Citrus maxima

pummelo

Pummelo is the largest fruit in the citrus family with some specimens producing fruits up to 12 inches in diameter. It lends its sweet, subtle tanginess and mild bitter flavor to the grapefruit, which is a hybrid of pummelo and orange. If you have ever had a refreshing citrus drink by one of these names: pampelmouse in French, pompelmoes in Dutch, or pampelmuse in German, you have likely thought you were drinking grapefruit soda, but these are the European names for pummelo (okay, so San Pellegrino's pompelmo citrus soda does refer to grapefruit but the Italians just had to be different, as usual!). Another name for this fruit is the shaddock, named after a British captain who reportedly brought the first seeds to the New World through Barbados in the late 1600s.

Pummelos originated in Polynesia and the Malay Peninsula and are so popular in Asian cuisine & culture that they are grown throughout the region. Records indicate they may have been introduced to southern China around 100 BCE. Pummelo is not grown extensively in the United States but may be found at Asian markets or chain grocery stores as a novelty. The peels can be candied or made into marmalade, the wood is hard and used for tool handles, the highly aromatic flowers are gathered for making perfume, and all parts of the plant are used to treat a variety of medical conditions.