oroblanco

The oroblanco, oro blanco, or sweetie (Citrus grandis Osbeck × C. paradisi Macf.) is a citrus hybrid, resulting from a cross between an acidless pomelo and a Marsh grapefruit. Its fruit is oblate and mostly seedless, with a thick rind that remains green long after it has already matured. It has a sweet, mild taste, and lacks the bitterness generally associated with grapefruit. It requires less heat to grow than other varieties of grapefruit and are harvestable sooner. Oroblancos grown in moderate climates tend to yield the highest-quality fruit.

The hybrid was first created by two geneticists at the University of California, Riverside, James W. Cameron and Robert Soost, in April 1958. It was later released to growers in 1980, who rapidly adopted it. It initially struggled in American markets, but had a resurgence in popularity after growers in Israel began advertising its sweet taste and green color to consumers in Japan, China, and Southeast Asia. It was exported to growers in Australia in 1990, where it was also commercially unsuccessful.