Etrog

Archaeological evidence for Citrus fruits is limited, as neither seeds nor pollen are likely to be routinely recovered in archaeology.[10] The earliest evidence of etrogim in Israel is the 2012 discovery of citron pollen from the second century BCE in excavations at the Ramat Rachel site.^[11]

In diaspora

After the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE, exiled Jews planted citron orchards wherever the climate allowed: in Southern Europe (Spain, Greece, and Italy) as well as in North Africa and Asia Minor. Jews who settled north of the warmer citron-growing areas depended on imported etrogim, which caused much anxiety given the dangers and uncertainties of sea travel. By the seventeenth century, some of the most popular sources for etrogim were the islands of Corsica and Corfu.^{[citation needed]}

Since the late 1850s, the Fruit of the Goodly Tree Association in Mandatory Palestine represented etrog farmers who marketed their crops to Jews in Europe. Some Jewish communities still preferred citrons from Italy, Greece, Morocco, or Yemen, but many Jews seeking citrons turned back to Eretz Yisrael, the land of Israel.

American Jews continue to import the majority of their holiday etrogim from

Experimenting with picloram in a laboratory, Goldschmidt eventually found the correct "dose" to achieve the desired effect: one droplet^[clarification needed] of the chemical in three million drops of water.^{[14][page needed]}

Purity

In order for a citron to be kosher, it must be neither grafted nor hybridized with any other species. Only a few traditional varieties are therefore used. To ensure that no grafting is performed, preferred plantations are kept under strict rabbinical supervision.

Genetic research

The citron varieties traditionally used as etrog are the Diamante citron from Italy, the Greek citron, the Balady citron from Israel, the Moroccan and Yemenite citrons.

A general DNA study was conducted by Eliezer E. Goldschmidt and colleagues which tested and positively identified twelve famous accessions of citron for purity and being genetically related.^[15]

The

A later and not as widely accepted indicator is the orientation of the seed. In a pure etrog, the seeds are oriented vertically, unless crowded by neighboring seeds; in lemons and hybrids, the seeds are oriented horizontally even when they are not crowded.[18]

The etrog is typically grown from cuttings that are two to four years old. The tree begins to bear fruit about four years after planting the cuttings.

To protect the etrog during the holiday, it is traditionally wrapped in silky flax fibers and stored in a special decorative box, often made from silver.^[21]

After the holiday, eating the etrog or etrog jam is considered a

Etrogim grown in Israel are not classified as food and are therefore not recommended to be eaten due to the large amount of pesticides used in their agriculture.[24]

Gallery

• 
  Rabbi Bergman re-examines an etrog for a student
• 
  Rabbi

  Dov Landau

  inspecting an etrog
• 
  Balady citron in

  Bnei Berak

  market
• 
  Yanova etrog for sale
• 
  Cross section of Diamante citron, to check for genetic purity
• 
  Mature fruit of Yanover etrog
• 
  Cross section of Braverman etrog
• 
  Cross section in Yemenite citron
• 
  Cross section of Greek citron
• 
  Cross section of Balady citron
• 
  Cross section of a Moroccan citron
• 
  Yemenite citron (left) and a Balady citron (right)
• 
  Cross section of

  variety etrog

  citron, and in fingered citron.
• 
  Diamante citron without pitam
• 
  Diamante citron with pitam
• 
  Inspecting an etrog for flaws
• 
  Inspecting a Yemenite citron
• 
  Shmita in

  Kefar Chabad

  , orchard left untended
• 
  Young plants in Kefar Chabad
• 
  Yemenite citron on tree
• 
  Etrog covered with cloves
• 
  Four species market in Tel Aviv
• 
  Pitam close-up
• 
  Etrog blossom
• 
  Etrog tree from

  Jewish Encyclopedia
• 
  Man in Mea Shearim inspecting etrog
• 
  Moroccan etrog with prominent gartel
• 
  At

  Western wall
• 
  German painting
• 
  Two Hasidim in

  Bnei Berak
• 
  Old photo of grower
• 
  An etrog from many angles
• 
  Round silver etrog box
• 
  Etrog with half-dried pitam
• 
  Etrog plants in nursery
• 
  Etrog leaves
• 
  Citron (etrog) flowers
• 
  Silver etrog box designed by Rabbi Chaim-Joseph-Meyer Elefant (1897-1976) in the early 1950s

See also

• Citrus taxonomy
• Etrog box
• Meir Auerbach

References