Pomelos

The pomelo, the largest member of the citrus family, can grow to be as large as a basketball. It is an ancient ancestor of the grapefruit, but sweeter. Like many citrus fruits, the pomelo originated in Asia, most likely southern Asia and Malaysia, where it grows wild.

There are dozens of varieties, with varying degrees of sweetness, and their skin and flesh range in color from greenish yellow to pink. Some pomelo varieties are oval shaped, and almost all are larger than their grapefruit kin.

The most common variety grown and sold in California is the Chandler, a medium-sized pomelo with yellow skin and pink flesh. Like other pomelos, it has a thick rind that is ideal for candying. The white pith absorbs the sugar, creating the desired balance between sweet and bitter.

The Chandler is a hybrid variety, a cross between Siamese Pink and Siamese Sweet pomelos, developed by breeders at the UC Citrus Research Center, Riverside. It was released in 1961, and it is still the premier pomelo in California, valued for its sweet pink flesh.

Oro Blanco, sometimes marketed as a pomelo, but more often as a grapefruit, is actually a cross between the two. It was also developed at UC Riverside. It has the sweetness and greenish to light yellow skin of a pomelo, the white flesh of its grapefruit parentage, and it is seedless. Like its pomelo parent, it has bitter skin and a thick pith, making it another good choice for candying or for marmalade.

Pomelo flesh also makes an excellent salad ingredient, providing a sweet yet bright contrast to other winter-thriving ingredients like escarole and other bitter greens.

Find California-grown pomelos and Oro Blanco citrus at local farmers’ markets, specialty grocers and Asian markets throughout our area during the winter season.