Some say the lemon tree first appeared in the foothills of the Himalayas, others say it was in the Malayan archipelago. Whatever the case, it was cultivated by the Chinese some 3,000years ago.
The Romans were the first Westerners to introduce it into their gardens. They called the fruit the "apple of the Mede," in reference to a people who lived in what is now Iran. The fruit was used mainly for medicinal purposes, as an antidote to poisons and venom and as an insect repellent.
It was not until the Crusades that the lemon tree became properly established in the Mediterranean countries, even though the Arabs had already done much to spread it during their conquests.
The lemon was one of the few gifts from the Old to the New World, thanks to Spanish and Portuguese navigators.
One of the lemon's greatest glories was that it made possible the prevention of the terrible scurvy that had been decimating ships' crews at sea. In the mid-18th century James Lindt,, a Royal Navy surgeon, discovered the remarkable anti-scurvy properties of this fruit.
It was not until 1932, a century and a half later, that the lemon's anti-scurvy properties were correctly attributed to its high vitamin C content. (Inventions and Discoveries)
The Romans were the first Westerners to introduce it into their gardens. They called the fruit the "apple of the Mede," in reference to a people who lived in what is now Iran. The fruit was used mainly for medicinal purposes, as an antidote to poisons and venom and as an insect repellent.It was not until the Crusades that the lemon tree became properly established in the Mediterranean countries, even though the Arabs had already done much to spread it during their conquests.
The lemon was one of the few gifts from the Old to the New World, thanks to Spanish and Portuguese navigators.
One of the lemon's greatest glories was that it made possible the prevention of the terrible scurvy that had been decimating ships' crews at sea. In the mid-18th century James Lindt,, a Royal Navy surgeon, discovered the remarkable anti-scurvy properties of this fruit.
It was not until 1932, a century and a half later, that the lemon's anti-scurvy properties were correctly attributed to its high vitamin C content. (Inventions and Discoveries)