Utente:Alp Kunkar/Sandbox

Alp Kunkar - Claudio Kunkar - Ennio Kunkar

CITRUS HISTORY

Citrus fruits are known for so long that their botanical origin is lost in prehistory. The historical dating and therefore ascertainable date back more than 2000 years BC The presence of different citrus species around this date, in Asia and exactly in China, in Cochinchina (South Vietnam today), in the northeast of Burma and the Malay archipelago is almost certain. The earliest records date back to this period as a source of information the book Yu Kung, which was written during the reign of the Chinese Ta-Yu (2197-2205 BC). This text tells us news concerning plants citrus era. Another text, the Chu Lu, written by Han Yen-Chich, which in a sense can be considered the first agronomist specializing in citrus and dates back to 1178, provides us with an accurate description of the analytical and twenty-seven varieties of citrus, including bitter oranges, sweet oranges and tangerines. The text does not overlook the morphological description and is supplemented with information on methods of cultivation, description and treatment of diseases of the crop (1). The botanical name of sweet orange "Citrus sinensis" wants to clearly indicate the origin of citrus. In fact, the region of Sin-Kiang of China since ancient times was known as an area rich in this variety of citrus. Alongside these historical survived to the present day through memories, writings, drawings, there are also the contributions of archeology that enrich our knowledge about the citrus species existing in certain areas in antiquity. One of these discoveries, dating to about 4000 BC, and then one of the most remote, takes us to the city of Nippur in Babylon. As is clear from the data published by Killermann, during excavations in the area of Nippur were discovered seeds dating back to about 4000 BC and subsequently identified as those of citrus fruit (2). Knowledge of these fruits also in ancient Egypt there is evidence and it is supposed that the first citrus to be introduced during the reign of Thotmas III was the cedar. As for Europe, the first citrus that you have the definite information is cedar and we find mention in the works of Theophrastus, who lived around 300 BC The name by which Theophrastus calls this citrus is "Pomo of Persia" or "Pomo Media". The cedar, or rather its variety called "Etrog" is also mentioned in the Bible (Lev. 23.40). As recorded by Tolkowsky, cedar also had the honor of minting coins from the period of Simon El Macabeo in 136 BC (3). Analyzing the festoons and mosaics dating back to Roman Campania and preserved in the National Museum of Naples, Casella has identified lemons oval umbonati and clubbed them and schematically reproduced (4). Another Italian researcher, Maiuri, identified in the "House of the Orchard" came to light during the excavations of Pompeii, paintings ramifications bearing lemons and leaves. As it is logical to deduce these paintings should have a date prior to 79 AD, the year of the destruction of Pompei (5). Even the Arabs have made a great contribution to the spread of citrus species in Europe through India and the Middle East. In particular, as is handed down, the introduction of the bitter orange and lemon in Sicily took place around the ninth century with the Arab occupation. As for the spread of this species in Europe also crusades had their importance. In fact, the birth of some citrus crops in Liguria and in the south of France originated by events subsequent to the Crusades. On introduction in Portugal of orange, which later spread to the rest of Europe, we have news quite certain. These news are by Giovanni Castro and date back to 1520. The Sicilian Antonio Venuto, in his treatise written in 1510 refers to four citrus species grown in that time. They are bitter orange, lime, grapefruit and lemon. According to reports from Leandro Alberti, in his travel diary dating back to 1523, in Calabria and Sicily existed orange, lemon and cedreti. News on the use of essential oils extracted from oranges and lemons, in 1555, we are handed down from Gesner  (6). A summary of what has been reported about the spread of citrus species, especially with regard to Italy, we would like to add our own assumptions. During our visit to the Turkish city of Antalya, Atalo old, located on the Mediterranean coast, caught our attention a bas-relief dated second century AD This finding cuboid reported figures of a satyr flanked by two cupids surrounded by a variety of fruits, leaves and ears. In the midst of these fruits was not difficult to identify orange and lemon leaves surrounded by their characteristics. Whereas at that time the city was visited by Hadrian around 130 AD and in confirmation of this, there is still a triumphal arch erected in his honor, was dominated by Rome and the Mediterranean was considered "Mare Nostrum", it is not difficult to guess that these citrus existed already in those days, spread by sailors or merchants of 'period also in the rest of the basin and, therefore, also in Italy. This without waiting for the ninth and tenth centuries, namely the arrival of the Arabs. As for the American continent, the spread of citrus species occurred after the arrival of Christopher Columbus. Already in his second