It was domesticated independently in India and China. Documents compiled in China during the Zhou Dynasty extensively describe the roundish orange-colored fruit.
The first information about its cultivation comes from Persia, in 330 BC. When Alexander of Macedon traversed Persia with his armies, citron groves were already common there - it is likely that citrons began to be cultivated there in the fifth century B.C. Alexander the Great called the citron a miracle tree with golden apples.
In the first century, a Roman chef and medic recommended citron as an edible fruit best served with vinegar and a fish-based sauce. According to him, citron had antiseptic properties and was helpful for indigestion and poisons.
