Rough-skinned, intensely aromatic, and more bitter than lemon. Citron smells like lemon's ancient, wild ancestor — all thick rind and sharp, resinous zest with almost no juice.
Sharper, more bitter, and more resinous than lemon. The thick rind produces an intensely aromatic zest with a green-herbaceous depth and a faint balsamic undertone absent from common citrus. Less juicy and less sweet than orange, less sour than lemon — citron occupies a drier, more austere citrus register. There is a waxy, almost incense-like quality to the finish that connects it more to aromatic plants than to fruit.
Evolution over time
Immediately
Immediately
Sharp, resinous, bitter-bright burst — more austere and herbaceous than lemon, with thick-rind intensity
After a few hours
After a few hours
Dry, waxy citrus with green-balsamic undertones and faint incense-like warmth
After a few days
After a few days
Faint, dry, aromatic trace — more persistent than lemon, with a resinous-herbaceous ghost
Terroir & Expressions
Indicative 2025 wholesale prices.
The Full Story
Citron — main de Bouddha — provides the structural top of Première Peau's Gravitas Capitale against vetiver, shishito pepper and wet asphalt.
Citron (Citrus medica, called cedrat in French) is one of the three original citrus species — alongside pomelo and mandarin — from which nearly all cultivated citrus descended [A]. It is the most ancient citrus in Mediterranean culture, reaching Persia and the Mediterranean from its Asian origin via the campaigns of Alexander the Great; Pliny knew no other citrus by name. The fruit is large, rough-rinded, almost juiceless inside — most of its mass is rind and pith, which carries the essential oil.
Chemistry
Cold-pressed citron peel oil is limonene-dominant (60–70%), with γ-terpinene and citral providing the sharp lemon edge, geraniol contributing rosy depth, and trace bergapten supplying phototoxic concern in expressed grades [B]. The Buddha's hand cultivar — fingered citron — yields a more resinous, drier-aromatic oil than the standard Mediterranean citron, with less citral and more geraniol.
Sources & Notes
[A] Wu, G.A. et al. (2018), 'Genomics of the origin and evolution of Citrus,' Nature 554, 311–316. Established Citrus medica, C. maxima and C. reticulata as the three ancestral domesticated citrus species. nature.com/articles/nature25447.
Citron is one of the three ancestral citrus species from which nearly all modern citrus descended. Genetic analysis confirms that lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruits all carry citron DNA — they are all descendants of crosses involving Citrus medica, pomelo, and mandarin.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: Cold pressing of the thick rind of Citrus medica. The fruit is almost entirely peel — far less juice than lemon — making the rind-to-oil ratio favorable. Production regions: Corsica (where the cedrat de Corse is prized), Italy (Calabria), and parts of Southeast Asia. Steam distillation is possible but less common. Buddha's hand (var. sarcodactylis) produces a particularly intense, floral-tinged oil.
No standardized CAS for Citrus medica oil (ref: 8008-56-8 is C. limon, not C. medica)
Botanical Name
Citrus medica
IFRA Status
Restricted — contains citral (sensitization concern) and limonene (peroxide value must be < 20 mmoles/L); IFRA limits apply.
Synonyms
CITRON FRUIT · CEDRAT
Physical Properties
Odor Strength
High
Lasting Power
24 hours
Appearance
Yellow to golden mobile liquid
Specific Gravity
0.85–0.88 at 20 °C
In Perfumery
Citron (cedrat) is a top note providing an austere, intellectual citrus character more complex and bitter than lemon. The oil, cold-pressed from the thick rind of Citrus medica, has a resinous, herbaceous depth and faint balsamic quality. It signals refinement and antiquity. Citron is structural in high-end eaux de cologne and structured citrus-aromatic compositions. It pairs with neroli, labdanum, incense, and aromatic herbs. As one of the three ancestral citrus species, it carries historical weight. Its dry citrus character connects to Gravitas Capitale (/products/gravitas-capitale-neo-cologne-citron-asphalt-perfume).
