Distinguishing Pomelo Varieties: What Are the Characteristics of Wendan, Red Wendan and Xishi Pomelo?
Summer is about to end, and cool breezes are beginning to blow. As we enter the middle of the eighth lunar month, what we look forward to most is the Mid-Autumn season. People say that when the moon is full, families reunite, and enjoying the moon and eating wendan pomelo with family is the happiest thing. The records of pomelo cultivation techniques in Taiwan, China date back very early, to 1694 AD, and there are many kinds of pomelo, including wendan pomelo, red wendan pomelo, white pomelo, red pomelo……and so on. Today we are going to introduce the characteristics and differences among wendan pomelo, red wendan pomelo and white pomelo!
Wendan Pomelo
Wendan pomelo is the earliest to be produced among these three kinds of pomelo, and it comes into full season around early September on the solar calendar (about the middle of the eighth lunar month). However, this year's (2015) climate turned hot relatively early, so most wendan pomelos were harvested early, and many farmers' wendan pomelos had already sold out before the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Madou in Tainan is one of the largest producing areas of wendan pomelo in Taiwan, China, and every year at the Mid-Autumn Festival many Madou wendan pomelos can be seen on the market. In recent years, wendan pomelos from places such as Hegang in Hualien have also made a name for themselves in the pomelo market. In fact, it is not only old trees that produce good-quality wendan pomelos; as long as there is proper management and care, sweet and delicious wendan pomelos can still be cultivated.
The fruit of the wendan pomelo is conical or pear-shaped. The rind is pale green, and after ripening it turns pale yellow-green, which is also when the wendan pomelo has the best flavor!
Red Wendan Pomelo
Red wendan pomelo is relatively rare on the market. The oil cells on its rind are large and coarse, and in the early days it was called "Madou red pomelo." It is easily confused in name with another red pomelo that has fine oil cells and a rounder, flatter shape. Its fruit segments are much larger than those of ordinary wendan pomelo, and the fruit height can even reach 20 cm in some cases. The flesh is bright red, like a ruby; the texture is thick and substantial, and the taste is plump and juicy; the flavor is sour with sweetness and has a pleasant aftertaste, making people want to eat more after finishing, and it is a fruit rich in vitamin C.
Xishi Pomelo
The fruit of the Xishi pomelo is oblate, and it is a variety introduced from Thailand. The rind is yellow-green, and what is special is that the pith layer is pink, while the flesh is pale pink. It is like a shy beauty, and that is probably also why it has the name "Xishi pomelo." Its production period is about October to November. The flesh has a sweet-and-sour flavor.
Unlike wendan pomelo, Xishi pomelo does not need a long period of water loss after harvest. It only needs to wait until the outer skin is slightly soft before it can be eaten.
Super Comparison!
Let's look at the differences when different pomelos are placed together! In the picture below, the one on the far right is red wendan pomelo, the one next to it is ordinary wendan pomelo, and the one on the left is Xishi pomelo. Place wendan pomelo next to red wendan pomelo, and you can tell the difference in their fruit shape at a glance. The rind is also much rougher, and the oil cells of red wendan pomelo are larger than those of the other kinds of pomelo. Comparing them this way makes it clearer, right? From now on, remember not to mistake these three kinds of pomelo again!
