...is what people ask themselfes when stopping at a market stand which offers the citrus fruit "il cedro".

The average weight of the bumpy lemon is nearly 1 Kg and they are "tutto biologico", as the Sicilian is never tired to say.

They are really fertile plants: they bear fruit throughout the year and do not require much attention. Harvesting them, however, is hard work: the low trees have long woody spines and they are harvested by hand, lying on the ground.

The citrus fruit is especially known for its thick, edible peel. In most recipes it is not the pulp but the peel that is used. Except in the poor man's kitchen, where "from leaf to root" is the leading principle. A good example is the wonderful lemon salad "Insalata di Cedri": it is easily prepared and, by the way, prolongs your life.