The pomelo is round in shape, sweet and refreshing with a slightly bitter taste, making it a favorite among people and beneficial to health. The "Compendium of Materia Medica" describes the pomelo as being able to "aid digestion, relieve chest tightness, and disperse stagnant qi." In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the pomelo is considered sweet and sour in taste, and cool in nature, with effects of regulating qi, resolving phlegm, moistening the lungs, clearing the intestines, nourishing blood, and strengthening the spleen.
The pomelo's flesh is crisp, tender, and juicy with a sweet taste. Every 100 grams of pulp contains 89 grams of water, making it an excellent hydrator. The pomelo is low in energy and fat, with less than 1 gram of fat and 41 kilocalories per 100 grams. Moreover, the pomelo is rich in various nutrients such as Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin C, carotene, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium.
The entire pomelo is valuable, and there are many ways to eat it. To minimize the loss of nutrients, cut through the thick rind, remove the white pith, and eat the flesh directly. Making a pomelo salad is also a unique option. Toss the refreshing flesh with coconut milk, red curry paste, chili oil, and sugar, then add shrimp or shredded chicken, and top with toasted coconut flakes or crushed peanuts to create an exquisite Thai pomelo salad.
After eating the flesh, people often discard the pomelo peel. In fact, the peel, with its slightly bitter and astringent taste, is also edible. For this purpose, it's best to use a Shatian pomelo from Guangxi, as its peel is thick, plump, white, and fragrant. First, shave off the greenish-yellow outer skin, remove the spongy white pith that clings to the flesh, and keep the middle, softer sponge-like part. When cooked with meat, such as in steamed pork with pomelo powder, braised pork belly with pomelo peel, pomelo-flavored pork belly stew, or steamed spare ribs with pomelo peel, the pomelo's fragrance and the meat's flavor infuse each other, creating a unique taste. It also reduces the fat content of the dish, helping to cut through grease and aid digestion. Furthermore, the pomelo peel contains flavonoids such as naringin and rutin, which have antioxidant properties. They can reduce blood viscosity, decrease thrombus formation, and are effective in preventing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases like cerebral thrombosis and stroke.