Etrog Citron

This citron is originally from Palestine and has been used since ancient times in the Jewish religious ritual that celebrates one of the most solemn feasts of the Hebrew calendar, the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot).
In 1811 Gallesio described the cultivar as being widely grown in Liguria, especially in the Sanremo area, and easy to reproduce with cuttings, but it can also be propagated by grafting onto the Seville orange. He also said that the autumn and winter fruits are sold to make delicious marmalade, while the summer fruits are sold to Jews for the Feast of Tabernacles.
In 1839 Gallesio wrote that this type of citron “is known in the trade by the name of Pitima, because it is the name given by the Jews to the pistil when it remains on the fruit and becomes fleshy”.
The small, open plant is remontant and not very vigorous, with thorns and an irregular shape.
The fragrant leaves are a handsome green colour, long and ellipsoid with a rounded tip and convex towards the base. The young shoots and buds are purplish and grow in clusters. The medium-sized fruit is oblong-ellipsoid and fusiform, with a characteristic thick and often persistent style, which is required for use in the aforementioned Jewish feast. The rind is thick, slightly wrinkled, and lemon yellow when ripe. The flesh is sparse and dryish, with an acidic flavour and numerous seeds. The plant is quite sensitive to cold and tends to lose its leaves in winter