Hunan pomelo
Hunan Pomelo
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The pomelo is one of the largest fruits in the citrus family, and is known as "the king of citrus." The pomelo fruit is also called fragrant pomelo, sweet pomelo, and seedless pomelo. At present, China's fine varieties include Golden Fragrant Pomelo, Anjiang Fragrant Pomelo, Jiangyong Fragrant Pomelo, Shatian Pomelo, Taiwan Late White Pomelo, Jiangjin Red-heart Pomelo, Zhangzhou Pingshan Pomelo, Nankang Zhaipo Pomelo, Nanbu Crisp Sweet Pomelo, and others. Among them, Golden Fragrant Pomelo, Anjiang Fragrant Pomelo, Jiangyong Fragrant Pomelo, Shatian Pomelo, and Taiwan Late White Pomelo are hailed as China's five famous pomelos.
The pomelo's rind is golden and smooth. After peeling off the outer skin, 12 to 18 evenly arranged segments of pulp sacs are revealed, shaped like crescent moons. The segment membranes are tough yet easy to peel. The flesh is pale yellow or pale red, containing plenty of water, sugar, and volatile oils. That is why it tastes sweet and tart, fresh and delicious, fragrant and refreshing. The flesh is rich in vitamins B1, B2, and C, with vitamin C being the most abundant. Generally it contains 39%–51% mg, and the famous fragrant pomelo can have vitamin C content as high as 123 mg, three times that of citrus. Eating a few segments of pomelo each day can both stimulate the appetite and meet the body's need for vitamin C. In the dry autumn and winter seasons, eating some pomelo can moisten dryness and relieve restlessness, and is especially good for pregnant women with loss of appetite and a bland taste in the mouth.
The pomelo belongs to the Rutaceae family, Citrus genus, and originated in China, India, and the Malaysia region, with China having the longest history of cultivation. Hunan lies in a subtropical monsoon climate zone, with a warm climate, abundant rainfall, and a long frost-free period, with an average annual temperature of 18.3°C. It is rich in resources, with vast land and fertile soil. The extensive alluvial soils and yellow sandy loam have good permeability, with a pH value between 5.5 and 6.5 and organic matter between 2 and 2.5, making them extremely suitable for fragrant pomelo growth. Jiangyong in particular, located in the Nanling rare-earth mineral belt, has soil rich in selenium and various trace elements that promote the aromatic quality of crops and their products, and thus abounds in dozens of selenium-rich aromatic specialty products such as fragrant pomelo, fragrant taro, fragrant ginger, fragrant rice, and fragrant mushrooms.
Hunan is a traditional citrus-producing area, with a history of citrus cultivation spanning more than 2,000 years. China's famous patriotic poet Qu Yuan, when exiled to Hunan, lived for a long time in the Yuan, Li, and Xiang river basins. He was very familiar with the local scenery and specialties, and while lingering in the citrus groves he was inspired to write "Ode to the Orange." Hunan not only has a long history of citrus cultivation, but over the course of long-term cultivation has continuously improved varieties and bred many fine ones. Among China's five famous pomelos, three—Golden Fragrant Pomelo, Anjiang Fragrant Pomelo, and Jiangyong Fragrant Pomelo—are from Hunan, making it one of China's important fragrant pomelo producing areas.
In folk tradition, the pomelo is a fruit symbolizing family reunion and a happy life, and is an indispensable fruit for the Mid-Autumn Festival, when family members gather to admire the bright moon. The pomelo is delicious, with a sweet-and-sour taste and a lingering fresh fragrance, making it a delightful fruit of the Mid-Autumn season. The mother fragrant pomelo tree can reach about 7 meters in height, with a compact crown, a strong trunk, and broad, thick leaves. The average yield per tree is 125–150 kg, with the highest reaching 250 kg. Fragrant pomelo fruit generally begins to change color on one-third of its surface in early October, turns fully orange-yellow by mid-October, and is harvested and marketed in late October. Its flesh is mostly sweet with little sourness, rich in flavor, crisp in texture, refreshingly fragrant, and free of bitterness. The fragrant pomelo has a handsome shape, resembling a pear, with high commercial value in appearance, and it stores well—by the following spring its flavor becomes even sweeter and richer, earning it the reputation of a "natural canned fruit."
