The citron (''Citrus medica''), historically cedrate, is a large fragrant citrus fruit with a thick

rind Rind may refer to: Food *Peel (fruit), or outer covering of any vegetable *Pork rind *The outer layer of cheese *Candied rind; see Succade *Grated rind; see Zest (ingredient) Other uses *Rind (Baloch tribe), a tribe in Pakistan *Rind (giantess), ...

. It is said to resemble a 'huge, rough lemon'. It is one of the original citrus fruits from which all other citrus types developed through natural hybrid speciation or artificial

hybridization Hybridization (or hybridisation) may refer to: *Hybridization (biology), the process of combining different varieties of organisms to create a hybrid *Orbital hybridization, in chemistry, the mixing of atomic orbitals into new hybrid orbitals *Nu ...

. Though citron cultivars take on a wide variety of physical forms, they are all closely related genetically. It is used in Asian cuisine, traditional medicines, perfume, and religious rituals and offerings. Hybrids of citrons with other citrus are commercially more prominent, notably lemons and many limes.

Etymology

The fruit's English name "citron" derives ultimately from Latin, ''citrus'', which is also the origin of the genus name.

Other languages

A source of confusion is that '' citron'' in French and English are false friends, as the French word refers to the lemon, while the English word is translated ''cédrat''. Indeed, into the 16th century, the English name ''citron'' included the lemon and perhaps the lime as well. Other languages that use variants of ''citron'' to refer to the lemon include Armenian, Czech, Dutch, Finnish, German, Latvian, Lithuanian, Hungarian, Esperanto, Polish and the Scandinavian languages. In Italian it is known as , the same name used also to indicate the coniferous tree cedar. Similarly, in Latin, citrus, or thyine wood referred to the wood of a North African cypress, Tetraclinis articulata. In Indo-Iranian languages, it is called , as against ('bitter orange'). Both names were borrowed into Arabic and introduced into Spain and Portugal after their occupation by Muslims in AD 711, whence the latter became the source of the name '' orange'' through

rebracketing Rebracketing (also known as resegmentation or metanalysis) is a process in historical linguistics where a word originally derived from one set of morphemes is broken down or bracketed into a different set. For example, ''hamburger'', originally ...

(and the former of 'toronja', which today describes the

grapefruit The grapefruit (''Citrus'' × ''paradisi'') is a subtropical citrus tree known for its relatively large, sour to semi-sweet, somewhat bitter fruit. The interior flesh is segmented and varies in color from pale yellow to dark pink. Grapefruit is ...

in Spanish). Dutch merchants seasonally import Sukade for baked goods a thick light green commercially candied half peeling from Indonesia and other countries (sukade - Indonesian word for love, citrus médica variety macrocárpa) which can reach 2.5 kilograms mass. A bitter taste is removed by salt treatment before processing into confectionery. In Hebrew it is called 'Etrog' (אתרוג).

Origin and distribution

The citron is an old and original citrus species. In the 19th century it was widely grown in Northern Iran. There is molecular evidence that most cultivated citrus species arose by

of a small number of ancestral types, including citron, pomelo,

mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

and to a lesser extent, papedas and kumquat. The citron is usually fertilized by self-pollination, which results in their displaying a high degree of genetic homozygosity. It is the male parent of any citrus hybrid rather than a female one. Archaeological evidence for citrus fruits has been limited, as neither seeds nor pollen are likely to be routinely recovered in archaeology. The citron is thought to have been native to India, in valleys at the foothills of the eastern Himalayas. It is thought that by the 4th century BC, when Theophrastus mentions the "Median apple", the citron was mostly cultivated in the Caspian Sea on its way to the

Mediterranean basin In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin (; also known as the Mediterranean Region or sometimes Mediterranea) is the region of lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have mostly a Mediterranean climate, with mild to cool, rainy winters and w ...

, where it was cultivated during the later centuries in different areas as described by Erich Isaac. Many mention the role of Alexander the Great and his armies as they attacked Iran and what is today Pakistan, as being responsible for the spread of the citron westward, reaching the European countries such as Greece and Italy.

Antiquity

Leviticus mentions the "fruit of the beautiful ('hadar') tree" as being required for ritual use during the Feast of Tabernacles
Lev. 23:40
. According to Rabbinical tradition, the "fruit of the tree hadar" refers to the citron. Mishna Sukkah, c. 2nd century AD, deals with

halakhic ''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical commandm ...

aspects of the citron. The Egyptologist and

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

Victor Loret claimed to have identified it depicted on the walls of the botanical garden at the

Karnak Temple The Karnak Temple Complex, commonly known as Karnak (, which was originally derived from ar, خورنق ''Khurnaq'' "fortified village"), comprises a vast mix of decayed Egyptian temple, temples, Pylon (architecture), pylons, chapels, and other ...

