Plants

Facts about Citron

We found 14 facts about Citron

Buddha's hand

Citron (Citrus medica) was probably the first citrus to reach Europe in the first century A.D. and is almost unknown today. It is a large, fragrant citrus fruit with a thick rind that makes it practical and utilized.

The citron, along with pomelo and tangerine, is the parent species of most cultivated forms of citrus. It is used in Asian cuisine, traditional medicine, perfumes and religious rituals and offerings.

Citron
1
Citron (Citrus medica) is a perennial plant in the Rutaceae family.

The family includes 161 genera and 2,085 species growing in the tropics and subtropics, less frequently in temperate zones. The most economically important among the Rutaceae is the genus Citrus, many species and varieties of which are essential fruit plants.

Citrus medica is considered one of the most important tropical and subtropical fruits, cultivated as early as 2,200 BC.

2
Citron is a large, fragrant citrus fruit with a thick rind.
It is probably one of the three parent species (along with the pomelo and mandarin orange) of most cultivated forms of citrus.
3
The citron is believed to have originated in India, where it was found in valleys in the foothills of the northeastern Himalayas.

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.

4
Citron was known and widely cultivated in the Holy Land during the Second Temple period (516 B.C.-70 A.D.).

It was called etrog and was used by Jews during the week-long festival of Sukkot as one of four species (lulav - a closed leaf of the date palm, hadass - a branch of myrtle - aravah - a leafy branch of willow and etrog).

Many archaeological sites from that era feature an image of the etrog (including mosaics in Beth Alpha, Maon and Hamat Tiberias synagogues), depicted alongside other important religious symbols.

The Book of Leviticus mentions the citron as "the fruit of a beautiful tree."

In 2012, citron pollen from the 2nd century B.C. was discovered in Israel in excavations at the Ramat Rachel site.

5
After the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, exiled Jews established citron orchards wherever the climate allowed.

Due to the Diaspora, citron trees appeared in Southern Europe (Spain, Greece, Italy), as well as in North Africa and Asia Minor.

The spread of information about citron cultivation is attributed to the Roman historian and writer Pliny the Elder, who described the fruit (he called it nata Assyria malus) in his book Natural History.

From the Middle Ages comes Ibn al'Awwama's 12th-century agricultural encyclopedia, The Book of Agriculture, which contains an article on citron tree cultivation in Spain.

6
The citron is a slow-growing small tree or shrub between 2 and 5 meters tall.

The tree has large, lanceolate, ovate leaves with finely sawn or crimson edges, with prominent veins. On the shoots, there are thick, short spikes. New shoots have a characteristic reddish-purple color.

Flowers of the citron are hermaphroditic or male. They have a reddish, five-petaled crown, one pistil and numerous stamens. The citron, under natural conditions, blooms at least twice a year. In spring and autumn, the trees are covered with intensely sweet-smelling flowers.

The fruit is a yellow, egg-shaped berry 10-20 cm long and weighing about 4-5 kg, with a thick, waxy and wrinkled skin. The flesh of the citron is yellow, segmented and sour - not suitable for consumption.

The main part of the fruit (up to 70% by weight) is the peel and the white mesocarp (the middle layer of the fruit).

7
There are many cultivated varieties (cultivars) of citron.

Some of them are:

  • etrog - with spindle-shaped fruit
  • fingered - a fruit with long, finger-like outgrowths (which is why the variety is customarily called "Buddha's hand"). This variety is grown mainly in China and other East Asian countries. In Buddhism, it is sacrificed in Buddhist temples.
8
Today, citrons are mainly grown in Italy (Sicily), Greece (Crete), France (Corsica) and Puerto Rico.
Small quantities are also produced in North Africa, California and Florida.
9
There are sour, sweet and pulpless varieties of this fruit.

Sour varieties include the Florentine and diamante citrons - from Italy - and the Greek Balady citron from Israel.

Sweet varieties include Corsican and Moroccan citrons.

The pulpless varieties are the fingered types and the Yemeni citron.

There are many citron hybrids, such as ponderosa lemon or lumia. Some say that even the Florentine citron is not a pure citron but a citron hybrid.

10
The flesh of citrons is dry and contains a small amount of juice.

The main component of the fruit is its thick white peel, which adheres to the flesh segments and cannot be easily separated from them. It is the peel (the thicker, the better) that is used for culinary purposes.

Peel is cut into pieces and cooked in sugar syrup. In this form, it can be treated as so-called spoon sweets (sweet preparations served on a spoon, as a gesture of hospitality in Albania, Greece, Kosovo, Cyprus, the Balkans, parts of the Middle East and Russia.