"The fragrance of pomelo blossoms closely resembles that of gardenia; those with red flesh are sweet, those with white flesh are sour... the flesh is extraordinarily fragrant and sweet." This is a passage about pomelo from the Lingnan Miscellany. Legend also has it that during the Qing Dynasty, special attendants were assigned in the imperial palace to collect pomelo blossoms to extract essence and make cosmetic oils for the concubines' makeup. The fragrant pomelo also has high medicinal value, with effects such as soothing the qi and relieving asthma. People suffering from asthma or high blood pressure benefit greatly from eating it regularly. Most people, after eating the pomelo flesh, simply throw away the peel—which is truly a pity, because the peel is edible and is not only nutritious but also has therapeutic effects such as warming the stomach, reducing phlegm, and soothing the throat. In traditional Chinese medicine it is called "wanggua peel," and can break up accumulations, aid digestion, relieve asthma, and move qi. The pomelo fruit is a widely circulated folk remedy with remarkable effects on treating indigestion and dysentery. Thus the fragrant pomelo is a treasure from top to bottom, tolerates transport well, sells widely, and has broad market prospects at home and abroad. Below, the famous fragrant pomelo varieties of Hunan are introduced one by one.
Cili Golden Fragrant Pomelo
Cili Golden Fragrant Pomelo is a famous Chinese pomelo that excels in color, fragrance, and taste. The authoritative works "Practical New Techniques for Chinese Fruit Trees (Evergreen Fruit Tree Volume)" and "Compilation of Practical Technical Literature on Chinese Citrus (Part One)" both introduce the characteristics of Cili Golden Fragrant Pomelo in their pomelo sections.
Cili Golden Fragrant Pomelo originated in Jiuxi Village, Jiangya. According to the Jiuxi Guard Gazetteer: "The guard city produces mandarins, oranges, and pomelos, which are unsurpassed elsewhere." The fruit is elongated and round-headed, easy to peel, with oil cells bearing a distinctive fragrance, abundant juice that melts in the mouth, and a sweet, fragrant, refreshing taste. Its quality can rival the famous Shatian pomelo. In the early 20th century it was discovered by fruit-tree experts during a citrus resource survey. At the time, because its shape resembled a winter melon and it was sweet, the local people called it "winter melon sweet pomelo." After evaluation by the survey team, because the fruit is cylindrical and early-ripening, it was renamed "early long pomelo." Later, after on-site investigation by experts from the China Citrus Research Institute, because the rind has a unique golden-yellow color and a lasting, rich fragrance, it was named "Golden Fragrant Pomelo." Having been renamed three times, this fully demonstrates the distinctive characteristics of the Cili Golden Fragrant Pomelo fruit, and it is for this reason that it has earned a place among China's famous pomelos.
As one of China's five famous pomelos, the Golden Fragrant Pomelo has a cultivation history of more than 200 years in Wulingyuan. It is widely distributed and high-yielding. Its shape is elongated and round, each weighing about 500–800 grams, with large ones reaching over 1,500 grams. Its rind is golden-yellow, smooth, and richly fragrant. The flesh is white or cream-colored, crisp and tender, full of juice, and of excellent quality—a superior delicacy among fruits.
