What's this
What is pomelo?
Pomelo is the common name of the Citrus maxima or Citrus grandis tree and the fruit it produces; other names of the pomelo are: shaddock or shaddok (in English), pummelo, pompaleone, pommelo and pamplemousse.
The pomelo is a citrus fruit that produces esperidi - fruits with a particular structure - edible and much appreciated, which can be included in the VII fundamental group of foods - fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C, fibers, water and soluble sugars (fructose).
The pomelo is eaten raw, like most citrus fruits, or turned into juice, jam, candied fruit, gelatine, etc. With the pomelo flavedo - external portion and colored skin - rich in essential oils, various recipes can be flavored, ranging from appetizers to desserts; with the pulp or juice of the endocarp instead, various types of drinks and desserts are packaged - including granita, ice cream etc. Note : the organoleptic and gustatory characteristics of the pomelo are not appreciated by everyone. Certainly less caloric than oranges, mandarins, clementines and large mandarancies, the pomelo is even more sour and bitter - more similar, but not quite as "rude" to grapefruit.
Although it closely resembles a lemon, although the shape is slightly elongated on the upper vertex - similar to a "pear" - the pomelo is more similar to those of a melon. The color of the flavedo is green which tends to yellowish during maturation, the albedo - the inner part of the skin - and the central column are white and spongy, while the succulent endocarp (pulp) is translucent and pale yellow.
The pomelo is one of the very few "original citrus fruits", that is naturally available in nature before man started crossing them to obtain plants with intermediate characteristics. Originally from South and South East Asia, it appeared in Japan only in the An'ei era (1772-1781) following trade with the Asian continent.
Nutritional Properties
Nutritional properties of pomelo
The pomelo belongs to the VII fundamental group of foods - fruits and vegetables rich in ascorbic acid (vit C).
In Italy, the chemical values of the pomelo - edible portion, or endocarp - are not readily available, since it is an obsolete food with occasional use. However, by consulting other databases, it is possible to state that the pomelo contains approximately the same nutritional principles as most low-sugar citrus fruits.
The pomelo is a poorly energetic fruit, which should provide about 30-40 kcal / 100 g of edible portion, coming mainly from soluble glucides and, only marginally, from proteins and lipids. The fibers (including pectins) are well present while cholesterol is totally absent, as is lactose and gluten. It does not contain significant amounts of histamine, phenylalanine amino acid and purines.
Like all citrus fruits, pomelo also provides good levels of alkalizing minerals, especially potassium, and antioxidants, in particular vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and polyphenols.
Pomelo, raw pulp | |
Nutritional values per 100 g | Quantity' |
| Power | 38.0 kcal |
Total carbohydrates | 9.62 g |
Starch | -g |
| Simple sugars | -g |
| fibers | 1.0 g |
| Grassi | 0.04 g |
| Saturated | -g |
| Monounsaturated | -g |
| polyunsaturated | -g |
| Cholesterol | 0.0 mg |
| Protein | 0.76 g |
| water | -g |
| Vitamins | |
| Vitamin A equivalent | -RAE |
| Beta-Carotene | -μg |
| Lutein Zexanthin | -μg |
| Vitamin A | -iu |
| Thiamine or vit B1 | 0.034 mg |
| Riboflavin or vit B2 | 0.027 mg |
| Niacin or vit PP or vit B3 | 1, 220 mg |
| Pantothenic acid or vit B5 | -mg |
| Pyridoxine or vit B6 | 0.036 mg |
| folate | -μg |
| Vitamin B12 or cobalamin | -μg |
| Choline | -mg |
| C vitamin | 61.0 mg |
| Vitamin D | -μg |
| Vitamin E | -mg |
| Vitamin K | -μg |
| Minerals | |
| Football | -mg |
| Iron | 0.11 mg |
Magnesium | 7.0 mg |
| Manganese | 0.017 mg |
| Phosphorus | 17.0 mg |
| Potassium | 216.0 mg |
| Sodium | 1.0 mg |
| Zinc | 0.08 mg |
| fluoride | -μg |
Pharmacological Interactions
Pomelo drug interactions
Pomelo and its hybrids, such as grapefruit, certain types of lime and oranges, can interact dangerously with some drugs; among these: antiarrhythmics, calcium antagonists, statins, immunosuppressants and protease inhibitors.
For more information on the subject, see the article "Grapefruit and drugs - Drug interactions".
