Written by JD Noble Water

Medicinal Name: Fructus citri Sarcodactylis

Botanical Name: Citrus medica L. var. Sarcodactylis Swingle

Common Name: (Ch: Fo Shou, Ja: bushukan), Finger citron, Buddha Hand citron

Use: in Traditional Chinese Medicine, as a sacrificial offering, in tangy sweet candies, and popular as ornamental bonsai.

In Vietnam we called it “Phat Thu” which literally translated  to “Buddha’s Hand”. But it looks more like a yellow octopus with multiple yellow tentacles, or one of the variety of sea cucumbers when you hold it up by its stem.

 The Tree

The citron tree is small and shrubby, usually not taller that 5 feet; its branches have small spiked thorns. It is very frost and cold sensitive. The distinctive leaves are round-tipped, oblong in shape and slightly serrate at the margin. The young leaves are purplish, but once they are mature, they sport the hardy shiny green color of any citrus tree like orange, grapefruit, lemon… Its origin is unknown but it is found in abundance in many China regions like Weishang, in western Yunnan province, and Jinhua, in the Zhejiang province south of Shanghai. The tree was imported and grew by Asian people in Hawaii, and California. Now it is more popularly grown in many home gardens and temples of the Vietnamese community of Southern California, Texas, and southern states bordered the Gulf of Mexico.

The flowers and young new leaves are tinged heavily with purple, and the immature odd-shaped (not yet divided into “fingers”) fruits are also purplish, at times almost brown; then they turn green like a young grapefruit; and sport shade of yellow and orange as they mature - giving the shrubby tree a multicolor and pleasant look especially in late fall and early winter when the fruits are at different stages of ripening. The flowers start out with a hint of purple then become white and are very aromatic – characteristic of citrus fruit, very similar to a mix of grapefruit and lime smell. The finger citron grow well in high altitude but warmer climate; it requires almost exclusive frost-free location. The trees bloom 2-3 times a year with more efficient blooming in early fall.

The fruit

The ripened fruit has an uneven yellow color and a mottled puffy skin. Its length varies from 5 to 9 inch long and spread out unevenly away from the stem in finger-like processions. At the largest circumference, it could measure to be up to 12 inches. The citron can divided into as many as 30-40 finger sections. The rind is yellow and highly fragrant, with an aroma characteristic of fruity-floral apricot mixed with osmanthus and violet, largely derived from a pheromone extract called beta-ionone, an aromatic ketone found in natural vegetation. The interior of the citron is just a solid white albedo lacking any flesh or juicy pulp, nor any noticeable seeds. The whole young dried fruits are used as a tonic in therapeutic herbal medicine. The rinds of ripened fruits are often used in traditional medicine, in savory dessert dishes, in making jelly and marmalade, and in flavored drinks and alcoholic beverages.

Buddha Hand citrons are grown and sold mostly for their unusual look and long-lasting exquisite fragrance, prized as a symbol of luck and longevity, and considered the most propitious of fruit in many Asian countries.

They are not yet well known in the western world and the American consumers are slow in adopting it, but for the Orient, this acidic Finger citron was depicted as an important use in medicinal derivatives since the 10^th century AD.

 Its use and medicinal value

The fruit, leaves and flowers are all used in ancient herbal medicine. The finger citron tastes bitter, tangy, and is in the category of “warm” food. Its acidic nature contains Vitamin C, glucoside, lemony oils, very little sugar, and is an excellent detoxifying agent. Belonging in the citrus family, like orange, grapefruit, lime and lemon, it has a calming effect on the digestive system, helps boosting the immune system and balancing the body’s acid-alkali pH (electrolytes).

The dried flowers are given as a tonic to alleviate nausea and vomiting, as an expectorant, and pain reliever.

Finger citron is also cited in mixture of herbal medicine to treat menstrual cramp and lessen the hangover effect of alcohol consumers.

A quick Google search on the internet reveals recipes for Buddha hand citron marmalade (instead of orange), Buddha Hand cookies, Candied Buddha Hand zest, Citrus Chiffon cake, and Homemade Finger Citron Infused vodka (available at the Bay area distiller at http://www.hangarone.com/)

The trees are sold as bonsai in pots or as variegated cuttings for home gardens growing in mild climate regions. They are fun plants to grow though quite expensive (5-gallon containers of grafted rootstock about 2-3 inches above soil level go for $70), and the graceful oddity of this fruit is such a conversation piece for any guest

The aromatic citric fruits are mainly available in Asian markets, upscale supermarkets and farmers markets in America. (I once saw Buddha Hand citron sold at a local HEB supermarket in Texas; many people look at it, feel it, smell it, but no one buys it or knows what to do with it. The price was pretty steep for an unedible decorative fruit; I bought one for almost $18 – lol.

I hung it on the rearview mirror of my car, hoping no one – especially cops – think I was hanging someone’s hand on my mirror; if anything, it would provide my car with natural aromatic fragrance, and maybe scare thieves away.)