The Golden Fragrant Pomelo tree is vigorous, tall, with a round-headed crown, and thick, slightly upright branches bearing thorns. The fruit is elongated obovate or cylindrical, with a slightly concave top; the style often persists, surrounded by radial grooves. The fruit surface is golden-yellow, densely covered with oil cells, and richly fragrant. The rind is of medium thickness and relatively easy to peel. There are 14 segments, long kidney-shaped. The flesh is milky white, fine, tender and soft, melting in the mouth and juicy, with a rich, sweet flavor and abundant fragrance. Every 100 ml of juice contains 8.12–9.10 g total sugar, 0.33 g total acid, and 86.31 mg vitamin C. Soluble solids are 11.0%–12.8%, edible rate is 42.67%–47.75%, and juice rate is 33.91%. Each fruit contains about 60 seeds. The quality is superior. It generally comes on the market around National Day, nearly a month earlier than ordinary pomelos. It stores well and can be kept until April of the following year. It has strong adaptability and good, stable yields, with each tree producing 100–150 kg at full fruiting stage.
In fact, the Golden Fragrant Pomelo was listed as a tribute item as early as the Qing Dynasty. It originated in Cili County, but was later lost when the pomelo trees froze to death. The Golden Fragrant Pomelo spoken of today is a variation that sprouted from the base after the trees froze to death—namely the Cili Golden Fragrant Pomelo. In 1978 it won the Hunan Provincial "Science and Technology Progress Award." It has been reported many times by the People's Daily Overseas Edition, Hunan Daily, Hunan TV, and the former China Citrus, and other newspapers and television stations, attracting the attention of leaders at all levels and relevant research institutes. Large amounts of funding have been invested to protect and develop the Cili Golden Fragrant Pomelo, making it a highlight of Cili's citrus industry. The whole county has planted more than 2 mu of Golden Fragrant Pomelo, with an annual output of 30 million fresh fruits. The Golden Fragrant Pomelo is a gift from nature to the people of Cili. The two remaining mother trees (one propagated by layering), though nearly a century old, still stand tall and vigorous, with lush branches and abundant fruit—a sight that leaves all who see them in admiration! When the harvest season arrives, people like to first savor the fragrance, then taste the sweetness. Holding the golden fruit in hand and breathing in its striking fragrance is intoxicating; tasting the golden fragrant fruit, crisp and sweet, leaves an endless aftertaste!
Anjiang Fragrant Pomelo
Anjiang Fragrant Pomelo is a famous, high-quality specialty of Hongjiang City (formerly Qianyang County). This area has a long history of producing citrus and fragrant pomelo, recorded as far back as the Book of Songs and the Tribute of Yu. For a thousand years, "Anjiang pomelo" has been praised by all. When the Tang Dynasty poet Wang Changling was demoted to the post of Longbiao Commandant, he wrote poems such as "The oranges and tangerines of Chu grow dim" and "Drunk, I bid farewell at the river tower amid the fragrance of oranges and pomelos" as evidence. The history of pomelo cultivation in Anjiang, counting from the earliest written records, spans more than 1,000 years. It is a famous local product of Hunan, known by the saying "Anjiang pomelo tops all of Sanxiang," and it became a tribute item for successive dynasties since the Tang. Thus Anjiang Fragrant Pomelo is also called "Tribute Pomelo." Anjiang Fragrant Pomelo has a distinct fragrance, large fruit, and a sweet-and-sour taste, making it a supreme pomelo. About one million are exported each year.
Anjiang Fragrant Pomelo was developed by selective breeding from the Tribute Pomelo. It is oval in shape. Its flesh is plump, the segment membranes white, and the segments long kidney-shaped. The ripe fruit is lemon-colored, with fine, dense oil cells, comb-shaped segments that are evenly distributed, and a small central column. A single fruit weighs about 1.5 kg. The rind is thin and easy to peel. Each fruit has 12–15 segments of flesh, with a richly sweet flavor that melts in the mouth, crisp and tender, delicious, sweet and fragrant, tasting like rock sugar. This variety has won awards many times in national and provincial quality product competitions.
