THE LEMON
FAMILY NAME Rutaceae OCCUPATION Versatile flavor enhancer; its juice adds zing to salads, seafood, meringues, tea and water, while the rind brightens cocktail. FAMOUS RELATIVES Citron, clementine, grapefruit, bergamot, kumquat, lime, orange, tangerine. BIRTHPLACE Native to India; introduced to the New World by Columbus in 1493. RESIDENCE California grows 80% of North America's supply. Only Argentina supplies more. DISTINGUISHING FEATURES Glossy sunshine yellow with knobby ends. The oil rich lemon rind is sweet and the inner fruit sour (in all but the ambrosia Meyer variety) Weight not size, matters in taste; The heavier the lemon, the more luscious. Choose smoothe , thin skins over wrinkled, greenich skins, which warn of acidity. VITAL STATISTICS With just 15 calories and practically no fat per medium size, the lemon has one of the highest vitamin C contents of any fruit, about 40% of the Daily value, and a good source of folic acid and potassium. (The rind's fragrant oil explains the trace of fat.) FAVORITE HANGOUT Most at home on the branch. If left unplucked, a lemon will grow larger than a grapefruit. LOVES Cleanliness-lemons moonlight as a nontoxic bleach and disinfectant, antiseptic, stain lifter and odor eater. Their juice prevents cut fruit from turning brown. HATES Being the synonym for a bum car,and the cloudy bottled juice, especially in the lemon shaped plastic bottle, which is no substitute for the real squeeze. POWERS Natural antioxidant. Long known to prevent scurvy, a disease caused by vitamin C deficiency. D-limonene, extracted from oil of lemon, is one of Coca-Cola's not so top secret ingredients. The whole fruit is richer than any citrus pectin, which helps reduce bad LDL cholesterol in the blood. CAREER HIGHLIGHTS According to Provencal lore, first cultivated in Menton ( at own in southern France, and post Eden home to Adam and Eve) with stolen seeds from the Garden. Used by Louis XIV's court ladies to redden lips. The commercial lemon industry was born during the California Gold Rush, when the tart fruit was found to prevent scurvy in malnourished miners. FAVORITE DANCE The Twist FAVORITE BANDS Lemon heads and Squeeze FAMOUS QUOTE "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!"
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