Anybody growing the citrus called "Bưởi" in Vietnam?

[rprimbs]

I am curious if anybody -- in California -- is growing the citrus called bưởi in Vietnam? It is red or yellow, bigger than a grapefruit, drier than most citrus, and very sweet and delicious. It is one of the best citrus I have ever tried. But I can't seem to find any trees for sale here in the US. I think that a chinese family up in Fallbrook was growing it -- as well as dragonfruit -- but I don't know if their farm is still in operation. Maybe I will drive up to Fallbrook and see if they will sell me a cutting.

Edited November 2, 2013 by rprimbs

[Xenon]

Pomelo (Pummelo)? Bưởi can refer to grapefruit or pomelos. The red Chandler pomelo is easy to find at Asian markets when in season. The red is good, but I like the acid-less white (Tahitian?) pomelo better...very sweet and fragrant. Kind of hard to come by here though Oroblanco (white grapefruit and white pomelo cross) is very good too and more available.

Edited November 3, 2013 by Xenon

[rprimbs]

I guess I just never tried a pomelo before. I want to try the white Tahitian! I'm going to have to track down some trees. Maybe Ong has a few.

I was a little surprised by the great fruit in Vietnam. I've tried frozen durian before -- but it smelled horrible and the taste almost was almost as bad (I sort of think I tried a rotten one). In Vietnam the durian, sầu riêng, smelled really good, and it was unbelievably good. I am going to have to try growing that here -- even if I have to build a greenhouse. The Vietnam red papaya, in Saigon, was absolutely delicious. Much better than the yellow -- with none of the odd sort of flavor that papaya can develop. At least that is easy to grow here.

One other curious fruit I was told about in Vietnam was the "sugar coconut". What is the sugar coconut? Is it really a coconut that they grow for sugar?

[joe_OC]

LOVE tropical Asian fruits! We get to enjoy most of them from local growers. Some of the more tropical fruits are imported in Florida or Thailand.

[Funkthulhu]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomelo

I second Johnathan, looks like a Pomelo to me. They hit the stores here from about thanksgiving through February. BIG citrus with a thick pith, outside color from deep green to almost lemon-yellow when ripe (depending on variety), and flesh that ranges from pale yellow-orange to ruby-red. The taste is usually much like a "sweet" grapefruit, with no bitterness. I will buy these at least 2 or 3 a week while they're in season and just eat them whole over the sink with a towel. I like that on most varieties you can "peel" the individual wedges and just get a big pile of juicy vesicles that burst in your mouth. Maybe I've never had a good, ripe one but I've so far been rather unimpressed with the Oro Blancos we get up here.

Interesting note, the Pomelo is a true species, while the grapefruit is actually a cross between a Pomelo and a Jamaican Sweet Orange. (I don't know why GFs are bitter?)

I pulled seeds out of a store-bought fruit several years ago and now have a 5 foot potted Pomelo tree I hope will flower this next year.

[paulgila]

yes, I planted one after going to the IPS biennial in Thailand & discovering how tasty the fruit was.

our tree has been slow to get growing,however.