, which dates back to the time of Thutmosis III, approximately 3,500 years ago. Citron was also cultivated in

Sumer Sumer () is the earliest known civilization in the historical region of southern Mesopotamia (south-central Iraq), emerging during the Chalcolithic and early Bronze Ages between the sixth and fifth millennium BC. It is one of the cradles of c ...

as early as the 3rd millennium BC. The citron has been cultivated since ancient times, predating the cultivation of other citrus species.

Theophrastus

The following description on citron was given by Theophrastus

In the east and south there are special plants... i.e. in Media and Persia there are many types of fruit, between them there is a fruit called Median or Persian Apple. The tree has a leaf similar to and almost identical with that of the ''andrachn'' ('' Arbutus andrachne'' L.), but has thorns like those of the '' apios'' (the wild pear, ''Pyrus amygdaliformis'' Vill.) or the
firethorn ''Pyracantha'' (from Greek "fire" and "thorn", hence firethorn) is a genus of large, thorny evergreen shrubs in the family Rosaceae, with common names firethorn or pyracantha. They are native to an area extending from Southwest Europe east t ...
(''Cotoneaster pyracantha'' Spach.), except that they are white, smooth, sharp and strong. The fruit is not eaten, but is very fragrant, as is also the leaf of the tree; and the fruit is put among
clothes Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the human body, body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials ...
, it keeps them from being moth-eaten. It is also useful when one has drunk deadly poison, for when it is administered in wine; it upsets the stomach and brings up the poison. It is also useful to improve the breath, for if one boils the inner part of the fruit in a dish or squeezes it into the mouth in some other medium, it makes the breath more pleasant. The seed is removed from the fruit and sown in the spring in carefully tilled beds, and it is watered every fourth or fifth day. As soon the plant is strong it is transplanted, also in the spring, to a soft, well watered site, where the soil is not very fine, for it prefers such places. And it bears its fruit at all seasons, for when some have gathered, the flower of the others is on the tree and is ripening others. Of the flowers I have said those that have a sort of distaff
pistil Gynoecium (; ) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl of a flower; it consists of (one or more) ''pistils'' ...
] projecting from the middle are fertile, while those that do not have this are sterile. It is also sown, like date palms, in pots punctured with holes. This tree, as has been remarked, grows in ''Media'' and ''Persia''.

Pliny the Elder

Citron was also described by Pliny the Elder, who called it ''nata Assyria malus''. The following is from his book Natural History:

There is another tree also with the same name of "citrus," and bears a fruit that is held by some persons in particular dislike for its smell and remarkable bitterness; while, on the other hand, there are some who esteem it very highly. This tree is used as an ornament to houses; it requires, however, no further description. The citron tree, called the Assyrian, and by some the Median apple, is an antidote against poisons. The leaf is similar to that of the arbute, except that it has small prickles running across it. As to the fruit, it is never eaten, but it is remarkable for its extremely powerful smell, which is the case, also, with the leaves; indeed, the odour is so strong, that it will penetrate clothes, when they are once impregnated with it, and hence it is very useful in repelling the attacks of noxious insects. The tree bears fruit at all seasons of the year; while some is falling off, other fruit is ripening, and other, again, just bursting into birth. Various nations have attempted to naturalize this tree among them, for the sake of its medical properties, by planting it in pots of clay, with holes drilled in them, for the purpose of introducing the air to the roots; and I would here remark, once for all, that it is as well to remember that the best plan is to pack all slips of trees that have to be carried to any distance, as close together as they can possibly be placed. It has been found, however, that this tree will grow nowhere except in Media or Persia. It is this fruit, the pips of which, as we have already mentioned, the Parthian grandees employ in seasoning their ragouts, as being peculiarly conducive to the sweetening of the breath. We find no other tree very highly commended that is produced in Media. Citrons, either the pulp of them or the pips, are taken in wine as an antidote to poisons. A decoction of citrons, or the juice extracted from them, is used as a gargle to impart sweetness to the breath. The pips of this fruit are recommended for pregnant women to chew when affected with
qualmishness Nausea is a diffuse sensation of unease and discomfort, sometimes perceived as an urge to vomit. While not painful, it can be a debilitating symptom if prolonged and has been described as placing discomfort on the chest, abdomen, or back of the ...
. Citrons are good, also, for a weak stomach, but it is not easy to eat them except with vinegar.

Medieval authors

Ibn al-'Awwam's 12th-century agricultural encyclopedia, ''Book on Agriculture'' contains an article on citron tree cultivation in Spain.

