I know you’ve seen them, at the supermarket and at the farmers market. You may have glanced up at the name: Pomelo.
This time of year, they look like overgrown softballs that are almost lime green in color. The pomelo is the original grapefruit. In fact, when I first got into the produce industry, it was simply known as “Chinese grapefruit.” Whatever you call it, this giant citrus — the “king of citrus” — is still very popular in Asian markets.
Most citrus that we know — oranges, tangerines, mandarins — originated in China. The only citrus that did not is today’s grapefruit. It originated in St. Lucia and is a cross between a sweet orange and a pomelo. So, the pomelo is the granddad of today’s grapefruit.
Why are they green? That’s only true this time of year. Early in the season, the fruit may be totally mature and ready to harvest, but the rind color will still be green. As the winter nights set in, the cold temperatures will trigger a color change to a golden yellow.
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