Pomelo’s For Chinese New Year

Pomelo's from Tambun

The Pomelo taken during the Chinese New Year is a sign that you will have a smooth (soon) year due to the fact that the fruit is round and smooth.

Me, I just love it because come Chinese New Year the weather gets very hot in the afternoons and a refrigerated pomelo does the trick of adjusting my body temperature.

There are a few types of pomelo. The sweet, the sour and the sweet and sour. I was invited to try the sweet and sour fruit one morning at an orchard of Mr Koh Meng Wai in Tambun, Ipoh’s and perhaps the World’s best place that produces POMELO’S.

Some call the sweet and sour fruit the Crown pomelo. Unlike the common pomelo which is round the Crown pomelo is pear shaped. When the fruit is opened the flesh is reddish in colour. Although it is said to be sweet and sour I found it to be more sweet with just a tinge of sourness. 

The pear shaped Crown pomelo and the common pomelo

Reddish and juicy,the crown pomelo

Koh, 71 is a third generation pomelo farmer taking over from his father and currently his son is helping him.

Three generations (left) Koh Meng Wai 71. his son Koh Hong Kwai 46 and grand daughter Koh Zi Qing 5.(right) Koh in his orchard with a 30 year old pomelo tree  

Multipurpose pomelo. Squeeze some juice onto shoe then polish using the inside of the skin

He explained that the pomelo was first brought to Ipoh by Chinese migrants from China and planted at Tambun. Subsequently they bought the seeds from the Tambun fruit and grew it in Bali, Indonesia and the result was the Crown pomelo which was brought back to be planted here.

To those that take a liking to this particular fruit they are passionate about it.

Amy Kok came from PJ and left with 30 fruits.

Ms Amy Kok a former resident of Kampar now staying at Petaling Jaya travelled all the way to Tambun get her New Year delight and returned with 30 fruit for family and friends and possibly the promise of a smooth year.

JAG