Description and variation

Fruit

The citron fruit is usually ovate or oblong, narrowing towards the stylar end. However, the citron's fruit shape is highly variable, due to the large quantity of albedo, which forms independently according to the fruits' position on the tree, twig orientation, and many other factors. The rind is leathery, furrowed, and adherent. The inner portion is thick, white and hard; the outer is uniformly thin and very fragrant. The pulp is usually acidic, but also can be sweet, and some varieties are entirely pulpless. Most citron varieties contain a large number of monoembryonic seeds. The seeds are white with dark innercoats and red-purplish

chalazal spot The chalaza (; from Greek "hailstone"; plural ''chalazas'' or ''chalazae'', ) is a structure inside bird eggs and plant ovules. It attaches or suspends the yolk or nucellus within the larger structure. In animals In the eggs of most birds (no ...

s for the acidic varieties, and colorless for the sweet ones. Some citron varieties have persistent styles which do not fall off after fecundation. Those are usually preferred for ritual '' etrog'' use in Judaism. Some citrons have medium-sized oil bubbles at the outer surface, medially distant to each other. Some varieties are ribbed and faintly warted on the outer surface. A fingered citron variety is commonly called

Buddha's hand ''Citrus medica'' var. ''sarcodactylis'', or the fingered citron, is an unusually-shaped citron variety whose fruit is segmented into finger-like sections, resembling those seen on representations of the Buddha. It is called Buddha's hand in m ...

. The color varies from green, when unripe, to a yellow-orange when overripe. The citron does not fall off the tree and can reach 8–10 pounds (4–5 kg) if not picked before fully mature.The Search for the Authentic Citron: Historic and Genetic Analysis; ''HortScience'' 40(7):1963–1968. 2005
However, they should be picked before the winter, as the branches might bend or break to the ground, and may cause numerous fungal diseases for the tree. Despite the wide variety of forms taken on by the fruit, citrons are all closely related genetically, representing a single species. Genetic analysis divides the known cultivars into three clusters: a Mediterranean cluster thought to have originated in India, and two clusters predominantly found in China, one representing the fingered citrons, and another consisting of non-fingered varieties.

Plant

''Citrus medica'' is a slow-growing

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

or small tree that reaches a height of about . It has irregular straggling branches and stiff twigs and long spines at the leaf

axil A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, st ...

s. The evergreen leaves are green and lemon-scented with slightly serrate edges, ovate-lanceolate or ovate elliptic 2.5 to 7.0 inches long. Petioles are usually wingless or with minor wings. The clustered flowers of the acidic varieties are purplish tinted from outside, but the sweet ones are white-yellowish. The citron tree is very vigorous with almost no dormancy, blooming several times a year, and is therefore fragile and extremely sensitive to frost.

Varieties and hybrids

The

acid In computer science, ACID ( atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability) is a set of properties of database transactions intended to guarantee data validity despite errors, power failures, and other mishaps. In the context of databases, a sequ ...

ic varieties include the Florentine and Diamante citron from Italy, the Greek citron and the

Balady citron The balady citron is a variety of citron, or ''etrog'', grown in Israel and Palestine (region), Palestine, mostly for Jewish ritual purposes. Not native to the region, it was imported around 500 or 300 BCE by either Jewish or Greek settlers. Init ...

from Israel. The sweet varieties include the Corsican and

Moroccan citron The Moroccan citron ( he, אֶתְרוֹג מָרוֹקָנִי) is a true citron variety native to Assads, Morocco, which is still today its main center of cultivation. Sweet citron The Moroccan citron was described by the Moroccan professo ...

s. The pulpless varieties also include some fingered varieties and the Yemenite citron. There are also a number of citron hybrids; for example, ponderosa lemon, the lumia and rhobs el Arsa are known citron hybrids. Some claim that even the Florentine citron is not pure citron, but a citron hybrid.

Uses

Culinary

While the lemon and orange are primarily peeled to consume their pulpy and juicy segments, the citron's pulp is dry, containing a small quantity of juice, if any. The main content of a citron fruit is its thick white rind, which adheres to the segments and cannot easily be separated from them. The citron gets halved and depulped, then its rind (the thicker the better) is cut into pieces. Those are cooked in sugar syrup and used as a spoon sweet known in Greek as "kitro glyko" (κίτρο γλυκό), or diced and candied with sugar and used as a confection in cakes. In Italy, a soft drink called "Cedrata" is made from the fruit. In Samoa a refreshing drink called "vai tipolo" is made from squeezed juice. It is also added to a raw fish dish called "oka" and to a variation of palusami or luáu. Citron is a regularly used item in Asian cuisine. In Korea, a popular tea,

yuja-cha ''Yuja-cha'' () or yuja tea is a traditional Korean tea made by mixing hot water with ''yuja-cheong'' (yuja marmalade). Yuja tea is popular throughout Korea, especially in the winter. This tea is created by curing yuja into a sweet, thick, pulpy ...

