Early Uses for Citrus Fruit
Citrus fruits are native to Southeast Asia, where they've been cultivated for over 4,000 years, according to chef and food researcher James T. Ehler, and spread across the then-known world, appearing in the Mediterranean by the time of Christ. Though our predecessors sometimes used citrus the same ways we do, they also found other uses for these fruits. Does this Spark an idea?
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Decoration
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Historical records tracing the spread of citrus are frustratingly sketchy, in part because of confusion between citrons and lemons. We do know that in the Mediterranean, lemon trees were ornamental plants, and common in Islamic gardens. This is more significant than it seems. The Islamic concept of eternal paradise includes beautiful gardens; by using lemon trees in their gardens, early Muslims voted them a fit part of paradise on Earth.
Beverages
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Just as we do today, medieval peoples used citrus fruits as a base for tasty beverages. According to the website of Clifford A. Wright, a winner of the prestigious James Beard Award, 12th century Egyptians enjoyed a fermented beverage made from citron leaves, pepper, barley and herbs. Wright also reports lemonade may have got its start in medieval Egypt, as records from the year 1104 speak of a significant trade in lemon juice which was sold mixed with sugar.
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Contraceptives
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Not all uses of citrus fruits were quite as palatable as lemonade. Lemon halves were used as an early cervical cap--a method employed by none other than the infamous lover Casanova, according to Public Broadcasting's website. Physicians are currently investigating the efficacy of lemon juice as a topical spermicide, according to Drugs.com.
Preventative Medicine
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Though the use of lemons as contraceptives remains controversial, citrus fruits do have some well-established medical uses. According to Drugs.com, 16th century physicians used citrus fruit to prevent scurvy, a potentially deadly disease caused by insufficient levels of vitamin C. Common victims were sailors on long voyages, whose rations included few fruits and vegetables. By 1600, English ships were required by law to carry enough lemons or limes for each sailor to get one ounce of juice per day.
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