What is the citron?
Q: What is the citron?
A: The citron (Citrus medica) is a species of citrus fruit with a thick rind and small sections.
Q: Where did the tree originally come from?
A: The tree originally came from Southeast Asia.
Q: Where is it mainly grown today?
A: Today, the citron tree is mainly grown in Sicily, Morocco, Crete, Corsica, and Puerto Rico.
Q: How large can the tree grow?
A: The citron tree can grow to a size of about 3 metres.
Q: How large can the fruit grow?
A: The fruit can grow to a size of about 25 cm in length and 4 kg in weight.
Q: What parts of the fruit are used for cooking?
A: Generally, only the rind of the fruit is used for cooking - it's made into an additive or jam or vegetable oil which is used for perfumes. Candied peel rather than the pulp is often used in cooking as well.
Q: When was it first domesticated?
A: Zohary and Hopf believe this tree was first domesticated in India.
