Lemons and all things citrusy have been a career long
obsession of Helena Attlee. The Land
Where the Lemons Grow is a sort-of memoir of the garden historian’s quest to
collect knowledge about the fruit cultivated in Italy’s landscapes.
You might think 247 pages of lemons might get a bit
repetitive and on occasion Atlee’s mission is greeted with bemusement. ‘Ah, the signora who wants to talk about
lemons” says a guard to her outside the Boboli Gardens, in Florence. However, the
little yellow fruit has a curious and bizarre set of family members which Atlee
also gets to meet. Blood oranges, sour oranges, citrons, bergamot, esrog and
budda’s hands are all part of the lemon family tree and all have a distinct
heritage and unique properties.
The purple flesh of blood oranges, for example, is rich in
Vitamin C and can help weight-loss - despite a person’s diet! Beragmot oranges
are known as “green gold” and the oil they produce is highly valued by the
perfume industry. While esrog, a yellow citron, is lovingly harvested every year
for the Jewish community who accept only the purest and unblemished crop.
I wish I had this book when I was last in Italy. It is an
excellent piece of travel writing. Atlee discovers botanical museums, gardens
and festivals which celebrate citrus and she helpfully provides a list of in
the back pages. Up until now I had not heard of The Battle of Oranges, a “food
fight” which takes place every year in Irvea and has its roots in the town’s
medieval past.
The fascinating history behind citrus is also related in a
light and tantalising way. Franciscan monks grew potted trees in their monasteries,
British naval sailors had lemons added to their daily rations while the next
time I add lemons to my shopping basket I will be thinking about how the Sicilian
mafia formed in order to control the thriving island’s lemon trade.
Finally the culinary uses of citrus are obviously an
important part of the story. Recipes for pasta, cocktails, salads, cakes and
candied peel make up segments of the book’s chapters and Atlee skilfully
describes intense bittersweet flavours that fizz on the tongue.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a piece of
lemon drizzle cake, drinks hot water with a slice or is partial to a bit of limoncello.
The book has deepened my understanding of the fruits which speckle the
landscapes of Lake Garda, Sicily and Calarbria and Helena Attlee is the perfect
tour guide.
