A mandelo (or Mandalo, also known as a "cocktail grapefruit")[1][2] is a citrus fruit that is smaller than a grapefruit, has yellow or yellow-green coloured skin and bright yellow or yellow-orange flesh, but is sweeter than a grapefruit.[1][2]
| Mandelo | |
|---|---|
| Hybrid parentage | 'Frua' mandarin hybrid × pomelo |
| Cultivar | Citrus × paradisi 'Cocktail' |
| Origin | Research Center of the University of California, Riverside, United States in 1966 |
Origin
editThe mandelo was developed in the 1950s at the UC Citrus Experiment Station, but then escaped into public orchards.[1][3] It is a yellow-orange fleshed tri-specific citrus hybrid between a 'Frua' hybrid mandarin ('Dancy' mandarin × 'King tangor')[4] and a Siamese Sweet pomelo.[3] This makes it 1/4 King tangor, 1/4 Dancy tangerine, and 1/2 Siamese Sweet Pomelo.[3][5] It is named for its ancestors, mandarin and pomelo.[citation needed]
Distribution
editThe fruit normally has large and vigorous trees,[3][1] but in colder situations they are smaller.[3] They can grow in the Caribbean and Western United States and Mexico, in various soil types.[1]
Fruit description
editThe tree is very productive, producing its fruit in clusters from November to February.[3] They vary from the size of an orange to the size of a grapefruit.[1] The fruit has a thin, easy-to-peel, smooth, yellow rind. Its flesh is seedy, bright yellow[2] or yellow-orange in color, and very juicy. The flavor is sub-acid-like.[3]
Usage
editDue to its tenderness and high seed content, the mandelo has not achieved great commercial success, but its unique flavor, early and long season, and prolific nature have led to its increasing popularity in backyard orchards in southern California.[6]
Besides being good for eating fresh, 'Cocktail' may be used to make marmalade or jam, candied peel, syrup,[3] or in cocktails and smoothies.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g "Cocktail Grapefruit". Retrieved 18 January 2017.
- ^ a b c Durand, Faith (28 January 2009). "Winter citrus Cocktail grape". Retrieved 18 January 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Grapefruit Citrus × paradisi". citruspages.free.fr. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
- ^ "Cocktail pummelo hybrid". Retrieved 18 January 2017.
- ^ "Cocktail Grapefruit".
- ^ Indoor Citrus & Rare Fruit Society Newsletter (Spring 1987)