Pomelos Cheung Chiu Shan

Pomelos, known as Jabong in Hawaii, are in season. As I strolled through my neighborhood in the evening, I saw pomelo trees laden with the pear-shape, cantaloupe-sized fruit.

I wish I could have a pomelo from one of those trees. My wish was fulfilled when a friend gave me two pomelos picked from the tree in his backyard.  Expecting the pomelo to be succulent and sweet, I eagerly took a bite of the pulpy flesh. To my great disappointment, I could not eat the fruit because it was too tart. This fruit from a transplanted tree is a far cry from the delicious Shatin pomelo that I ate as a child.

My curiosity was piqued the first time my mother brought a pomelo home. How did one peel a fruit with such a thick, slightly bumpy rind ? It didn't look like an easy task. My mother said she would let the pomelo sit on the counter for a couple of days. "When will it be ready for me to eat ?" I asked. "It will be ready when it gives off a fragrant citrus smell."

I checked the pomelo every day and could not hide my excitement when the citrus smell wafted into my nose. "You can peel the pomelo now !"  I yelled. First, my mother cut off the top of the pomelo. Then she made four deep, evenly spaced cuts .  She told me to help pull off the rind. No matter how hard I tried, the rind just stayed put. My little fingers were tired and sore. Finally my mother came to the rescue.

After the rind was removed, I found out that the flesh was encased in a thick, fibrous membrane. "When will I get to the fruit inside ?" I muttered. "Be patient.  The membranes are tough and inedible. If you want to eat the flesh, you have to peel the membrane surrounding each segment." Little by little, the membrane was removed.  The flesh inside was soft delicate pink in color. I expected to see white or yellow but what a lovely color it turned out to be.

I became a pomelo convert after eating just a segment of the fruit. The flesh was sweet and tasty, an irresistible snack to a child. I long for a Shatin pomelo. And when I do get to eat the fruit, I would relish the experience  as much as I did when I was a child.

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