Citron

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Name Variations

 * cederat
 * cedro
 * yuzu

About Citron
A sour Japanese citrus fruit, which is used almost exclusively for its aromatic rind. The rind of the yuzu (which is about the size of a tangerine) has an aroma that's distinct from lemons and limes or any other Western citrus fruit. Yuzu rind is used as a garnish or small slivers are added to various dishes to enhance their flavor. It can be found in some Japanese markets.

The citron is a fragrant fruit with the botanical name Citrus medica, which applies to both the Swingle and Tanaka systems. It is a prominent member in the genus Citrus, belonging to the Rutaceae or Rue family, sub-family Aurantioideae. The designation medica is apparently derived from the similar ancient names media, Median apple etc., which were influenced by Theophrastus, who believed the citron was native to Medes, Persia or Assyria.

The citron has many similar names in diverse languages, e.g. cederat, cedro, etc. Most confusing are the Polish, Czech, Slovak, French, Dutch, German, Yiddish and Scandinavian languages, in which the false friend "citron" refers to the fruit called lemon in English. The French name for citron is "cédrat".

The fruit is fragrant, mostly oblong, ovoid or oval, occasionally pyriform, but highly variable, the peel is yellow when fully ripe; usually rough and bumpy but sometimes smooth; pulp pale-yellow or greenish divided into as many as 14 or 15 segments, firm, not very juicy, acid or sweet. Citron contains numerous monoembryonic seeds, ovoid, smooth, white within. Citron cultivars are mainly of two types and are different. Among the better-known cultivars are: Corsican, Diamante, Etrog, Bajoura. The most important part of the citron is the peel which is a fairly important article in international trade. Citrons are also very used in preparing salads, sweet drinks, citronade, cookies, but is specially is used with fish in order to provide a fresh taste.