Oroblanco
Encyclopedia
An oroblanco or sweetie (Citrus grandis
Osbeck × C. Paradisi
Macf.) is a cross between an acidless pomelo
and a white grapefruit
. It is slightly larger in size than a grapefruit but has fewer seeds and is sweeter. When ripe, its thick rind is bright green or golden in color. The Oroblanco fruit has a similar taste to the scent of its flowers. The tree does not grow in cold conditions, but it has a tendency to adapt to its environment very fast and is a vigorous grower.
The oroblanco was patented by the University of California
after its development at that university's citrus experiment station
in Riverside
, California
.
Oroblancos are round (or sometimes slightly flattened), with a thicker rind than grapefruit. When eaten, an oroblanco lacks bitterness associated with grapefruits and is rather sweet, but the white membranes separating the fleshy segments are bitter and usually discarded. Oroblancos are available from September through December. Their sweetness attracts many buyers in many countries, for example Japan and Finland, where the fruit is commonly referred to as a "sweetie."
The oroblanco tree comes in quickly and vigorously adapts to its environment. It is estimated that Oroblanco is grown on 1500 ha (3,707 acre) in California, and over 10 ha (25 acre) in Australia.
A similar fruit is also commonly cultivated in Israel (since 1984), where the trademark "Sweetie" originated.
Oroblancos may be peeled and eaten like an orange, by tearing into segments, and are often eaten as a breakfast food. As a newly engineered fruit it remains a relatively expensive product.
Pomelo
The pomelo is a citrus fruit native to Southeast Asia. It is usually pale green to yellow when ripe, with sweet white flesh and very thick albedo . It is the largest citrus fruit, 15–25 cm in diameter, and usually weighing 1–2 kg...
Osbeck × C. Paradisi
Grapefruit
The grapefruit , is a subtropical citrus tree known for its sour fruit, an 18th-century hybrid first bred in Barbados. When found, it was named the "forbidden fruit"; it has also been misidentified with the pomelo or shaddock , one of the parents of this hybrid, the other being sweet orange The...
Macf.) is a cross between an acidless pomelo
Pomelo
The pomelo is a citrus fruit native to Southeast Asia. It is usually pale green to yellow when ripe, with sweet white flesh and very thick albedo . It is the largest citrus fruit, 15–25 cm in diameter, and usually weighing 1–2 kg...
and a white grapefruit
Grapefruit
The grapefruit , is a subtropical citrus tree known for its sour fruit, an 18th-century hybrid first bred in Barbados. When found, it was named the "forbidden fruit"; it has also been misidentified with the pomelo or shaddock , one of the parents of this hybrid, the other being sweet orange The...
. It is slightly larger in size than a grapefruit but has fewer seeds and is sweeter. When ripe, its thick rind is bright green or golden in color. The Oroblanco fruit has a similar taste to the scent of its flowers. The tree does not grow in cold conditions, but it has a tendency to adapt to its environment very fast and is a vigorous grower.
The oroblanco was patented by the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
after its development at that university's citrus experiment station
University of California Citrus Experiment Station
The University of California Citrus Experiment Station is the founding unit of the University of California, Riverside campus in Riverside, California, United States. The station contributed greatly to the cultivation of the orange and the overall agriculture industry in California...
in Riverside
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Oroblancos are round (or sometimes slightly flattened), with a thicker rind than grapefruit. When eaten, an oroblanco lacks bitterness associated with grapefruits and is rather sweet, but the white membranes separating the fleshy segments are bitter and usually discarded. Oroblancos are available from September through December. Their sweetness attracts many buyers in many countries, for example Japan and Finland, where the fruit is commonly referred to as a "sweetie."
The oroblanco tree comes in quickly and vigorously adapts to its environment. It is estimated that Oroblanco is grown on 1500 ha (3,707 acre) in California, and over 10 ha (25 acre) in Australia.
A similar fruit is also commonly cultivated in Israel (since 1984), where the trademark "Sweetie" originated.
Oroblancos may be peeled and eaten like an orange, by tearing into segments, and are often eaten as a breakfast food. As a newly engineered fruit it remains a relatively expensive product.