Pummelo

Pummelo (also spelled pomelo) is the largest of the citrus fruits, sometimes reaching the size of a basketball. It has a very thick rind and pith surrounding segments of pale yellow to pink flesh that’s milder and less acidic than grapefruit — which is actually a hybrid descendant of the pummelo.

The flesh is firm and dry compared to other citrus, with a gentle sweetness and subtle bitterness. It’s best eaten fresh — peeled and separated into segments with the membrane removed, as it can be tough. In Southeast Asian cooking, pummelo flesh is torn into pieces and tossed into salads with herbs, chilli, and lime dressing.

Pummelo is increasingly available in Australian supermarkets and Asian grocers, typically in season through autumn and winter.

Farmed
photograph to come — from twenty years of markets, farms and kitchens

How it's made

Pummelo trees are grown in tropical and subtropical climates. The fruit is picked by hand when mature, typically after developing on the tree for several months. It’s sold whole and eaten fresh — the thick rind is peeled away by hand, the segments separated, and the tough membrane around each segment removed to reveal the juice vesicles inside.

Nutrition (per 100g)

Energy 38kcal
Protein 0.8g
Carbs 8.6g
Fat 0g
Fibre 1g Sugar 0g
Mass Distribution

1 fruit without refuse is about 609 g — roughly 230 kcal of this.

What it costs the planet (per kilo)

Carbon ≈0.7kg
Freshwater ≈180L
Land ≈0.8

≈ Estimated — worked out from a category-typical value further up its supply chain. Where this comes from →

Where it comes from

In the kitchen

Used as

fresh citrus fruit

Goes well with
Classic dishes
  • Yam Som O
  • Thai Pomelo Salad
  • Pomelo and Prawn Salad

Keeping one at home? Track yours in your cubud →

Where this data comes from

Nutrition data from

USDA

How it was calculated

SR Legacy

Full credits, licences, and methods: the sources page →

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