pamplemousse

In France, pamplemousse, or grapefruit (Citrus ×paradisi), is often confused with its cousin and ancestor the pomelo (or pomélo), the Citrus Maxima, the biggest citrus fruit, which can weigh over four kilos and has a much thicker skin and generally sweeter fruit...

Pomelos were brought to Barbados from Asia by a Captain Shaddock in the 1640s. There they were known as shaddocks or ‘pomelos’, a word derived from their Dutch name, pompelmoes. The grapefruit was born there as a natural hybrid between the pomelo and orange and became known as ‘grapefruit’ because of the way it grew, in clusters like bunches of grapes.

Generally it’s much easier to find a pamplemousse than a pomelo in a French supermarket.