Nam Roi pomelo is a famous pomelo variety in Vietnam, grown in several provinces in the Mekong Delta (especially Hau Giang and Vinh Long). Each year, this pomelo variety is harvested twice in August and December of the lunar calendar. Grapefruit is a delicious grapefruit variety and contains a lot of micronutrients, so it is not surprising that this fruit has many great health benefits. You can often eat pomelos with 5 whips.
Origin of Nam Roi Grapefruit
Nam Roi pomelo variety was found by Mr. Tran Van Buoi (1918 – 1990) from Mai Dam village (now Mai Dam town, Chau Thanh district, Hau Giang). During his lifetime, Mr. Buoi worked as a merchant on the river. One night he slept on a boat in Tan Chau (Chau Doc area of An Giang province during the French colonial period) when he accidentally picked up a fruit on the river. The fruit skin is green, the flesh is red and yellow. Tear to taste delicious, succulent, he took the seeds to his hometown Phu Huu (Mai Dam market) to plant.
After this pomelo variety was popularized throughout the countryside of Mr. Tran Van Buoi, many people from other places also came to ask for seeds to plant. Today, Nam Roi pomelo is grown the most in Phu Huu, Chau Thanh, Hau Giang and Binh Minh, Vinh Long. It can be said that there are only two places in the world where Nam Roi pomelo is grown with few pests and diseases, sweet and large fruit. In Phu Huu, consumers can easily find a 3–4 kg pomelo with fruit weighing up to 5 kg, such large fruits are only available in the first one or two seasons, people call them silk pomelos. In the following seasons, grapefruit gives more fruit, more often. Today, farmers can give fruit all year round, every month can enjoy ripe Nam Roi pomelo.
As for the name, it is said that in the past, because he was afraid that his descendants would pick the fruit and lose the precious tree, Mr. Buoi De: “Whoever picks Mr. Buoi’s fruit, he will beat him with five whips.” Because of his saying, the pomelo variety is called “Nam Roi”. Nam Roi pomelo also got its own name from there.
Characteristics of Grapefruit Nam Roi
Nam Roi pomelo has few seeds or no seeds, the grapefruit segment is even, easy to separate, the shrimps are yellow, succulent but dry, have a rich aroma, and are characterized by many essential nutrients for the human body. Nam Roi pomelo is a perennial plant with a wide canopy and an average height of 3-4m. Flowers often grow in clusters in the leaf axils, each bunch has from 6-7 flowers, pomelo flowers are milky white. Five pomelos are pear-shaped, wide-bottomed, often growing in a cluster of 3, each fruit has an average weight of 1.5 – 3 kg. The thin grapefruit peel is easy to peel, turns yellow when ripe, and has a white flesh inside. Nam Roi pomelo has a very even, sweet taste mixed with a very pleasant sour taste that no other pomelo has, more specifically, it has a very strong scent.
In terms of growth, this plant has the ability to grow and develop quite well, can adapt to many different climatic conditions. After 2.5 – 3 years, the tree can be harvested, the tree life is quite durable, can be harvested for up to 20 years, but the fruit quality is still very high.
USES, NUTRITIONAL COMPONENTS
Nam Roi pomelo is pear-shaped, peels off the silk, has many succulent segments, is sweet, and has no seeds. Nam Roi pomelo, in addition to being eaten fresh to reduce cholesterol, is also used to make pomelo tea and extract essential oils for cosmetics. Particularly, grapefruit peel is also used to make vegetarian spring rolls. Recently, grapefruit peel cooked to drink water has the effect of reducing fat and reducing obesity.
In addition, grapefruit also has heat-clearing properties and contains many components that are very beneficial for health. Grapefruit contains an abundant amount of Vitamin C and Vitamin A, which increases the body’s resistance. Just 1/2 of a grapefruit provides 78% of the body’s daily Vitamin C needs.
According to the Vietnam Institute of Nutrition, the nutritional composition of
Grapefruit is as follows:
Nutritional ingredients
In 100g
grapefruit
Energy (Kcal/calorie)
30
Water (g)
91
Protein (g)
0.2
Starch (g)
7.3
Glucose (g)
9
Fiber (mg)
0.7
Vitamin C (mg)
95
Vitamin B1 (mg)
0.04
Calcium (mg)
23
Iron (mg)
0.5
Phosphorus (mg)
19
PRODUCTION SITUATION
The planting area of Nam Roi pomelo in Hau Giang is about 3,000 ha, concentrated in Chau Thanh district. Every year, farmers in Hau Giang province can supply about 45,000 tons of Nam Roi pomelo to traders from all over the world, mainly for fresh consumption and domestic consumption.
Nam Roi pomelo in Hau Giang has been GlobalGAP certified with an area of 55.4 hectares and is consumed in this area by The Fruit Republic Company of the Netherlands.
Especially, now, under the creativity of some farmers in Chau Thanh district, Nam Roi pomelo fruit is also created to become a very popular and valuable gourd pomelo to display during Tet holidays.