Anjiang Fragrant Pomelo contains abundant sugars, proteins, fats, vitamin A, and elements such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron. Every 100 grams of pomelo flesh contains 57 mg of vitamin C, 10 times that of pears, and 519 mg of calcium, far exceeding other fruits. It also contains more ascorbic acid than oranges and tangerines. According to pharmacopoeias, the flesh aids digestion, reduces phlegm and relieves cough, and dispels the effects of alcohol while easing the stomach. The pomelo peel can be used as medicine, with functions of regulating qi, strengthening the spleen, and reducing phlegm. The fragrant pomelo tree is an evergreen arbor, generally bearing about 200 fruits per tree, with the fruit ripening in mid-October each year.
Jiangyong Fragrant Pomelo
Jiangyong Fragrant Pomelo is a variety of Shatian Pomelo and a famous local specialty. Its original home is Shatian Village, Rong County, Guangxi. It was introduced during the Ming Dynasty, and has a history of more than 400 years since settling in Jiangyong. Because it absorbed abundant rare-earth and other trace elements from this treasure land of Jiangyong, and in this unique climate, bathed in gentle breezes and bright sunshine, and under the careful cultivation of the people of Jiangyong, it has become the Jiangyong Fragrant Pomelo with an especially strong fragrance and a unique flavor. During the Qing Dynasty, the county already had many pomelo groves where "oranges and pomelos gathered in misty green." Through hundreds of years of careful breeding and cultivation, the "Jiangyong Fragrant Pomelo" took shape, with Taochuan Cave as its main producing area. It is golden in color with a handsome shape. When ripe, there is a protruding ring the size of a copper coin at the center of the fruit's base, which people call the "coin flower."
The Jiangyong Fragrant Pomelo not only has large fruit, with a single fruit weighing 1–1.5 kg; the fruit is gourd-shaped or pear-shaped; the rind is pale yellow with a bright luster; the fruit is large, the peel thin, the flesh tender, the seeds few, the sweetness and sourness well balanced, and the nutrition rich. Moreover, its leaves, peel, and flesh are all richly fragrant, earning it the title "king of fruits." According to measurements, it contains 15.2% soluble solids, 13.86% total sugar, and 0.28% total acid, with every 100 grams of juice containing 158.1 mg of vitamin C. Regular consumption has a beneficial effect on the body's normal physiological activities, with functions of lowering blood pressure, aiding digestion, relieving cough and reducing phlegm, strengthening the spleen, moistening the lungs, dispelling the effects of alcohol, and relieving constipation. The peel can be made into pomelo-peel dishes and candied pomelo peel; the seeds, flowers, and leaves can be used in traditional Chinese medicine and to extract aromatic oils; and the juice can be made into beverages and canned goods.
At present, in Jiangyong, the "Hometown of Chinese Fragrant Pomelo," golden fragrant pomelos hang everywhere across the hills and fields. The county has now planted 9,500 hectares of fragrant pomelo, ranking first in the country and making it one of the province's nine major hilly-and-upland development demonstration zones. In national pomelo competitions, Jiangyong Fragrant Pomelo has won the gold award six times; at the Third National Agricultural Expo, "Yongming Brand" Jiangyong Fragrant Pomelo was recognized as a famous-brand product. Jiangyong Fragrant Pomelo is a famous Chinese fruit, a nationally promoted high-quality and high-value agricultural product, one of Hunan Province's top ten famous-brand agricultural products, and a green food certified by the National Green Food Center. The flesh of the fragrant pomelo is crystal-clear like jade, juicy, crisp and tender, with a honeyed taste, sweet and delicious, and rich in nutrition. Naturally rich in selenium, it ranks first among pomelos in vitamin C and soluble solids. It stores well, and after long storage its color, fragrance, and taste remain unchanged. It is regarded as a treasure among fruits and enjoys the reputation of a "natural canned fruit," and is considered a "treasure among fruits."
