Pomelo (Bưởi)

Pomelo (Bưởi)

Pomelo (or Chinese grapefruit) is a member of the citrus family and is a native to Southeast Asia. The largest known citrus fruit, it appears like a big grapefruit but has a sweeter taste to it and is much less bitter. To eat the pomelo, a knife is needed to carve the green skin off, while the spongy part of the skin could be removed by hand. Once all the covering is taken off, the pulps holding a pleasantly refreshing liquid are revealed.

There are several tasty varieties of pomelo in Vietnam, often named after the location where it grows. In the North, there is the Doan Hung pomelo (which grows in Phu Tho Province), in the Central there is the Phuc Trach pomelo (from Ha Tinh Province), and in the South there is the Tan Trieu pomelo (Bien Hoa Province). Each variety has unique qualities. The Phuc Trach pomelo has a distinct sweet flavor of the glucose that is fresh to the taste known to quench the thirst and leave the body cool and the mind relaxed. Another variety, the Thanh Tra pomelo, is mildly sweet and somewhat acidic at the same time while the Buoi Duong (or sugar pomelo) is much sweeter.