I Had My First Pomelo on Saturday. Have you had one?

A Pomelo.  

My friend Ava brought us some livermush the other day, and in the bag with the livermush was the biggest grapefruit I ever saw.  I declared, "What a big grapefruit!"  She then explained that it was not a grapefruit but a Pomelo.  I had never heard of it.  I learned that Citrus maxima (or Citrus grandis), with the common name Pamelo is a citrus fruit, with the look of a big grapefruit, native to South and Southeast Asia.

Pamelos are the largest of the citrus fruits and are closely related to grapefruits.  The Grapefruit is considered to be a natural occurring hybrid between the Pomelo and the Mandarin orange.

Left to right:  Mandarin , Orange, and Pomelo.  

The Pomelos are quite heavy. (I should have weighed this one.)  The pith (white layer under the outer skin) is very thick and the pulp can be cream colored or pink.  This one was pink, the rarer color, and the sweeter.  Pamelos taste like a very sweet grapefruit without any of the bitterness.  

Very thick white pith of the Polemo.

It is difficult to peel this fruit, especially removing the pith from the pulp.  It is hard to get a whole section of pulp out intact.  

Sections of the pulp, some intact.  

Section of Pomelo and section of Mandarin orange.  

Thanks Ava for introducing me to the Pamelo a new to me citrus fruit.