To protect the etrog during the holiday, it is traditionally wrapped in silky flax fibers and stored in a special decorative box, often made from silver. After the holiday, eating the etrog or etrog jam is considered a segula (efficacious remedy) for a woman to have an easy childbirth.

What is an etrog case?

The etrog is a yellow coloured fruit which resembles a bumpy lemon. It is also one of the four plants (four species) used during the Festival of Sukkot. In the book of Leviticus in the Torah, it reads that one should take a ‘beautiful’ fruit and rejoice with it during the week-long festival of Sukkot.

How much does an etrog cost?

Most etrogim sell for $10 to $15 retail; wealthy buyers might pay $1,000 for an especially fine specimen. Prices like those for an unprepossessing citrus fruit have led some consumers to wonder whether the market has been rigged.

What is a 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 Etrog a lemon?

The Etrog citron looks like a large, knobby and sometimes ribbed lemon. It is a species of citrus fruit and is related to the Buddah’s Hand. One characteristic of this variety of citrus is a very thick rind and aromatic skin. It has very small sections and many, many seeds.

Where do Etrogs grow?

Etrog, also known as yellow citron, is primarily grown in the Mediterranean, Israel, and a few Central and South American countries. The tree is small and shrub-like, and grows fruits that resemble large, oblong lemons with a bumpy rind. Inside, you’ll find pulp that is a pale yellow with lots of seeds.

What is the lulav and etrog?

The lulav is a cluster of plants: a palm branch, two boughs of willow, and three boughs of myrtle. The etrog is a citron fruit — basically an overgrown lemon. Together the lulav and etrog are called arba minim (ahr-BAH mee-NEEM), which is Hebrew for “the four species.”

How much is lulav and etrog cost?

Although the two objects may seem humble, together they can cost a very pretty penny. In a recent informal poll, we found that nearly a third of individuals spend $40-75 on a lulav and etrog, while 18% spend more than $75.

Where do Etrog grow?

Where did the etrog come from?

The most commonly used Etrog comes from Calabria, Italy. It is one of the three major exporters of etrogs, along with Israel and Morocco. In order to remain kosher for the holiday, they cannot be grafted onto other hardier citrus trees.

Where does the etrog come from?

Originally from India, etrog is one of the oldest cultivated citrus plants. Archaeologists have uncovered seeds in Mesopotamia dating back to 8000 BC.

How long does it take for an etrog tree to grow?

four to seven years
Etrog citron is self-fruitful and should bear fruit within four to seven years.

What is the difference between etrog and Ethrog?

The romanization as etrog according to the Sephardic pronunciation, is widely used in Israel through Modern Hebrew. The Ashkenazi pronunciation as in Yiddish, is esrog or esrig. It has been transliterated as ethrog or ethrogh in scholarly work, which is according to Yemenite Hebrew.

What is the difference between an etrog and a lemon?

Similar to a lemon, the etrog is a sweetly-fragranced yellow citrus with a clove-like growth at one end, called a pitom. To protect this precious fruit and its unusual growth, it’s traditionally stored in a distinctive box or cloth.

Where do American Jews get their holiday etrogim?

Some Jewish communities still preferred citrons from Italy, Greece, Morocco, or Yemen, but many Jews seeking citrons turned back to Eretz Yisrael, the land of Israel . American Jews continue to import the majority of their holiday etrogim from Israel, except during shmita when there are halachic complications in exporting the produce of Israel.