Buddha's hand

Fingered citron
Buddha's hand fruit, "open hand" appearance when ripe
Scientific classification
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C. m. var. sarcodactylis
Trinomial name
Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis
(Hoola van Nooten) Swingle
Buddha's hand
Chinese name
Chinese佛手柑
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinfóshǒugān
Vietnamese name
Vietnamesequả phật thủ
Korean name
Hangul불수감
Hanja佛手柑
Transcriptions
Revised Romanizationbulsugam
Japanese name
Kanji仏手柑
Transcriptions
Romanizationbusshukan

Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis, or the fingered citron, is a citron variety whose fruit is segmented into finger-like sections, resembling those seen on representations of the Buddha. It is called Buddha's hand in many languages including English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and French.

The different cultivars and variations of this citron variety form a gradient from "open-hand" types with outward-splayed segments to "closed-hand" types, in which the fingers are kept together. There are also half-fingered fruits, in which the basal side is united and the apical side fingered. The origin of this kind of citron is commonly traced back to South or East Asia, probably northeastern India or China, where most domesticated citrus fruits originate.[1]

  1. ^ Karp, David (Winter 1998). "Buddha's Hand Citron". Flavor and Fortune. 5 (4). Kings Park, NY: Institute for the Advancement of the Science and Art of Chinese Cuisine: 5–6. Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2010-04-20.