Citrus: a Story of Culture, Religion, and Geography

Abstract

The story of citrus fruits is both complex and intriguing. It is made of culture, religion, and geography. This paper treats some aspects of their whole story, narrating and interpreting the meaning of citrus in ancient pagan and Christian cultures. It describes the origin and geographical spread of citrus fruits and their presence in different cultures, from Chinese and Indian to Greek, Roman, and Arab ones, up to Europe and the Americas. Mythical stories about Golden Fruits as generators of cultures, stories, and identities are resumed and interpreted. Special attention is paid to the citron, which has special importance in Hebrew culture and religion, being the species that gave the name to the whole family of Citrus trees.