The Etrog Wars: How the Ottoman Empire Turned a Sacred Fruit into a Global Commodity

From the groves of Corfu and Cephalonia to the orchards of Tiberias and Jaffa, the saga of the etrog under Ottoman rule reveals how a fruit became entangled in struggles of faith and trade.

Etrogim on Display

The fruit’s distinctive bumpy skin and bright color made it both a ritual object and a coveted commodity across Jewish communities.

Photo Credit: Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post

By Alex Winston

https://www.jpost.com/judaism/jewish-holidays/article-869505