Grapefruit and grapefruit - how do they differ?

Is there a difference between grapefruit and grapefruit?

Grapefruit as the ancestor of many citrus species

There are around 400 different varieties of the citrus family in the world, but only a few are known in this country. However, these are not always separate species, as many varieties are simply crosses or backcrosses, mainly from the grapefruit, mandarin and lemon-lemon species. These three types of citrus are among the original varieties, as is the kumquat.

Grapefruit as the origin of grapefruit and pomelo

In contrast, the grapefruit (in English: grape fruit) is a cross between grapefruit and orange, which probably originated in Barbados in the 18th century. Today grapefruit is cultivated worldwide in tropical, subtropical and Mediterranean climates. The main growing areas are Florida, the Philippines, the Caribbean Islands, Israel and South Africa. The pomelo, on the other hand, was created by crossing grapefruit and grapefruit.

Grapefruit - The largest of all citrus fruits

The original grapefruit produces the largest fruits: they can weigh up to two kilograms. The pulp of the grapefruit can take on quite different colors, whereby reddish or pink colored fruits usually taste sweeter. The striking color comes from the carotenoid lycopene, which accumulates in the pulp at very high summer temperatures. Real grapefruit have a sweet and sour taste, but they are also significantly more bitter than grapefruit.

Confusing species names

Although the three citrus fruits mentioned are different varieties, it is difficult to differentiate precisely - it is made more difficult by a colorful jumble of languages. For example, the English name “grapefruit” is gradually displacing the name “grapefruit”, which originally came from Dutch, although it is not the same fruit. There is also great confusion in other languages:

In English the grapefruit is not called grapefruit, but pomelo.
In Spanish, on the other hand, the grapefruit is called pomelo.
Likewise in French.

Healthy citrus fruits

But whether grapefruit, grapefruit or pomelo: In addition to the more or less sweet-sour to slightly bitter taste, depending on the variety: They all have comparatively few calories and a lot of vitamin C. Here are the nutritional values in direct comparison.

Nutritional values grapefruit

100 grams of fresh grapefruit contain on average:

46 kcal
9.44 grams of sugar
as well as fat and protein in negligibly small proportions
61 milligrams of vitamin C.
many B vitamins as well as folic acid
270 micrograms of vitamin E.
o such as calcium, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus

Nutritional values grapefuit

100 grams of fresh grapefuit contains on average:

50 kcal
8.95 grams of sugar
Fat and protein in negligible proportions (but slightly more than with grapefruit)
44 milligrams of vitamin C.
many B vitamins (especially vitamin B3 with 240 micrograms and vitamin B5 with 250 micrograms)
Folic acid
250 micrograms of vitamin E.
as well as calcium, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus (but less than in the grapefruit)

Nutritional values pomelo

100 grams of fresh pomelo contain on average:

48 kcal
8 grams of sugar
Fat and protein in negligibly small proportions
41 milligrams of vitamin C.
lots of B vitamins
as well as calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron and phosphorus

Tips & Tricks

Real grapefruit are hard to come by in German supermarkets and if you do find one, it will probably be sold under the name “grapefruit”. Compared to the more orange-yellow grapefruit, however, grapefruits have a rather greenish or yellowish skin, and they can also be pear-shaped.

IJA