelo, followed by China and Mexico.

Top Ten Grapefruit and Pomelo Milk Producers — 2005
Country	Production (Int $1000)	Footnote	Production (MT)	Footnote
	155,940	C	914,440
	57,128	C	443,000	F
	43,947	C	257,711	F
	42,632	C	250,000	F
	38,540	C	226,000	F
	36,212	C	212,348
	28,990	C	170,000	F
	25,580	C	150,000
	24,215	C	142,000	F
	12,278	C	72,000	F
No symbol = official figure,F = FAO estimate, * = Unofficial figure, C = Calculated figure; Production in Int $1000 have been calculated based on 1999–2001 international prices