What makes a citrus a citrus?

If you think about it, citrus fruits are pretty weird. They’re all different shapes and sizes, but they have one thing in common: that unique tangy flavor that just screams “I’m a citrus!”

But what exactly makes something a “citrus”? Is it the taste? The shape? The color? Let’s break it down.

A brief history of citruses

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty details of what defines a citrus fruit, let’s take a trip back in time. Humans have been eating citrus fruits for thousands of years; ancient Egyptians used to drink lemon juice to ward off sickness, while Chinese sailors would chew on dried tangerine peels during long voyages to prevent scurvy.

The word “citrus” comes from the Latin word citron, which means “lemon”. But today, we use the term to refer to an entire family of fruits that includes lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruits and many others.

So with that little history lesson out of the way – let’s get into what really sets these fruits apart.

Citruses are acidic

At their core (pun intended), citruses are defined by their high acidity levels. This is why they taste so tart and sour when you bite into them. Lemons and limes can be downright puckering on their own!

But here’s where things get interesting: not all acidic fruits are considered part of the citrus family. For example:

• Strawberries contain plenty of acid
• Grapes also have plenty acid
• Pomegranates!

You might ask yourself at this point – if there are other acidic fruits out there beyond citruses then how do experts categorize them?

Just acids don’t make ’em citruses

As we said before, a high acidity level isn’t necessarily enough to qualify as a citrus fruit. So how do we differentiate them from other acidic fruits?

One key factor is the presence of specific types of acids that are unique to citruses.

Citruses contain certain organic acids, like citric acid and malic acid, which give them their characteristic tangy taste. In addition to these acids, many citrus fruits also contain flavonoids and volatile oils that contribute flavor, aroma, and color variation.

Some non-citrus acidic fruits may have similar levels of these compounds (such as strawberries), but they don’t possess the same combination or concentration found in Citrus.

It’s in the family

Ultimately though, what really sets citruses apart is simple: all members belong to the same botanical family – Rutaceae. That’s right – every single citrus fruit on earth shares ancestry going back thousands upon thousands of years!

This includes not just commonly known varieties such as lemons oranges and limes but it also includes more obscure ones like tangelos or pomelos. You can gauge any given fruit’s association with rutaceae through its genetic makeup or reproductive techniques only expert botanists use this measure on original orchards!

All citrus trees produce an edible fruit with seeds when pollinated correctly. The ovule is fertilized by sperm cells contained within pollen; for some species self-fertilization occurs while some others require cross-pollination between individuals bypassed by wind activity including bees!

Easy ways to spot citruses

Not quite sure if the classification system has sealed this one up for you? Here are some surefire signs that a particular fruit falls under ‘Citrica’:

• Thin outer skin which has an easy-to-peel rind.
• Seeds laid out linearly within slices.
• Fruit pulp easily breaks apart into individual sections.
• Characteristic scent and taste associated with that distinct ‘tangy’ flavor.

These traits consistently show up among common citrus varieties, but you can always count on someone trying to push the envelope.

Exceptions? The Ugli Fruit

If you’ve never heard of an “ugli fruit”, then we would assume your education has fallen a bit behind. This Jamaican hybrid is grown commercially and possesses characteristics of both grapefruits and oranges with specific flavor cues unique to it.

This anomaly highlights the difficulty in extracting definitive rules around what classifies as part of Citrica. Though admittedly fascinating, cases like these allow for variation within an ever-evolving family tree.

Here’s one way to look at it – all citruses are not created equal; their diffusion over thousands of years encouraged different populations across geographies have selectively bred them based on availability or climate adaptations resulting in variations from our common perception!

In conclusion…

While there isn’t any one size fits all answer to what makes a citrus-a-citrus; they are characterized by high levels acidic juices combined with certain types acids that contribute more than just sourness! They’re also all members of the same Rutaceae botanical family- ultimately though some hybrids or obscure variations will spark debate around those margins!

Whether you’re a fan of lemons, limes or grapefruits- hopefully this roll through history sheds light not only on origins but tests how much deeper classifications run beyond superficial tanginess alone!