Mid Autumn Festival - Why the Pomelo Fruit and Where to Buy Pomelo

I have a pomelo tree which I grow in a big flower pot. A normal sized tree when planted on the ground can reach up to a height of 5-15 metres (16-50 ft).  Pomelo leaves are constantly needed for prayers and cleansing. We add some pomelo leaves to our washing basin/tub or bath water to cleanse the hands and body before prayers or after a visit to the hospital, graves or funeral. Taoist masters sometimes use a stalk of pomelo leaves to sprinkle sacred/charmed water in cleansing rituals.  Pomelo leaves have a mild fragrance similar to that of citronella.

The flowers are fragrant and they can be used to make aromatic oils and perfumes.

Scientific name: Citrus maxima

Synonym: Citrus grandis

Family: Rutaceae

Common name: Pomelo

Native to: Southeast Asia

Pomelo is the word to use for the plant as well as the fruit. In Chinese it is called 'you zi' (柚子). In Malay, it is called 'limau Bali' meaning Bali lime/orange.

The pomelo is the ancestor of the grapefruit which is a cross between the pomelo and orange. It is the largest citrus fruit at 15-25cm (6-10 inches) in diameter and weighs between 1-2 kg. The skin changes from pale green to yellow when ripe. It is much bigger than the grapefruit and the flesh tastes better.

Like mooncakes, pomelo fruits are traditionally associated with the Mid Autumn Festival. You can say that it is a must have during this season. We use it as a prayer offering and place it on the altar. Pomelo fruits being round in appearance signifies family unity and togetherness. Pomelos are called 'you zi' in Chinese which when pronounced, 'you' sounds like 'having' and this signifies abundance and wealth. 'You zi' also sounds like 'having sons or off-springs' which will thus ensure the continuity of the future generations. Either way, these are symbols of prosperity and good fortune.

“Mid Autumn Festival - Pomelo Fruits”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on September 19th, 2010.

The above is a concrete replica of the pomelo fruit erected by the Ipoh City Hall in front of a stretch of pomelo stalls along Jalan Gopeng opposite Hillcity Hotel and Sam Poh Tong Cave Temple. This area is a tourist attraction and they arrive here by the bus loads. There are several famous cave temples nearby, e.g. Ling Sen Tong, Guan Yin Tong, Nan Thean Tong and Sam Poh Tong.

Visitors who come to Ipoh buy pomelo fruits to bring back home as gifts to family and friends.  Conversely, Ipohlites who leave town to visit friends and relatives will bring along the pomeloes as gifts.  The pomelo has become synonymous with Ipoh, hence it is a must-try if it is your first time in Ipoh.

A pomelo farm in Tambun, Ipoh

Malaysia's climate is ideal for pomelo farming. The best pomeloes in Malaysia are reputed to be from Tambun which is a 10 min drive from Ipoh city.  Tambun is surrounded by rocky, rainforested limestone hills as old as 400 million years and the calcium rich soil acts as a natural fertilizer, hence the fruits produced are extra tasty and juicy. Tambun pomeloes are so famous for its quality fruits that many of us call the pomelo, Limau Tambun or "Tambun lime".  Tambun pomeloes are seedless. The biggest pomelo from Tambun weighed more than 6 kg!

Pomelos from Gerai Limau Bali Heng Kee in Tambun, Ipoh.

Pomelo orchards are concentrated around the Tambun and neighbouring Ampang districts of Ipoh. Most of the orchards are family owned and many of them have been in the pomelo business for more than 2 generations which dates back to more than 80 years ago. Locals like me who wish to buy fresh fruits direct from the farmers will come here for the best quality and most reasonable prices. When choosing pomelos, select the heavier ones to ensure that the flesh is juicy and not dried up.

For those of us who wish to use the pomeloes for prayers, we prefer a fruit that has the stalk and preferably also the leaves intact.