It can also be used to prepare candied peel as an addition to cakes. In Italy, citron fruit is used to make a soft drink called Cedrata, and in Samoa, a refreshing drink called "vai tipolo" is made from squeezed juice.

11
Citron is a regularly consumed product in Asian cuisine.

In Korea, the popular yuja-cha tea is made by mixing the citron pulp with julienne orange peel, sugar and honey.

In the United States, citron is an essential component of Christmas fruitcakes.

12
From ancient times to the Middle Ages, citron was used in folk medicine to combat seasickness, scurvy and other disorders.

The essential oil of the flavedo (the outermost, colored layer of the peel) was considered an antibiotic.

Citron juice is high in vitamin C and dietary fiber, which can be extracted from the albedo (mesocarp) of the citron.

13
For many centuries, fragrant citron oil has been used to make perfumes.
Its main ingredient is limonene, a liquid aliphatic hydrocarbon used as a dietary supplement, fragrance ingredient in cosmetic products, and a botanical insecticide.
14
In Hinduism, the citron tree, under the Sanskrit name matulinga, is an attribute in representations of the figure of the god Shiva.
It symbolizes the myriad atoms, the seeds from which the universe was created.
Hungry for more facts?

Similar topics

22 facts about Lemon
22 facts about Lemon
Citrus limon
The origin of lemons is not entirely known, but it is believed that the first crops appeared in China around 500 B.C.E. They came to Europe in the Mid ...
10 facts about tomatoes
10 facts about tomatoes
A basic vegetable in every kitchen
Red, green, yellow, orange, black. There are more than 10,000 cultivars of tomatoes, varying in shape, color, and flavor. Tomatoes originated in the A ...
15 facts about mandarines
15 facts about mandarines
Citrus reticulata
Mandarin orange, commonly known as mandarin or mandarine, originates from China. It owes its name to the Chinese, as China is where the clerical profe ...
12 facts about Bananas
12 facts about Bananas
Tasty and healthy
Bananas contain a large amount of potassium and owe their shape to the phenomenon of phototropism. They are loved by both humans and monkeys, although ...
17 facts about Pineapple
17 facts about Pineapple
Tasty fruit from Brazil
An aromatic fruit brought from South America to Europe by Cristopher Columbus is very popular due to its taste and health benefits. It is an ally of t ...
17 facts about Strawberry
17 facts about Strawberry
A hybrid species of two wild strawberries.
Fresh fruits conquer the stores every summer, mostly eaten raw or with sugar and whipped cream. All year round, however, we can enjoy their flavor in ...
21 facts about Avocado
21 facts about Avocado
Persea americana
Avocado, also called an avocado pear or alligator pear is a staple in the Aztec diet. Gaining popularity in recent years, it is a tasty addition to cu ...
20 facts about Pumpkin
20 facts about Pumpkin
Queen of fall
Pumpkin is a delicious, nutritious vegetable, and the undisputed symbol of fall. It is an indispensable attribute of the American holiday Halloween. ...

Latest topics

20 facts about beer
20 facts about beer
World’s third most popular beverage
It is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages produced. The first archaeological evidence of brewing dates back 13,000 years ago from the territory of I ...
15 facts about StarCraft
15 facts about StarCraft
The computer game classic of the 1990s
For gamers whose childhood and early youth were in the 1990s, StarCraft can evoke nostalgia. This already classic title lived to see a sequel in 2010, ...
12 facts about capybaras
12 facts about capybaras
The world’s largest rodent and social media star
The capybara, the largest rodent known to us today, is an animal with a very pleasant disposition and appearance, living both an aquatic and terrestri ...
20 facts about Amazon River
20 facts about Amazon River
Its basin covers nearly half of South America
In the year 1500, European explorers stumbled upon one of the most remarkable wonders on the planet: the amazing Amazon River. This majestic waterway ...
13 facts about churro
13 facts about churro
A dessert worth the sin
Churros are known to all lovers of Spanish and Latin American cuisine, but few may realize that their genesis, in all likelihood, took place in the Fa ...
29 facts about Colorado
29 facts about Colorado
Centennial State
Colorado is one of the larger American states, bordered by longitude and latitude. The state is famous for its varied landscape of mountains, forests, ...
18 facts about Roland Garros
18 facts about Roland Garros
French pioneer of aviation who played tennis only a few times in his life
Roland Garros was a French aviator who played an important role in the history of aviation. He began his aviation career in 1909 and achieved many aer ...
24 facts about Sri Lanka
24 facts about Sri Lanka
The “Land of Smiles”
Sri Lanka is an island country in the Indian Ocean. Previously, until 1972, both the country and the island on which it lies were known to the world a ...

Similar topics