origin of lemon

It is not really clear where the lemon has its origin. However, some sources suggest it may be north-western India, where Lemons would have been cultivated for more than 2,500 years. At first, lemons were not widely cultivated as food. Lemon trees were grown as an ornamental plant. The first clear literary evidence of the lemon as food dates back to the early tenth-century A.D. in Arabia, mentioned in the "book of farming" of Qustus al-Rumi. Later, at the end of the twelfth century, Ibn Jami’, the personal physician to the great Muslim leader Salah ad-Din (Saladin), wrote a treatise on the lemon. The Crusaders returning from Palestine brought Lemons to Europe, where it came to full culinary use in the 15th century. And finally Columbus brought lemons with him to Haiti on his second transatlantic voyage in 1493. The Egyptians of the fourteenth century knew of the lemon and it is said, that they invented the all-European summer drink - the lemonade.

health benefits

For cooking purpose, the lemon goes pretty much with everything and is a very popular enhancer of flavour. Due to its high vitamin C content it improves blood vessel functions and thus lowers stroke risk. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and can help our body to fight the formation of free radicals that are the cause of cancer. Eating lemons or lemon juice in its natural form supports the formation of collagen in our skin, that is important to fight damages, such as wrinkles, caused by sun and pollution. Last but not least lemons can boost the immune system to battle against germs that cause cold and flu.

The lemon (juice) fact sheet below gives an overview about the ingredients and nutritional values of lemon juice. In the upcoming post I will give some healthy recipes related to lemon juice.