Quote:
Originally Posted by Yug
You should see the citrus called "Buddah's Hand", it is bizarre. Can't eat it, but you can use the zest.
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The fruit of Citron "Buddah's Hand" is almost entirely skin, there is only a pea-size capsule of flesh in the middle. It is the source of marmalade, unless you obtain the "cheaters" variety of orange-marmalade. The "fingers" are also candied and used as treats in many Middle-Eastern cultures -- all of whom claim to be the first user of the plant. Sorry guys, its native to China!
The standard Citron is a round fruit that looks similar to an Orange. Its skin is also used for preserves and zest. The cultivar "Seville" is available from some nurseries.
Citron, Mandarin, and Pomelo are the true Citrus species ancestors of Lemons, Oranges, and Grapefruit. They were first cultivated by the Chinese at least 7,000 years ago -- where at the time there were vast forests of Citrus. It is unclear whether there were any stable hybrids of these 3 prior to human intervention.
Limes, Kumquats, etc. are in the same family (Rutaceae) as Citrus, but were historically native to different regions of eastern Asia and the western Pacific islands.