if not salad, then a hat

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10.06.2010

if not salad, then a hat

A big juicy pomelo, scored, ready to be peeled and eaten

One of my favorite fruits available year-round in this part of the world is the pomelo, a citrus fruit similar to a grapefruit, except slightly sweeter and much larger. Here in Southeast Asia, we’ve seen pomelos as the basis of a great salad, and that’s where I’ve fallen in love with them. The citrus is bright and fresh, and paired with shrimp, pork, toasted coconut, chilies, lime and cilantro, it’s the perfect way to start a meal on a hot day here.

I’ve seen pomelos in grocery stores in the U.S. and I knew about them from my dad, who used to eat them as a kid in Taiwan, but I never knew any use for them other than to eat them plain and to wear the rinds as hats. Yes, you read that right. The rind is much thicker than that of a typical grapefruit, which you open by scoring the rind vertically, then peeling it away. This process leaves a cut rind that’s still intact at one end, which my dad and his siblings would then fight over for hat-wearing purposes.

A demonstration and recipes I like, after the jump.

pomgac2

Left: at a fruit tasting last year, I showed off how to wear a pomelo rind like a hat; top right: the pith of the pomelo is thick and bitter, which means it has to be supremed in order to leave the pulpy flesh, bottom right

Pomelos are in season year-round, and most of the salads are really easy to put together. I can imagine this salad being a great starter to a lightly grilled fish, accompanied by a glass of white wine, probably because the hubby and I do just that, on occasion.

For more about pomelos in general, click here.

For a great Thai version that I’ve made and really enjoyed, click here.

This interesting version uses roast duck.

The Vietnamese version here omits coconut milk, which makes it a little lighter.