I was amazed to se the old ( Medieval?) huge pots for lemon and orange trees in the palazzi and chateaux which were rolled inside the orangeries (kind of sumptuous greenhouses) during the winter months in Italy and France.
In antiquity, in only a few locations in Sicily, Sardinia, Crete, Southern Greece, and Southern Anatolia would have been amenable to easily growing lemons.
This perhaps explains why lemons are more popular in Greek cuisine than in Italian cuisine.
Inspirational post, Aglaia! Particularly love the lemon by the sink as hand-tonic!...I'm starting immediately - hope it's not too late!
THANKS for liking our post! Costas and I LOVE your beautiful and obviously very kind dog!
Yes, definitely right, Marnie.
I was amazed to se the old ( Medieval?) huge pots for lemon and orange trees in the palazzi and chateaux which were rolled inside the orangeries (kind of sumptuous greenhouses) during the winter months in Italy and France.
Investigating the introduction of citrus fruit in the Western Mediterranean according to ancient Greek and Latin texts
Clémence Pagnoux
https://books.openedition.org/pcjb/2186
Thanks Marnie. I will read it.
It might be that lemons never really took off in most of Italy simply because it is too cold in the winter to grow lemons.
Climate map of Greece and Italy:
https://www.uv.es/jgpausas/medtrees/MedBioclimates.html
Most lemon trees do not do well if the temperature drops below about 3 degrees C.
The Meyer Lemon can tolerate temperatures down to 0 degrees C, but the Greeks and Romans wouldn't have had access to this particular cultivar.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meyer_lemon
In antiquity, in only a few locations in Sicily, Sardinia, Crete, Southern Greece, and Southern Anatolia would have been amenable to easily growing lemons.
This perhaps explains why lemons are more popular in Greek cuisine than in Italian cuisine.