This week I tried a new fruit…the pummelo.
Or pomelo.
Or pommelo.
No matter how you spell it, “pummelo” could mean just one thing–the largest citrus fruit in the world!
I’ve seen them on other blogs and in recipes, but I’ve never seen one in my local supermarket. Or maybe I just haven’t been paying attention (as is often the case). Then, as I was perusing the produce section on my last trip to the store, I couldn’t help but notice this giant mountain of what seemed to be grapefruits on steroids. And there it was…the elusive pummelo! (pomelo. or pommelo. I just can’t decide.)
I lugged one into my cart –okay, it wasn’t really much of a “lug”, but these things do weight between 2 and 4 pounds on average–and brought it home to try.
Here is my pummelo next to a very average-sized lemon for size comparison:
And here it is in my way-over-average-sized-hands-for-a-girl for size comparison:
This citrus fruit is quite a handful.
I really didn’t have the slightest idea on how to easily serve it, so I decided to just cut it in half, cross-wise, and start there. The inside of a pummelo is pretty! It looks like a flower.
SEE? Very flower-esque.
For lack of a better plan, I cut the pummelo in quarters and then peeled the rind back to expose the segments.
I was able to peel a few segments apart and actually get down to the business of eating the darn thing! The flesh tastes like grapefruit, but not as bitter. It’s almost like a cross between a grapefruit and an orange.
Unlike an orange though, the individual segments have a thicker membrane between them that is tough and pretty much inedible. Next time I get a pummelo, I’ll slice it cross wise like an onion and then easily cut the outside rind off and the segments apart and then eat it with a fork.
All in all, it was tasty but a lot of work. It’s kind of hard to beat clementines…you blink at them and the peel falls off! BUT…if you’re craving something a little more substantial…something that’s more of a challenge…something more impressive…or just grapefruit-esque…try a pummelo! (pomelo. pommelo. Ugh. I still can’t decide.)
What about you? Have you ever tried a pummelo? What did you think?
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