Cold dew brings with it the zest of a Fujian fall

A drink made from pomelos is served in a restaurant in Xiamen, Fujian province, in September.[Photo provided to China Daily]

In Pinghe county, Fujian province, autumn smells like pomelo. The golden fruit fills family courtyards, lines village roads and piles up in baskets, turning the county into a sea of citrus during harvest season.

Oct 8 marks Cold Dew, the 17th of China's 24 solar terms. In Fujian, it comes as pomelos enter their peak harvest season, making the juicy fruit one of the defining tastes of autumn.

For many people in southern Fujian, however, a pomelo is more than something to eat. It is childhood memories, family kitchens and the feeling of home.

"Pomelos are a very typical autumn food in southern Fujian," said Wu Dongjun, chef and owner of the restaurant fu by MANSION XIA in Xiamen. "When autumn comes, it becomes a regular presence on our dining tables and tea tables."

The simplest way to enjoy the fruit is to peel it and eat it fresh. Wu said that some locals add a little salt in order to bring out the sweetness and make the pomelo's fragrance more pronounced.

The fruit is also often enjoyed with tea, particularly oolong varieties, such as Tieguanyin, the slight bitterness of which is balanced by pomelo's sweet and tangy flavor.

Fujian has a long history of pomelo cultivation, while Pinghe's Guanxi honey pomelo has been grown for more than 500 years. The varieties grown in Fujian have also changed over time. Guanxi honey pomelos were once predominantly white-fleshed.

In 1998, a natural mutation was discovered in a Pinghe orchard and later developed through grafting into the red-fleshed variety. The three-red pomelo followed, featuring pinkish-yellow skin, red pith and red flesh.

When choosing a good pomelo, locals often look at the fruit's "navel", with a slightly sunken one considered a sign of a juicier, sweeter pomelo. Freshly picked pomelos are often left to rest in a process known as ci shui, or "letting the water settle". As the skin softens, the fruit becomes easier to peel and the flavor develops further.

For Fujian cooks, the pomelo rarely stops at the flesh.

"People in Fujian are very used to eating pomelo directly, but the fruit can actually be used in many ways," Wu said. "The flesh can go into salads, desserts and even savory dishes."

The thick white pith beneath the peel can be soaked, blanched and squeezed repeatedly to remove its bitterness before being braised or stir-fried. It absorbs sauces while retaining a subtle pomelo aroma. Pomelo peel can also be made into preserves, turning what might otherwise be discarded into a sweet snack.

That whole-fruit approach has also found its way into Fujian's modern kitchens, where chefs are turning a familiar seasonal ingredient into new dishes and desserts.

At his restaurant, Wu uses two Fujian varieties — red-fleshed Guanxi honey pomelo and white-fleshed Duwei pomelo from Xianyou — in a dessert called Autumn Pomelo Assorted Fruit Sweet Soup.

The dessert combines the two pomelos with autumn pear, pomegranate, tremella fungus and Minnan-style agar jelly. Together, they bring crispness, juiciness and layered sweetness, with the two pomelos adding contrasting flavors.

"I want the dessert to taste like Fujian in autumn," Wu said. "The pomelo gives it a freshness and fragrance that other fruits cannot replace."