Meyer lemon | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Sapindales |
Family: | Rutaceae |
Genus: | Citrus |
Species: | C. × meyeri
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Binomial name | |
Citrus × meyeri Yu.Tanaka
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Citrus × meyeri, the Meyer lemon (Chinese: 梅爾檸檬; pinyin: méiěr níngméng),[1] is a hybrid citrus fruit native to China. It is a cross between a citron and a mandarin/pomelo hybrid.[2]
Mature trees are around 6 to 10 ft (2 to 3 m) tall with dark green shiny leaves. The flowers are white with a purple base and are fragrant. The fruit is rounder than a true lemon, deep yellow with a slight orange tint when ripe, and has a sweeter, less acidic flavor. The lemons contain a highly acidic pH of between 2 and 3. This acidity level allows for these lemons to be used as antibacterial and antiseptic cleaners.
It was introduced to the United States in 1908 as S.P.I. #23028[3] by the agricultural explorer Frank Nicholas Meyer, an employee of the United States Department of Agriculture who collected a sample of the plant on a trip to China.[4] Though it is given his name, this variety was likely established thousands of years before he introduced it to America.[5]
The Meyer lemon is commonly grown in China in garden pots as an ornamental tree. It became popular as a food item in the United States after being rediscovered by chefs such as Alice Waters at Chez Panisse during the rise of California cuisine starting in the 1970s.[6][7] Popularity further climbed when Martha Stewart began featuring them in some of her recipes.[4]