Lemon: A Global History

143 Pages·2012·1.3 MB·English

by  Toby Sonneman

Lemon
A Global History
Toby Sonneman
the edible series


Edible
Series Editor: Andrew F. Smith
is a revolutionary new series of books dedicated to food and
drink that explores the rich history of cuisine. Each book reveals the
global history and culture of one type of food or beverage.
Already published
Apple Erika Janik Lobster Elisabeth Townsend
Bread William Rubel Milk Hannah Velten
Cake Nicola Humble Olive Fabrizia Lanza
Caviar Nichola Fletcher Pancake Ken Albala
Champagne Becky Sue Epstein Pie Janet Clarkson
Cheese Andrew Dalby Pizza Carol Helstosky
Chocolate Sarah Moss Pork Katharine M. Rogers
and AlexanderBadenoch
Potato Andrew F. Smith
Cocktails Joseph M. Carlin
Pudding Jeri Quinzio
Curry Colleen Taylor Sen
Rum Richard Foss
Dates Nawal Nasrallah Sandwich Bee Wilson
Gin Lesley Jacobs Solmonson Soup Janet Clarkson
Hamburger AndrewF. Smith Spices Fred Czarra
Herbs Gary Allen Tea Helen Saberi
Hot Dog BruceKraig Vodka Patricia Herlihy
Ice Cream LauraB. Weiss Whiskey Kevin R. Kosar
Lemon
A Global History
Toby Sonneman
 
Published by Reaktion Books Ltd
Great Sutton Street
London , 
www.reaktionbooks.co.uk
First published 
Copyright © Toby Sonneman 
All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in aretrieval
system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior
permission of the publishers.
Printed and bound in China by Eurasia
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Sonneman, Toby F., –
Lemon: a global history.–(Edible)
. Lemon. . Lemon–History. . Cooking (Lemons)
I. Title II. Series
.-
     
Contents
Introduction: A Fragrance of Lemons 
1 Origins and Obsessions 
2 Sicily: Arab Mediterranean 
3 Exotic Treasure 
4 The Lemon Cure 
5 Lemonade 
6 To and From the Golden State 
7 At Home and In the World 
Recipes 
References 
Select Bibliography 
Websites and Associations 
Acknowledgements 
Photo Acknowledgements 
Index 

Introduction:
A Fragrance of Lemons
If I were forced to give up every fruit in the world
but one I would have absolutely no trouble choosing.
The lemon wins, hands down.
Laurie Colwin, More Home Cooking
A decade ago, I would have been mystified by the quotation
above. I love fruit – raspberries, peaches, pears, plums, apri-
cots, apples, mangoes and more – but I would never have
chosen lemon as my favourite.
Then, in an effort to discover what foods triggered my
disabling migraines, I tried eliminating many common foods,
including citrus, from my diet. I was shocked to discover
the one food I missed most of all: lemon. Without realiz-
ing it, I’d been squeez ing lemon juice on salads, fish and
vegetables, and adding zest to baked goods. On my lemon-
deficient diet, everything tasted a little blander, lacking that
lively acid note.
I was so relieved to discover I had no adverse reaction to
lemons that I wanted to run to the grocery store and buy
bags of them, fill every bowl in my house with them, make
fresh lemonade and lemon meringue pie, walk through lemon
orchards and learn all I could about lemons. Living without

Lemons, which originated in India, now grow in subtropical areas around
the world.
lemons, even for a short time, had given me a blossoming
new appreciation. I would never take them for granted again.
As I examined the lemon’s history, I discovered I had
more than a passing acquaintance with its ancestor, the citron,
an essential symbol of the Jewish autumn harvest festival.
This fruit was so important to my ancestors that when my
grandmother emigrated from Russia to America in , she
brought a special oval silver container used only during the
seven-day festival to keep the citron fresh. After the holiday
she made preserves from citron peel to give to new mothers,
including my own mother, in the folk belief that it would
restore their strength.
Besides drawing from my family history and the many
books I read, I also absorbed the lemon’s story from places
and people. In Sicily’s Lemon Riviera I rode the little blue
Zappalà & Torrisi bus between coastal villages, winding along
