Buddha's Hands Citron

Fingered Citron

Buddha's Hands Citron is a citrus fruit.

It has very small utility as a food item. It is mostly just an ornamental citrus fruit, though the peel of it can be candied.

The fruit grows in what looks is often described as the shape of a hand with fingers (though mind you, a hand with 10 to 15 fingers), though perhaps "squid-shaped" gives a more accurate impression of what the fruit looks like.

It grows on a small, thorny tree that can be propagated just from cut branches stuck in the ground. It won't, though, tolerate extremes of heat or cold.

The tree has pale green, crinkled, leathery leaves 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) long, and blossoms with clusters of large white or pale purple fragrant flowers.

The think skin of the fruit ripens from green to yellow to orangey-yellow. It consists of long, slender "fingers" joined only at the top of the fruit, though these look far more than tentacles than they do fingers. These "fingers" can be up to 12 inches (30 cm) long.

The flesh inside has no seeds, but it also hasn't got any useful flesh or juice inside to speak of. What small amount of flesh it has is white and tender.

The fruit does have, though, a pronounced, pleasant, lemony smell. Whole fruits can be used to give a pleasant aroma to rooms or closets.

Storage Hints for Buddha's Hands Citron

Will keep for up to 2 weeks at room temperature before candying the peel.

History Notes for Buddha's Hands Citron

Possibly native to north-eastern India.

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Also called:

Citrus medica var. sarcodactylus (Scientific Name); Buddha-Hand-Mandarine (German); Busshukan (Japanese); Fu shou gan (Chinese)

See Also: Cédratine

Other entries for: Citrus Fruit
Buddha's Hands Citron, Citron, Grapefruit, Kumquats, Lemons, Limau, Limes, Oranges, Pineapples, Pummelo, Tangelos, Yuzu, Zest

Other entries for: Hard Fruit
Apples, Apricots, Avocado, Chayote, Guava Fruit, Kiwis, Mangos, Maypop Fruit, Medlars, Melons, Nectarines, Papaya, Passion Fruit, Peaches, Pears, Persimmons, Plums, Pomegranates, Quinces, Red Sorrel, Rose Hips, Sapote, Star Fruit, True Service Fruit

Other entries for: Fruit
Bananas, Bletting, Candied Fruit, Dried Fruit, Drupes, Olives, Rhubarb, Soft Fruit