Pummelo, Red

Red PUMMELO/POMELO* is the largest citrus fruit at about 6 to10” wide. (Citrus maxima or Citrus grandis) It is a natural (non-hybrid), citrus fruit from the family Rutaceae, similar in appearance to a large grapefruit, native to South and Southeast Asia. The pomelo is one of the original citrus species from which the rest of cultivated citrus have been hybridized. The popular fruit is used in many festive celebrations throughout Southeast Asia. Typically, the fruit is pale green to yellow when ripe, with sweet white (or, more rarely, pink or red) flesh, and a very thick albedo (rind pith). It is a large citrus fruit, 15–25 centimeters (5.9 to 9.8 in) in diameter, usually weighing 1–2 kilograms (2.2 to 4.4 lb). Leaf petioles are distinctly winged. The typical pomelo is much larger than the grapefruit and has a much thicker rind. It tastes like a sweet, mild grapefruit (believed to be a hybrid of Citrus maxima and the orange). The flesh has none, or very little, of the common grapefruit's bitterness. The enveloping membranous material around the segments is bitter, considered inedible, and usually discarded.