Lemon, Lemoni, Limca

When the letter is "L", I will go with the costliest item these days. yes, you thought it right. It is all about lemon today. Though I had a few more ideas like legumes, leeks, lactose intolerance, etc. The way its prices are soaring this summer, I immediately knew, I have a winner in lemon for this post. Every time, I read or hear lemon, the "Limca" jingle starts playing in my mind. Do you remember the lemon, lemon, Limca jingle? These days, rather for the last few years, I am not watching TV, so not so updated about TV ads these days. Have they changed the jingle of Limca? Let me know in the comments if you are aware.

If we talk about the benefits of lemon, we all know it is rich in Vitamin C. I am sure, everyone will vouch for its property of relieving the dry mouth. It is the best drink for summers to quench thirst. Nimboo paani is the most popular drink in summer. I love it over any soft drink in summer. 

In my parents' home, there were always few permanent fixtures in the huge kitchen garden of my father's bungalow, which he was allotted being a government officer. A lemon tree was one of them. If it is not already there, the sapling will be planted in the monsoon. The taste of the juice of the freshly plucked lemon is so refreshing. The store-bought lemons, which they may say are direct from the farmers are no match to the ones you pluck from the tree in your backyard. 

Make lemon pickle, squashes, or lemonade. :)

When I had built my first home in NCR, the Lemon tree was planted with much fanfare. It was brought from Saharanpur. Saharanpur nurseries are popular for good-quality saplings. The lemon sapling did not come alone. It was accompanied by a sapling of guava plant. They both came along with our "mali kaka" Pitambar. He worked for my father and over the years and became family. 

The Lemon plant grew into a huge tree and its branches crossed the common walls to enter the backyard of the other three kothis. It is said to be kagaji - barah masi nimboo, which translates to lemon with thin peel and juicier. It will be in bloom all year. It kept me busy too. With huge crops throughout the year, I was busy making lemon squash or sweet and sour lemon pickles for myself, family, and friends.

Lemon is ideal for flavouring anything from fish to vegetables, fruit salads, or tea. They are the most widely used citrus fruit. Sweetened, salted, chilled, diluted, lemon juice is the most popular old-fashioned drink. One thing is sure, the aerated drinks like Coke, Thums-up, Fanta or Limca, all of these together are no match to the freshness and thirst-quenching qualities of the fresh lemon drinks. To get most from a lemon ( i.e juice :) ), place it in warm water before squizzing.

Its peel contains an irritating oil. Have you ever made use of this by squeezing the peel in the eyes of someone with whom you had a hateful relationship for the moment? Many recipes call for fresh lemon jest, which is the freshly grated lemon peel. The zest is rich in antioxidant rutin which helps strengthen the walls of veins and capillaries. 

We all know about the use of pesticides in crops. So whenever peel is to be used, it must be washed thoroughly to remove the pesticides on the skin. Another interesting piece of information is the presence of Limonene in lemon peels. It is being studied for its antitumour activities and may prove useful in breast cancer. It is also used in skin creams and ointments to help penetrate the skin. Limonene is used as a fragrance, cleaner (solvent), and as an ingredient in household cleaning products, cosmetics, and personal hygiene products.

So, this is all about Lemon today.

I am participating in #blogchatterA2Z .

To read other posts of the challenge, click here.