Pomelo - a hybrid of what kind of fruit?

An unusual exotic fruit brewed many of us saw on sale and even tried. But few know if the pomelo is a hybrid of other citrus fruits or an independent species, and what is its usefulness . Let's find out these moments.

So, the pomelo tree belongs to the evergreen, it has a spherical crown and a height of up to 15 m. And its fruits are noteworthy because they are the largest among the citrus. They can reach a weight of 10 kg and be up to 30 cm in diameter.

Origin of pomelo fruit

In China, pomelo was known even before our era. Later it spread to Southeast Asia - Malaysia, the islands of Fiji and Tonga. In Europe, pomelo appeared only in the XIV century, where it was brought by seafarers traveling around the globe. By the way, pomelo has another name - "sheddok." This name it received thanks to the English captain, who transported this useful and tasty fruit from the Malay Archipelago to the West Indies. The very word "pomelo" came from the English word "pomelo" ("pumelo", "pummelo"), and it, in turn, from the Netherlands "pompelmoes".

Many people are interested in the question, the mixture or hybrid of which fruit is pomelo, with which it is crossed. In fact, everything is simple: pomelo is not a hybrid, it is quite an independent kind of citrus, the same as lemon or orange, only less popular on our shelves. Therefore, the widespread belief that pomelo - the "descendant" of grapefruit, is fundamentally erroneous. Combining these two fruits only the presence of a white layer between the fibers of the pulp. It should be cleaned to get rid of the bitter aftertaste. In addition, there is another interesting fruit, which is very small in the world - these are sweets ("sweetie"), which consists of pomelo and white grapefruit.

Nowadays pomelo is grown in Thailand and Taiwan, in southern China and in Vietnam, in India, Indonesia and southern Japan. Import these citruses also from the island of Tahiti and Israel.

Useful properties of pomelo fruit

The composition of pomelo includes vitamins (C, B1, B2, B5, beta-carotene), trace elements (potassium, phosphorus, calcium, iron, sodium), essential oils and antioxidants.

There are several basic varieties of pomelo. They have different shapes - from spherical to pear-shaped. The color of the peel also differs: pomelo can be yellowish-pink, greenish-yellow or dark-green. As for the taste of the pulp, it is sweet or sour. To clear a fruit it is simple: it is enough to remove a peel, to divide slices by hands and to get rid of a white interlayer.

Pomelo is consumed both in raw form, and in the composition of different dishes. Many Chinese and Thai national dishes suggest the use of this fruit. It has pomelo and ritual significance - so, the Chinese present it to each other for the New Year as a symbol of prosperity and prosperity, and the Vietnamese even put on the festive New Year's altar.

In addition, pomelo in the form of tinctures and powdered peel powder is used in Chinese medicine for the treatment of cough, abdominal pain, edema, tumors, problems with pressure and digestion. Pomelo is considered dietary product, because the lipids that make up its juice have the property of splitting fats. Also pomelo is suitable for use by all people, even diabetics. The only exception is those who suffer from allergies to citrus fruits. He has no other contraindications.

Choose a pomel follows the rules:

• the fruit should be heavy, and its peel - dense and shiny;
• the stronger the aroma, the brighter the taste;
• it is allowed to store pomelo for up to 1 month, and in cut form - no more than 3 days in the refrigerator.