voyage to the New World in 1493, Christopher Columbus, during a stop in Haiti, introduced three citrus varieties: bitter orange, cedar and lemon It is supposed that the seeds of this fruit came from the island of La Gomera which belongs to the Canary Islands. The subsequent propagation of the species from Haiti to the continent, namely in Florida, and then continue on to Mexico and California, took place in a relatively short period of time. In South citrus fruits were introduced by the Portuguese and the Jesuits. Already in 1540 in the state of Sao Paulo there were different citrus species. Missions, founded by the Jesuits, had an important role in the propagation of citrus in the entire southern continent. Already after about two centuries since their first introduction in the southern states, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Peru owned vast tracts of land planted with citrus. For reasons easy to understand, is historically difficult to separate the process of propagation of the species citrus from the dissemination of knowledge concerning their use. Surely citrus fruits and their derivatives, from the beginning of their acquaintance had religious uses, medicinal, cosmetic and food products. Precise information on the use of citrus essences date back to the mid-sixteenth century. In 1571 Jacques Besson published a memory on the distillation of the essences of orange and lemon. Always around this century, GB della Porta in his book "Magia Naturalis" describes the methodology used in the distillation of orange peel and lemon reduced to small pieces. The same author, in a second time, in 1563, informed the technique used in the distillation of neroli bigarade. The essences of lemon and orange were included in the "Dispensatorium Noricum" in 1589 and "Pharmacopoeia Augustana" in 1613. After the sixteenth century, the technological evolution of the citrus fruit sector and its derivatives has accelerated considerable, partly because the increased use of these products. Given the particular importance that the industry invests in the district of bergamot reggino historical information regarding this citrus will be treated in the chapter "The essences of bergamot". Follow chronologically the most significant stages of technological-mining of citrus derivatives may give an indication of the generality of the problems faced: - 1721: J. Goeffroy illustrates the Academy of Sciences in Paris a process of mechanical extraction of the essences of citrus; - 1776-1780: The Abbot Domenico Sestini describes the method to "sponge" then in use; - 1840: Nicola Barillà builds the first machine for automatic extraction of citrus essences; - 1844: Louis Auteri and Nicola Barillà build the prototype of the "Machine Calabrese"; - 1860: In Sicily began the manufacture of calcium citrate; - 1873: The French botanist Balanza begins production of the "Petit grain Paraguay": - 1875: Following the competition organized by the Agricultural Consortium of Reggio Calabria is perfected the "Machine Calabrese"; - 1876: H. Haensel industrially applied the technique of "Fractional distillation under vacuum" to citrus essences; - 1908: Perroni Paladini patents the principle of advancing citrus in a channel shaped equipped with graters through a belt of coated also graters. - 1909: Castro patents the "Machine to leverage"; - 1911: A Palermo born the largest factory of the time for the production of citric acid; - 1912-1914: Peratoner Scarlet and patent a method of extracting essences from shredded bark, by vacuum distillation under the name "Process Peratoner"; - 1914: The Palermo Lo Green is developing a buffing machine for the production of essence of lemon; - 1914: Bennet Messina first applies the method of centrifugation to separate the essence dall'agro; - 1915: Peratoner Cianciolo and patent the process for obtaining the essences by centrifugation; - 1917: The Messina Vinci is developing a buffing machine for the production of essence of lemon; - 1924: Joseph and Placido Avena Pistunina to patent the machine "Oats" for the extraction of essences from whole fruit; - 1928: Francesco Special patented the "peeler Special" for the extraction of essences from whole fruit; - 1931: WA Pipkin patents the "Machine Pipkin" for the gradient of the peel; - 1932: JS Braverman and B. Criss patent an automatic, continuous operation for the extraction of juice; - 1932: Francesco Special patented the "Sfumatrice Special" for the extraction of essences from depolpate peel; - 1934-G. Ramini Palermo patents the "Sfumatrice Ramini"; - 1935/37: Brown, William O. patents l '"Automatic Extractor Brown" for the production of citrus juice; - 1935/37: In recent years the Food Machinery Corporation is developing an automatic extractor for extracting juice and essences; - 1937: The improved extractor Citro-Mat.

Bibliography: History  (1) Hagerty, MJ, Han Lu Yen-Chih's Cha, "Monograph on the oranges of WAN-chou, Chekiang, T'oung Pao", Leiden (1923)  (2) Killermann, S., Naturwiss. Wochenschr. (1916)  (3) Tolkowsky, S., "Hesperides". John Bale & Sons Curnow, London 1938  (4) Casella, D., Pompeian, p. 355, (1950)  (5) Maiuri, A., Bull. Art Min. P. I. Gen.-mar. p. 5, (1952)  (6) Gesner, C., Enonymi Philiatri, "Ein Kîstlicher, Teurer Schatz", Zurich (1555)