Also known asCitrus limon · 柠檬
Name: Lemon (Citrus × limon). A distinct hybrid species from lime, citron, and other citrus fruits it is sometimes confused with; 18th-century botanist Carl Linnaeus originally classified it as a variety of citron, though the two are now recognized as separate species.
Description
The lemon tree is an evergreen shrub or small tree with fragrant white-and-purple flowers and oval, thick-skinned yellow fruit that forms 8 to 10 internal segments around a decidedly acidic pulp — citric acid can make up 5% or more of the juice by weight. The white spongy layer beneath the peel, the albedo, is nearly tasteless but is the main commercial source of pectin.
Lemons reached Spain and North Africa between roughly 1000 and 1200 CE and spread through Europe with the Crusaders, who encountered the fruit growing in Palestine; by 1494 lemons were being cultivated in the Azores and shipped to England. Commercial lemon trees today are typically grafted onto sturdier citrus rootstock, such as sour orange or grapefruit, rather than grown from lemon seedlings directly.
Main nutrition value
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Lemons are prized above all for vitamin C — over half a day’s value per 100g — and contribute meaningful potassium and fiber, along with small amounts of iron and vitamin B-6.
How best to be consumed
Lemons are used almost entirely for their juice and zest rather than eaten whole: fresh juice brightens dressings, marinades, and drinks like lemonade or tea, while the zest adds concentrated aromatic oil to baking and cooking without the tartness of the juice. A little whole fruit, pith included, does add fiber and pectin if used in preserves like lemon marmalade.
Overconsumption could cause…
Lemon juice’s high citric acid content makes it one of the more erosive fruits for tooth enamel with frequent, undiluted exposure, and it can aggravate heartburn or a sensitive stomach in people prone to acid reflux. As with other citrus, the peel and juice contain compounds that can trigger a sunlight-related skin reaction if left on skin before sun exposure, which is worth keeping in mind when juicing or zesting lemons outdoors.
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