Jennie Geisler: Buddha’s hand nicer than it looks – GoErie.com

The Asian citrus inspires conversation and lends lots of lemon flavor.

Found: Wegmans

Cost: $6.99

Yes, Buddha’s hand is a real food thing. I found it in the produce section.

It’s basically an Asian citrus fruit that smells just like lemon. My goodness, does it smell like lemon! I ripped a piece of this thing off in the office and it smelled like a can of lemon-scented Pledge had exploded.

That’s pretty much what it’s good for — meaning smelling and zesting — except perhaps in a display of exotic fruit on a holiday table for people to point at and say “What in the sam (heck) is that?”

Since it’s a citrus, it’s in season now. It has none of the bitterness of the lemon’s white pith, so it would be great for zesting onto, say, an iced sugar cookie or a creamy seafood and/or pasta dish. I read it’s especially good for cocktails and simple syrup. It has no flesh to speak of, just a soft whiteness in its fatter sections.

According to www.thekitchn.com, you can use it to make scented sugar and flavored salt, or slice a “finger” of it up in a salad. You could also zest it into a vinaigrette. Here’s a recipe:

Buddha’s Hand Vinaigrette

Makes about ¾ cup dressing

¼ cup olive oil or grapeseed oil

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons Buddha’s hand zest

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

½ teaspoon fresh or dried thyme, minced

1 clove minced garlic

Combine ingredients in a bowl or jar. Mix or shake well. For best results, allow vinaigrette flavors to meld overnight.

https://whiteonricecouple.com

FIND SOMETHING? If you run into something new at the store and you want to know more about it, let us know, and we’ll dig into it. Send requests to jennie.geisler@timesnews.com (subject Look What I Found); or by regular mail to Jennie Geisler, Look What I Found, 205 W. 12th St., Erie, PA 16534.

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http://www.goerie.com/entertainmentlife/20181212/jennie-geisler-buddhas-hand-nicer-than-it-looks