The pomelo has high nutritional value, containing very rich proteins, organic acids, vitamins, and essential elements such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and sodium, which are hard for other fruits to match. Every 100 grams of fresh fruit contains 84.8 grams of water, 0.7 grams of protein, 0.6 grams of fat, 12.2 grams of carbohydrates, 57 kilocalories of calories, 0.8 grams of crude fiber, 0.9 grams of ash, 41 mg of calcium, 43 mg of phosphorus, 0.9 mg of iron, 0.12 mg of carotene, 0.07 mg of thiamine, 0.02 mg of riboflavin, 0.5 mg of niacin, 41 mg of ascorbic acid, 257 mg of potassium, 0.8 mg of sodium, and 16.1 mg of magnesium, and also contains abundant organic acids.
The pomelo not only has high nutritional value but also has excellent therapeutic effects. Traditional Chinese medicine holds that pomelo flesh is sweet-and-sour in taste and cold in nature, with functions of regulating qi and reducing phlegm, moistening the lungs and clearing the intestines, and enriching the blood and strengthening the spleen. It can treat poor appetite, a bland taste in the mouth, and indigestion, and can help digestion, eliminate phlegm, quench thirst, regulate qi, and dissipate nodules. The Rihua Zi Materia Medica states that it has the effect of "treating pregnant women with poor appetite and a bland taste, removing foul qi from the stomach, promoting digestion, dispelling qi from the stomach and intestines, and neutralizing the toxicity of wheat." Regular consumption of pomelo has effects such as strengthening the stomach, moistening the lungs, enriching the blood, clearing the intestines, and promoting bowel movements. It can promote wound healing and has a good auxiliary therapeutic effect on septicemia and other conditions. The pomelo contains a physiologically active substance, naringin, which can reduce blood viscosity and decrease the formation of blood clots, and therefore has a good preventive effect on cerebrovascular diseases such as cerebral thrombosis and stroke, and is especially suitable for middle-aged and elderly people. The pomelo contains large amounts of vitamin C and calcium, which help prevent colorectal cancer and stomach cancer. Fresh pomelo flesh, because it contains a component similar to insulin, is an ideal food for diabetics. The latest research results of American food and medical experts show that if overweight people can eat more pomelo regularly, it can bring about quite noticeable weight-loss effects. The study also found that by the end of the experimental period, the insulin levels of these dieters had also declined accordingly.
Whenever the golden wind brings coolness and the jade dew turns cold in mid-autumn, it is exactly the good season when pomelos ripen and come on the market. At this time, whether in the streets and alleys, in courtyards and rooms, or even in girls' backpacks, the fragrance of pomelo fills the air everywhere. People all love to eat pomelo, and all love its refreshing quality and lingering fragrance. Therefore, when buying pomelo, it is very important to choose carefully. When selecting a pomelo, one can use the methods of "smelling" and "tapping." Smelling means smelling the fragrance—a fully ripe pomelo is richly fragrant. Tapping means pressing and tapping the outer skin of the fruit to see whether the skin sinks in; if it sinks in and has no resilience, the quality is relatively poor. When tapping, listen to the sound it makes to judge whether the fruit is ripe and whether its quality is good or poor. When choosing a pomelo, it is best to select the standard shape that is pointed at the top and broad at the bottom, with a rind that must be thin, smooth, and glossy, and with a color that is pale green or pale yellow. If it looks soft and juicy, so much the better. A freshly picked pomelo is not at its best in flavor; it is best to leave it indoors for a few days. After a period of storage, as the fruit's moisture gradually evaporates, its sweetness increases, and it tastes even fresher and sweeter, with a lingering, refreshing fragrance that makes the mouth water. If you remove the seeds from the pomelo, cut it into small pieces, put them in a jar, sprinkle with a little white liquor, seal and steep overnight, then heat and steam until the liquid is gone, and add 250 grams of honey, you get pomelo preserves—sweet and delicious, with a mouthful of fragrance in every bite. It is an ideal health food, and is especially wonderful to eat when a cough is severe, as it has the effect of relieving cough and reducing phlegm. According to reports, pomelo juice contains a component similar to insulin that can lower blood sugar, making it the fruit of first choice for diabetics.