2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Ponkan (lat. Citrus ponkan) - a fruit plant from the Rutaceae family, which is a representative of tropical tangerines.
Description
The tree trunks of the poncana are densely covered with rather sharp thorns, which greatly complicates the harvest. And the shiny leaves of this culture have a very pleasant smell.
The fruits of poncana are pretty tangerines, far superior to ordinary tangerines in their nutritional and taste properties. The peel of the fruit is not very thick, moreover, it is easily separated from the pulp. And the slices are quite easy to separate from each other. The fruits themselves can be either spherical or slightly flattened.
The flesh of an unripe poncan is usually yellow in color, while in ripe fruits it is always orange. It is very sweet, delicate, aromatic and juicy. True, inside the fruit there is a huge number of seeds. And if the fruits hang on trees for too long, they will noticeably lose in quality.
Where grows
This typically tropical crop is cultivated in India, the Philippines, Taiwan and southern China. You can meet this plant in Brazil or Malaysia. It is also grown in Japan, albeit with certain difficulties. And for cultivation in the subtropics, poncan is far from always suitable. But in a tropical climate, by the time of ripening, these amazing fruits reach their maximum size.
Application
Poncan is eaten fresh, and jams or preserves are also made from it. And the leaves of this plant are brewed like tea - this allows you to get an excellent thirst quencher and an extremely aromatic drink. Also in cooking, ponkan is used as a spice for preparing a wide variety of dishes and as one of the main ingredients for preparing various desserts and fruit salads. By the way, it has a very low calorie content - 100 g of this fruit contains only 40 kcal.
And from the rind of poncana, a magnificent zest is obtained, which helps to change the taste of long-familiar dishes almost beyond recognition.
Poncana pulp is very rich in various trace elements and vitamins, which makes it possible to use it as an excellent general tonic for the prevention of various diseases. Poncan is especially good at helping in the prevention of colds and all kinds of ailments of the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, regular consumption of these miraculous fruits helps prevent the development of atherosclerosis - the pulp of these fruits helps to thin the blood.
From the zest of juicy fruits, a fragrant oil consisting of 80% limonene is obtained by cold pressing.
Ponkan will be best stored at elevated humidity levels and temperatures between four and six degrees. Under these conditions, the fruits are able to persist for several weeks. And when choosing high-quality fruits, first of all, you need to focus on the weight and size of the fruit, as well as on the color of their peel.
Contraindications
Poncan is contraindicated in diabetes mellitus - these fruits are very rich in sugar. In addition, these fruits are distinguished by a high content of organic acids, therefore they are categorically not recommended for use with increased acidity of gastric juice, as well as with exacerbation of duodenal and stomach ulcers. Poncan also contains substances that can provoke allergic reactions.
Growing
Poncan is very suitable for indoor cultivation. And it is propagated both by grafts and by means of seeds. By the way, grafted trees give much earlier harvests than their unvaccinated counterparts.