Diet
Pomelo in the diet
The pulp of the pomelo is suitable for most diets. This sour fruit is also indicated in the diet against obesity and metabolic pathologies. Given the very low energy supply, it will be difficult to reach, even exaggerating, portions so abundant as to compromise the energy balance, favoring overweight or hindering weight loss. Furthermore, considering the negligible extent of the glycemic load, it may be suitable for the diet for type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertriglyceridemia.
No component of the pomelo - flavedo, albedo and endocarp - directly compromises nutritional therapy against arterial hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, histamine intolerance, celiac disease, lactose intolerance and phenylketonuria; however, we must not forget that, as we said in the previous paragraph, the pomelo contains molecules that can interact with many types of drugs altering the normal pharmacokinetic course. Moreover, being lacking in purines and not bringing high amounts of fructose - which, if in excess, can hinder the disposal of uric acid - this fruit is also suitable in case of hyperuricemia.
On the contrary, due to the richness in water and soluble fiber, the pomelo increases the sensation of fullness; fructose, on the other hand, does not stimulate the sense of satiety as effectively as glucose. Moreover, the soluble fibers act positively on the metabolism modulating the absorption - decrease of the glycemic index, reduction of cholesterol uptake - preventing constipation and all the related complications - hemorrhoids, anal fissures, diverticulosis, diverticulitis, anal prolapse, certain forms of cancer etc. It should also be remembered that they are also excellent prebiotics and effectively nourish the bacterial flora of the colon.
Water and potassium, besides guaranteeing the state of hydration - precarious especially in sportsmen and the elderly - are precious allies in food therapy against primary arterial hypertension.
The richness in vitamin C and polyphenols is very useful to support the defensive action against free radicals. Furthermore, ascorbic acid is a necessary factor for the synthesis of collagen, a protein widespread in the human body, and contributes to supporting the immune system.
The average portion is approximately 100-200g.
Kitchen
How do you eat pomelo?
The pomelo is eaten raw and carefully peeled, since the pulp can be easily separated into fifteen wedges.
The peel of the pomelo has various uses; the most famous recipe in Italy is that of simple candied and covered in chocolate. In Brazil, the peel of the pomelo is often used to make a sweet, pulp-free preserve, while in Italy the endocarp is mainly used to obtain jam, jellies and fruit juice (pomelo juice).
In Asia, pomelo is consumed mainly during the "Mid-Autumn Festival" or "Mooncake Festival". It is considered one of the ingredients of "Forbidden Fruit", a liqueur containing honey and brandy that dates back to the early 20th century. This is the most famous ingredient used in the "Dorchester" cocktail.
Description
Description of the pomelo fruit
That of the pomelo is considered one of the largest fruits of the citrus group, with a diameter of 15-25 cm and a weight of 1-2 kg; leaf petioles are distinctly winged.
The large esperidio has a flavedo - external portion of the peel - rich in essential oils, pale green; only when fully ripe does it evolve into a brighter yellow. The albedo - a spongy white inner part of the skin - is very thick. The pulp (endocarp) is white, tending to very light yellow; only in a particular variety is it pink or red.
The taste and aroma of the pomelo are typically citrus, similar to those of the hybrids that it can itself generate, for example sweet grapefruit and orange. Except for the albedo of the peel, which in every citrus fruit is unpleasant - bitter taste - the endocarp of the pomelo is less bitter and more sugary than the common grapefruit.
Botany
Notes on botany on the pomelo
The pomelo is a tree belonging to the botanical family Rutaceae, genus Citrus and maxima or grandis species.
Along with cedar, mandarin and papeda, pomelo is one of the four original citrus species - non-hybridised - naturally present in nature. From their hybridization come all the citrus fruits grown in Asia and the rest of the world. To be precise, the common orange and the grapefruit are "natural hybrids" born from the cross between the pomelo and the mandarin, in which the pomelo has the function of regulating the size and consistency.
Autonomously fertile, the pomelo is often reproduced from the seed, provided it is well preserved, or by grafting onto other citrus fruits called "rootstocks". Today the pomelo plant is also used in artificial reproduction programs for: sweet orange, bitter orange, tangelo, grapefruit, oroblanco and melogold, mandelos and hyuganatsu.
Pomelo variety
There are basically two varieties of pomelo: one sweet, with white pulp, and one sour, with pinkish pulp; the latter is more often used for decorative purposes rather than for food. However, even the pomelo itself has undergone many variations due to the selection of cultivars.
The only type of totally pure pomelo is the "dngyuja", a cultivar famous for its ability to produce extremely larger than normal fruits - the weight is a few kilograms. There is a good chance that the same holds true for the "banpeiyu".
