The Underrated Citrus That Makes A Perfect Kitchen Perfume

By this point, we've all heard about the health dangers of prolonged air freshener use, but at the end of the day, we still want our kitchens and homes to smell nice. We'd rather our spaces smell like a crisp ocean breeze or freshly baked banana bread than last night's salmon or the dog's stinky fur (sorry, Fido). Enter the Buddha's hand fruit (scientifically known as the Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis), which gets its name because the shape of the fruit resembles exactly what it's named after: a human hand. As part of the citron family, the Buddha's hand is a yellow-colored citrus fruit with spindly limbs that resemble fingers. 

The fruit is extremely fragrant, so much so that it can odorize any room it's put in for months at a time. The more vibrant the color, the stronger the smell. It's often described as a sweet, floral smell, with hints of other winter citruses such as lemons, limes, and oranges. A Buddha's hand fruit will put off its strong, mesmerizing scent while it remains ripe, but even as the fruit wilts, you can toss it in a vase of water to refresh the last few bits of fragrance. The Buddha's hand puts out incredible flavor molecules that will keep your kitchen smelling like an orchard, since that's what's really happening when your house fills with smells, anyway.

The Buddha's hand fruit comes from a small tree native to Asia, thriving in warm climates where the temperature doesn't drop below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. It's a fruit with great cultural significance in countries including China, Korea, and Japan, where people believe the fruit resembles the outstretched hand of the Buddha. Chinese cultures also believe that the fruit symbolizes good luck, wealth, and prosperity. It's common to gift a loved one a Buddha's hand tree around Chinese New Year or use the fruit as an offering at altars. There are different variations of the Buddha's hand fruit, some where the fingers are splayed open and others where the fingers are closed, like a prayer.

Besides serving as an aromatic addition to a glass bowl in the kitchen, Buddha's hand is also an edible fruit, but not in the way you'd imagine. It has no juice, no pulp, and no seeds, so when you cook with the Buddha's hand, you're using the rind and the pith. You can zest the rind for pasta, baked goods, and flavored salts (don't forget to use this zesting shortcut for when you don't have a fancy Microplane). Or, you can slice the fruit, pith and all, for use in infusions, marmalades, teas, syrups, and more. It'd make a great inclusion to any of the 20 best citrus cocktails, too. So, the next time you need an air freshener, leave the plug-ins behind and search for this gangly-looking fruit in the produce aisle instead.