Even today, the origin of the Lemon remains a mystery.
Originally from China, the Lemon is believed to have arrived in the Middle East via the Silk Road, and then in Europe thanks to the travels of the Hebrews, for whom the Lemon symbolizes perfection and beauty.
However, recent studies tend to place its origin not in China, but in the Mediterranean. The Lemon, whose etymology means "fruit of the citron tree," is believed to be a hybrid of the Citron and the Bitter Orange.
Among the Greeks, Romans, and Arabs, lemon trees populated gardens and were used in cooking to enhance raw vegetables and preserve meats. Known for its therapeutic virtues, the Lemon was prescribed by doctors (including Avicenna) to combat fevers, as well as poisons and venoms. An Egyptian legend tells that two evildoers were once delivered to snakes. Only one survived because he had eaten a Lemon.
It is also said that Emperor Nero consumed a lot of it to immunize himself against the poisons he feared.
You too can protect yourself from poisoning thanks to the Lemon. Did you know that lemon juice kills 93% of the bacteria in an oyster in 15 minutes! (study conducted by Charles Richet)
For the record - if Florida is now one of the biggest producers of Lemons, it's thanks to Christopher Columbus, who brought the fruit with him on his round-the-world trip.
There are over fifty varieties of Lemon: the California Eureka, the most consumed in the world, the Sorrento Lemon with which Limoncello is made, but also the Verna, the Internado, and the Lisbon. The list is long…
Today and for more than 80 years, the Lemon has been celebrated every year in the City of Menton. Legend has it that Eve took a Lemon with her before being expelled from the Garden of Eden. Adam and she walked for a long time before settling in the South of France, seeing it as an acceptable alternative to paradise lost. Eve planted the Lemon there, and thus the city of Menton was born…
Are you smiling? That's normal, it's the Lemon effect. Excellent for morale, it is also a formidable daily Essence that we invite you to discover through our reference authors.
