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dasoomer t1_j1yy7dg wrote

I'm curious why you call Key limes "real limes" when they're a cultivar? There are very few things we eat, if any, that's the og version

The Key lime cultivar is a citrus hybrid, Citrus micrantha × Citrus medica (a papeda-citron cross).

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evclides OP t1_j1yz5g6 wrote

Yes all citrus fruits aside from the citron are hybrids but sweet oranges, bitter oranges, Persian limes, grapefruits are very recent creations from two domesticated species, the Key lime was just what limes were for a very long time. It’s arbitrary but if you find a recipe from the Romans or medieval Baghdad or wherever that calls for limes, they mean Key limes.

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dasoomer t1_j1z0ftw wrote

Very interesting, TIL! Thank you.

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evclides OP t1_j1z54bn wrote

Np, the original citrus is the citron and that’s what became everything else. Citron is still grown a lot because it’s a large part of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot but it’s not nice to eat, I think if it were fermented out in salt like how I do with lemons or put in a fruitcake it would be good though.

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JoanneDark90 t1_j20ko2s wrote

That's only partially true. The Citron was only one of the original progenitors of modern citrus, with the mandarin and pomelo also contributing. They are also wild, original species.

The papeda and kumquat are also original species, but their contribution to the modern mixed citruses is negligible.

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wellknownname t1_j20f7kf wrote

I'm Jewish and I use one on sukkos. They smell amazing, better than any other citrus fruit, and the entire tree (stalks and leaves) carries the same perfume. They aren't much to eat though. There are various slightly different types that are traditionally believed never to have been grafted and most are almost entirely pith. They make nice jam but I've always been too scared to make my own - they are so fragile that apparently the growers use obscene amounts of pesticides on them.

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Amorougen t1_j20karr wrote

Found a really old cake recipe, and it called for candied citron. Wife baked one, was excellent.

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evclides OP t1_j21r70x wrote

So many old recipes call for candied peel and it’s the best.

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LukeyLeukocyte t1_j1zkwmo wrote

I thought there were 4 natural citrus: mandarin, citron, pomelo, and papeda

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coasterboard t1_j1zpnx6 wrote

Wikipedia says to include Kaffir Lime and Kumquat

Can't find anything to support that the Citron is the daddy

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remnantoftheeye t1_j21fvl0 wrote

This is incorrect Citrons along with papedas, mandarins,kumquats and pomelos are the original citrus species(as well as Australian citrus species such as finger limes but they had little impact to the development of citrus plants historically) the rest are hybrids

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