Differences Between Lemon and Citron

Lemon

Lemon vs Citron

Many are quite familiar with lemon, don’t you agree? What about citron? Have you heard of this important ingredient for cooking as well? As a matter of fact, if you do the cooking at home or should you prepare your own dishes, you probably might have used and come across both terms. For the regular layman, though, one might use the term lemon not just occasionally, but would not easily determine how a citron would come into play. This is why differentiating between a lemon and citron is today’s topic for discussion.

For starters, citrus fruits have and will always be considered important because of their health values. To name a few products that are derived from such include oils, flavorings, perfumes, and medicinal products, which are taken from both the fruit and their flowers. Citrus is the term that is used to define and name the group for the fruits of these plants. We will be discussing two of them, namely lemon and citron.

What is a lemon?

Usually yellow or light green, its usual purpose in cooking is its acid juice. It is best used for flavoring and usually used for various drinks. They have a leathery type of skin, are quite aromatic, and they have a juicy pulp. The distinctive sour taste is what makes this a favorite ingredient in cooking and baking. In line with cooking and baking, all parts of this fruit are used, that is, the lemon juice, the rind, and the zest are used. It is great for marinating pork and fish. The lemon juice is used on apples, bananas and avocados to prevent them turning brown after they are sliced. In fact, many types of cuisine include lemon as part of their preparation. This includes Moroccan cuisine, Indian cuisine, and they are also used in certain parts of India.

How is a citron different from a lemon?

A citron, on the other hand, while similarly a fragrant citrus fruit, consists of a dry pulp and only a small quantity of insipid juice. Based from ancient studies, the citron was used mainly for medicinal purposes. It was greatly used to fight seasickness, intestinal problems, pulmonary illnesses, and many more. The oil that is taken from the pulp, or the outermost layer of the rind, is actually used as antibiotic. So unlike lemons, the citron is prized for its outermost yellow rind. Unfortunately, in local grocery shops, you would most likely find lemons but not citrons. Although originally grown in Europe, Southern Italy is quite known for citron candies and many citron products. The one thing that would probably differentiate a citron from lemons is its shape. Citrons have a variety of shapes, and there are many factors that contribute to its highly variable shape. In fact, you would be able to find a fingered citron, having a shape that is quite interesting.

Summary:

Lemons and citrons are just a few of the fruits that belong to the citrus family. Both are known not just for their exceptional taste that they bring to any and all types of food and drinks, but they are quite famous for their medicinal purposes as well.

Lemons are more common probably because the whole fruit can be of use. While the citron fruit may offer the same, the juice is less than that of the lemon.

Lastly, whether you choose to have lemons or citrons at home, whether you wish to include this as part of your daily drinks like juice, or as an ingredient for that fish for lunch or dinner, you will never go wrong in choosing either variety of citrus fruit.

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