To eat the pomelo, we do not cut accross the fruit. First we need to peel off the skin by using a knife to slice vertically down the fruit at a few places. The cut should be about half an inch deep only. Next we use our hands to separate the thick outer rind from the pomelo. The thin inner skin which is white in colour is bitter and also need to be removed. Then we can proceed to eat the flesh just like a peeled orange.

Pomelo flesh is one of the ingredients used in the making of "Rainbow Yee Sang", an auspicous salad dish for Chinese New Year. Modern chefs are incorporating the pomelo in salads, soups and appetizers.

Some uses of the pomelo peel include:
1. Candied pomelo peel and marmalade
2. Sun dried peels are used in the making of herbal drinks as a treatment for cough.
3. The water from boiling the pomelo peel can be used in the prevention of dandruff, link here.
4.  Incorporated into hair and body shampoo.
5. The rind can be worn on the head as a hat in a child's game.

During the Mid Autumn Festival, some believe that eating pomeloes and wearing the leftover rind on the head signify a prayer for the youngsters in the family. "Chang-E, the Moon Goddess will see them and respond to their prayers when she looks down from the moon." The link is here.

Pomelos are high in Vitamin C, A, folic acid and potassium. For Tambun pomelos, there are 2 types; fruits with white flesh are sweet while those with pink flesh are a bit sour. It can be eaten raw and it taste better than the grapefruit.

Are you growing this plant?

Do you have a recipe or story to share about the pomelo?

Update: Contribution from my commenters:
1. Luna Miranda - The leaves are added to rice cakes to neutralize the sweetness
2. Lotus Leaf - It is an old Indian custom to plant a pomelo tree if a baby girl is born
3. Orchid de dangau - pomelo flesh can be eaten with rojak sauce

Contact of Tambun Pomelo Farm
Chin Pomelo Farm
(visited by Hong Kong celebrity chefs)
158258A, Jalan Ampang, Tambun, Ipoh, Perak Malaysia
Tel: 6013-5016491
Contact Person : Mrs Chin - she speaks only Mandarin and Cantonese
Link: Pomelo Farm Stay Program

Contact of Pomelo Fruit Vendors
Store no. 38 - Kedai Limau Tambun, Buah-Buahan & Minuman
Lot 160188, Jalan Ampang Baru 6
Ampang Baru New Village
31400 Ipoh, Perak
Tel: +6016-501 0145, +6016-599 2178
They also sell other seasonal tropical fruits like guava, banana, water apples, carambola, etc.

Gerai Limau Bali Heng Kee
Lot 160186, Jalan Ampang Baru 6
Ampang Baru New Village,
31400 Ipoh, Perak
(along the road to Tambun town and Chin Pomelo Farm)

This is my entry for Today's Flowers, the link is here.

Updated on 27 Sep 2012: My other related posts are as follows:

1. Mid-Autumn Festival 2011 - The Hare / Jade Rabbit (line here)
2. Mid-Autumn Festival 2010 - Water Caltrops, also The Old Man of the Moon (link here)
3. Mid-Autumn Festival 2010 - Lotus Seeds and Mooncakes (link here)
4. Mid-Autumn Festival 2009 - The Story of Moon Cakes and The Story of Chang 'E (link here)

Lichun The First Day of Spring

Lichun (立春) signifies the first day of spring in Chinese culture. In the year 2010, Lichun starts on February 4th at 6:49 am Malaysian time. It is based on the Hsia (Solar/Farmer) Calendar. Lichun marks the begining of another cycle when all living things are revived. For Feng Shui, 4 Pillar Destiny Chart or Phat Chee reading purposes, the Year of the Tiger starts on Feb 4th. It takes over from the animal zodiac sign of Ox.

Just as in gardening, I must admit that I am not an expert but just a follower who has read many books and articles to understand these concepts. Therefore, treat this as another of my 'tales' for your light reading. Hopefully, you get to understand and know more about my life as a Malaysian who celebrates the Lunar New Year.