, is made by mixing citron meat and julienned peels with sugar and honey. This tea is consumed both hot and iced, and is often taken for sore throats and colds in winter. Today the citron is also used for the fragrance or zest of its flavedo, but the most important part is still the inner rind (known as pith or '' albedo''), which is a fairly important article in international trade and is widely employed in the food industry as succade, as it is known when it is candied in sugar. The dozens of varieties of citron are collectively known as ''Lebu'' in Bangladesh, West Bengal, where it is the primary citrus fruit. In Iran, the citron's thick white rind is used to make jam; in Pakistan the fruit is used to make jam but is also pickled; in South Indian cuisine, some varieties of citron (collectively referred to as "Narthangai" in Tamil and "Heralikayi" in Kannada) are widely used in pickles and preserves. In Karnataka, heralikayi (citron) is uses to make lemon rice. In Kutch, Gujarat, it is used to make pickle, wherein entire slices of fruits are salted, dried and mixed with

jaggery Jaggery is a traditional non-centrifugal cane sugar consumed in the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Africa. It is a concentrated product of cane juice and often date or palm sap without separation of the molasses and crystals, and can ...

and spices to make sweet spicy pickle. In the United States, citron is an important ingredient in holiday

fruitcakes Fruitcake (or fruit cake or fruit bread) is a cake made with candied or dried fruit, nuts, and spices, and optionally soaked in spirits. In the United Kingdom, certain rich versions may be iced and decorated. Fruitcakes are typically served ...

. File:Halv sukat.JPG, A citron halved and depulped, cooked in sugar File:Bicchiere di tassoni1.jpg, ''Cedrata'', a citron soft drink from Italy File:Citron cake.jpg, Citron torte

Folk medicine

From ancient through medieval times, the citron was used mainly for supposed medical purposes to combat seasickness, scurvy and other disorders. The

essential oil An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the o ...

of the flavedo (the outermost, pigmented layer of rind) was also regarded as an

antibiotic An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention of ...

. The juice of the citron has a high content of vitamin C and

dietary fiber Dietary fiber (in British English fibre) or roughage is the portion of plant-derived food that cannot be completely broken down by human digestive enzymes. Dietary fibers are diverse in chemical composition, and can be grouped generally by the ...

(

pectin Pectin ( grc, πηκτικός ': "congealed" and "curdled") is a heteropolysaccharide, a structural acid contained in the primary lamella, in the middle lamella, and in the cell walls of terrestrial plants. The principal, chemical component of ...

) which can be extracted from the thick albedo of the citron.

Religious

In Judaism

The citron is used by Jews (the word for it in Hebrew is '' etrog'') for a religious ritual during the Jewish harvest holiday of Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles; therefore, it is considered to be a Jewish symbol, one found on various Hebrew antiques and archaeological findings.

In Buddhism

A variety of citron native to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

has sections that separate into finger-like parts and is used as an

offering Offering may refer to: In religion * A religious offering or sacrifice * Alms, voluntary gifts to others, especially poor people, as an act of virtue * Tithe, the tenth part of something, such as income, paid to a religious organization or gover ...

in Buddhist temples.

In Hinduism

In Nepal, citron () is worshipped during the

Bhai Tika Bhai Dooj, Bhaubeej, Bhai Tika, Bhai Phonta or Bhratri Dwitiya is a festival celebrated by Hindus on the second lunar day of the Shukla Paksha (bright fortnight) of Kartika, the eighth month of the Vikram Samvat Hindu calendar or the Shalivahana ...

ceremony in Tihar festival.

Perfumery

For many centuries, citron's fragrant essential oil (oil of cedrate) has been used in perfumery, the same oil that was used medicinally for its antibiotic properties. Its major constituent is limonene.

Gallery

File:Cedri BMK.jpg, In a German market, for culinary use File:4642 - Cedri al mercato di Ortigia, Siracusa - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto, 20 marzo 2014.jpg, In fruit market of Italy File:Citrons leaves.jpg, Naxos citrons and leaf File:Lipari-Citrons (3).jpg, Citron or hybrid in Sicily File:മാതളനാരകം.JPG, A wild citron in India File:Cidra flor.JPG, Citron flowers File:Citrus 3859.JPG, Unknown citron type in pot File:Cédrat.jpg, A

Corsican citron The Corsican citron (called ''alimea'' in Corsican and ''cedrat'' in French) is a citron variety that contains a non-acidic pulp. The name is from its most original cultivation center which is even today, at the French Island of Corsica or Co ...

File:Bijora.jpg, Bijora - Citron fruit for sale at Bhujpur, Kutch, Gujarat, India

Citations

External links

USDA Plants Profile – ''Citrus medica''

Purdue University
University of California- "Citrus Diversity"Buddha's Hand citron
by David Karp (pomologist) {{Taxonbar, from=Q150064 Citrus Essential oils False friends Four species (Sukkot) Fruit trees Fruits originating in Asia Garden plants of Asia Medicinal plants of Asia Ornamental trees Perfumes Sukkot