From oranges, lemons and limes to mandarins, citrons and pomelos, citrus fruits occupy a unique place in global cultural history. With associations of health and wealth, adventure and exploration, they appear in the art, literature, religion, cuisine and science of societies around the world and across many centuries.

Citrus traces the history of these fruits through the works of ancient thinkers, Chinese historians, Arab geographers, European royal collectors, artists, physicians and botanists. Richly illustrated with medieval manuscripts and Renaissance painting, archival photography and modern advertising, this invigorating cultural history reveals how these extraordinary, life-giving fruits have flavoured, scented, healed and coloured our world.