What should I look for in a etrog?

The fruit looks like a large, oblong lemon with a thick, bumpy rind. The pulp is pale yellow with lots of seeds and, as mentioned, a very acidic taste. The aroma of the fruit is intense with a hint of violets. The leaves of the etrog are oblong, mildly pointed and serrated.

What is the difference between a lemon and an etrog?

An etrog is not a type of lemon, but rather the other way around. The Jews weeping by the rivers of Babylon came across etrogim while in exile there (around 586 to 516 BCE) and brought them back to the Land of Israel when they returned to build the Second Temple. It became a symbol that adorned coins and synagogues.

What makes a lulav kosher?

The spine of kosher lulav must be at least 4 tefachim long, excluding the tyumos. The preferred size is 16 thumb-lengths, but 13 1/3 thumb-lengths is the minimum length. 11 There is no maximum height for a kosher lulav. A lulav harvested during a shmitta year may be purchased and used for the mitzvah of Arba Minim.

What is the Pitom?

The pitom is the remnant of the part of the flower that received pollen during fertilization. An etrog that sheds its pitom during the growing process is kosher. But an etrog with a pitom that breaks off during the holiday is considered damaged and no longer kosher for performing the mitzvah of the Four Species.

Is my etrog kosher?

In truth, esrogim can be perfectly kosher even without the pitam. All fruit (oranges, apples, pears and esrogim) start out with a pitam. The pitam is the remnant of the female part of the flower. If the pitam falls off naturally during growth, the esrog is still 100% kosher.

How do you say lulav in Hebrew?

noun, plural lu·la·vim [Sephardic Hebrew loo-lah-veem; Ashkenazic Hebrew loo-law-vim], /Sephardic Hebrew lu lɑˈvim; Ashkenazic Hebrew luˈlɔ vɪm/, lu·lavs. Judaism. a palm branch for use with the etrog during the Sukkoth festival service.

Is an etrog a Citron?

Etrog (Hebrew: אֶתְרוֹג‎, plural: etrogim; Ashkenazi Hebrew: esrog, plural: esrogim) is the yellow citron or Citrus medica used by Jews during the week-long holiday of Sukkot as one of the four species.

What makes a food kosher in Jewish culture?

While food blessing is part of the Jewish culture, it does not make a food kosher. Myth: Kosher foods are made kosher when they are prepared. Actually, kosher foods must start as kosher foods and follow a kosher process from inception to table. Myth: “Kosher-style” foods are kosher. Again, this is a misunderstanding.

What’s the difference between etrog and Citron in Hebrew?

While in Modern Hebrew etrog is the name for citron of any variety or form, whether kosher for the ritual or not, its English usage applies only to those varieties and specimens used as one of the four species. Some taxonomic experts, like Hodgson and others, have mistakenly treated etrog as one specific variety of citron.

What kind of etrog is used for Sukkot?

It has a lemon scent and flavor, though it is far less juicy than a lemon. The etrog is an important item used for the Jewish festival holiday called Sukkot. It is kind of expensive to buy and some years it is even more rare due to the weather and farming.

Is it OK to eat etrog from Israel?

Nevertheless, there are an array of recipes to use up that expensive etrog. Note: This past year was a shemitah(sabbatical) year in Israel, so if your etrog came from Israel, the etrog is actually supposed to be consumed and not discarded, because edible shemitah produce is considered sacred.