This was the first Citrus fruit that was introduced to Europe by the armies of Alexander the Great about 300 BC. It found a suitable home in the Mediterranean region where it has been cultivated from that time to the present. It grows as an irregular, open-headed shrub or small tree with large, light green leaves. The flowers are painted purple on the outside and are followed by large, oblong or ellipsoid fruits. The peel is very thick and is rough and yellow on the outside and white inside. The pulp is small and greenish and the juice is scarce and very acid in most types. They were originally grown in Europe out of interest for its fragrant fruits, but later, the white pulp was used raw, being served as a salad or with fish.