In the old days, Chinese farmers often celebrate the beginning of Lichun with special village events, worship and offerings to the gods and ceremonies for a blissful and prosperous new year. When I was little, my grandparents and parents would hold special prayers on this day of lichun. In Cantonese, we call it the Lap Chun. Then, I really didn't understand what it was all about and I went on with my prayers, doing the motions like a robot. In Malaysia, we never get to see the changing of the 4 seasons. We never go through a bitter cold winter, neither do we get to rejoice at the arrival of spring. Now I have a better picture of Lichun, thanks to the World Wide Web and award winning Feng Shui writers like Lillian Too and Peter So who translated the ancient texts and successfully explained it to me in such simple terms. I also get to see how your gardens bloom and change with the seasons, so now the arrival of spring has taken a fresh new meaning.

There is a Chinese folklore or myth? that says that on this and only this special day, we can balance an egg on a smooth surface, i.e. make it stand on its ends. My father told me this many years ago. I think there is no scientific evidence to proof that eggs only behave this way on lichun day. For curiosity sake, read this. The above is a picture of my egg balancing attempt taken at the lichun hour on lichun day in Feb 2007.

Have you heard of this?
Would you want to try it on this Feb 4th?

Usually, Chinese New Year is celebrated around this time. New Year's Day may fall before or after Lichun. A year without Lichun is called "A Year With No Spring" ( 無春年). Such a year is also known as "widow year" (寡婦年) in northern China or "blind year" (盲年) in southern China. Marriage is believed to be unlucky in a year without Lichun but many fengshui masters have also advised that marriage is okay if a good day is selected after checking the couples' horroscopes.
In 2010, the lunar new year starts on Feb 14th which is after Lichun. Therefore we consider this a year with no spring. In 2011, the Lunar New Year starts on 3rd Feb. Tiger will miss the arrival of spring twice.

This year the masters have advised Lichun day is a good day to offer prayers to welcome the God of Wealth. So this is what I will do.

Now I am in the midst of spring cleaning my whole house. I am also trying to 'simulate' the arrival of spring in hot sunny Malaysia, by growing some bulbs. Look at the picture above. Seller told me that this is the narcissus plant or water fairy (水仙) in chinese. Actually, I am not quite sure if it is a narcissus or a hyacinth. I have been told to grow this in water, no need fertilizer (?) and put in some ice cubes in the warm afternoons, to cool the plant so that it can live longer. Anyway, the shoots were just visible when I first bought it and now they have already grown in length, so I'm keeping my fingers cross that it will be okay under my hands. However, the tips of the leaves are turning yellow and my heart beats are getting irregular everything I check on it!

Any tips to make it bloom and/or survive my climate?



This is a citrus lime plant decorated with lovely red ribbons. I have just bought 2 of these plants but still haven't decorated it yet. We like to choose a tree that is 'overloaded' with ripening fruits. It looks like there is an abundance of gold nuggets hanging on the tree, signifying an abundance of wealth and prosperity luck. You can liken this to Christmas trees, a must-have during the season although the meanings and significance may be different.

This is a pomelo fruit, botanical name Citrus maxima or Citrus grandis. The picture is taken from The Secret Garden of 1-Utama. Native to South East Asia, it is the largest citrus fruit at 15-25cm in diameter and weighing 1-2kg. Depending on when it is cut from the tree, it's storage life can last up to one month. In Malaysia, the most famous ones come from Tambun, Perak state. There are 2 varieties, the sweet white flesh or sour pink flesh. The fruit can be used in prayers, the flesh in desserts and salads. The peels can also be used in cooking. We use a lot of the leaves for prayers and also in house cleansing where we dip a stalk of the leaves in water and sprinkle the water around the house. We also add the leaves to our baths to cleanse our bodies before prayers. Maybe I will elaborate more on the pomelo plant and fruit in another post later.

Now, I am ending my post here to continue with my spring cleaning and festive preparations. Until then, I wish you GOOD LUCK in your seed sowing, spring planting and gardening.
My post today is dedicated to Ms Tatyana of My Secret Garden, the first commenter of my previous post, Auspicious Plants for Chinese New Year. She has a beautiful blog with splendid pictures of georgeous flowers on every post.