Pomelo Leaf

[liuzhou]

As ever I'm mystified. Today I came across bunches of pomelo leaves being sold in the vegetable section of a supermarket. I've seen every part of the fruit, including the peel, used in recipes here, but never the leaves. Nor can I find any reference to their use in cooking.

 

I know that their essential oils are used in TCM and The Oxford Companion to Food notes that:

 

Quote

The same author [SIMOONS, FREDERICK (1991), Food in China, Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC Press] has a good passage on the importance of the pummelo in Chinese culture, observing among other things that: ‘Pummelo leaves or skins are soaked in water to make a ceremonial bath to ritually cleanse a person and repel evil.’

 

I suppose they could be used in the same manner as other citrus leaves, especially lime leaves but can find no such evidence.

 

Anyone want to weigh in?

 

Pomelo Leaves

 

 

[KennethT]

Can you upload a higher res photo that I can zoom into?  Years ago, on our Saigon trip, we made a day trip that included a local restaurant - one of the dishes we ordered came with a large bush of herbs - there were probably 12 different types in there and a couple I couldn't identify but really enjoyed and have been hunting them ever since!  The shape of my favorite looked a little like the pomelo leaf, but I'd like to see the vein structure if possible as that would clue me in better.  It had a nice almost lemony flavor - but very different from a makrut lime leaf.

[dcarch]

1 hour ago, KennethT said:

Can you upload a higher res photo that I can zoom into?  Years ago, on our Saigon trip, we made a day trip that included a local restaurant - one of the dishes we ordered came with a large bush of herbs - there were probably 12 different types in there and a couple I couldn't identify but really enjoyed and have been hunting them ever since!  The shape of my favorite looked a little like the pomelo leaf, but I'd like to see the vein structure if possible as that would clue me in better.  It had a nice almost lemony flavor - but very different from a makrut lime leaf.

There are many kinds of pomelos.

 

dcarch

[TicTac]

Makes sense given the use of Kaffir lime leaves.

 

Though I would not want to EAT them, as they are quite tough.  As a flavouring agent - could be excellent, esp for tea's and even soups.

 

 

[jedovaty]

If there is cultural significance or history of its use, cool.  It could also be as simple as some enterprising entrepreneur drawing a connection to citrus leaves, then decided to put them up for sale.

[liuzhou]

9 hours ago, TicTac said:

Makes sense given the use of Kaffir lime leaves.

 

Yes. That's what I thought, but wondered if anyone had ever tried pomelo. All my local friends are giving me blank looks.

 

I have reached out to an ex-student whose family farm pomelos near here to ask her but am still awaiting her reply. I will pass on any information asap.

[liuzhou]

11 hours ago, KennethT said:

Can you upload a higher res photo that I can zoom into?  Years ago, on our Saigon trip, we made a day trip that included a local restaurant - one of the dishes we ordered came with a large bush of herbs - there were probably 12 different types in there and a couple I couldn't identify but really enjoyed and have been hunting them ever since!  The shape of my favorite looked a little like the pomelo leaf, but I'd like to see the vein structure if possible as that would clue me in better.  It had a nice almost lemony flavor - but very different from a makrut lime leaf.

 

Unfortunately, the eG software reduces the resolution of any images over 1000 pixels, so this is the best I can do here.

 

As you can see the vein structure is unclear on the glossy side, but more so on the reverse.

 

 

 

Here is the bunch I purchased (42 cents for 150 grams).

 

 

 

[KennethT]

1 hour ago, liuzhou said:

 

Unfortunately, the eG software reduces the resolution of any images over 1000 pixels, so this is the best I can do here.

 

As you can see the vein structure is unclear on the glossy side, but more so on the reverse.

 

 

 

Here is the bunch I purchased (42 cents for 150 grams).

 

 

 

They're diploid? Hmmm. Definitely not what I had in Vietnam then.

[liuzhou]

4 minutes ago, KennethT said:

They're diploid? Hmmm. Definitely not what I had in Vietnam then.

 

Yes, that's the first thing I noticed.

[TicTac]

VERY similar looking to kaffir lime leaves...

 

How pungent are they?

[liuzhou]

19 minutes ago, TicTac said:

VERY similar looking to kaffir lime leaves...

 

How pungent are they?

 

They are much bigger than makrut lime leaves. They smell of nothing much, but I haven't used them yet.

[liuzhou]

I finally contacted my ex-student with the pomelo farming family. She told me she has never heard of the leaves being eaten or any other culinary usage, but repeated the Oxford Companion information re ceremonial baths in my opening post, adding that they are boiled in water which is also then used to bathe children with colds.

 

So why they were being sold as a vegetable or spice remains a mystery.

 

On 12/13/2023 at 11:23 PM, jedovaty said:

It could also be as simple as some enterprising entrepreneur drawing a connection to citrus leaves, then decided to put them up for sale.

 

Could be. Who knows?

 

 

Edited December 18, 2023 by liuzhou (log)