Lemon: From a daily ingredient to a luxury
When I used to see the pictures of lemon in my 2nd or 3rd standard text book, I used to have a soft corner for them more so due to their elegant, oval shape and the bright yellow color. And with the passage of time, rather than being amused by their shape and size only, I started really enjoying this drink. And when I used to travel in bus for long hours during my childhood, my mother used to give me lemon and ask me to smell it so that the vomiting feeling goes away.
During the initial stages of the corona virus pandemic, we used to prepare kashayam with lemon as also one of the ingredients. And now too this affection towards lemon continues. I know that drinking lemon water early morning (even more first thing in the morning) is a great way to rejuvenate your body. And the very thought of drinking lemon juice with both sugar and salt added to it is indeed a solace.
Skyrocketing prices of lemon
A single lemon is nowadays sold at Rs. 10-15 in various markets across the country. It is undeniably one of the favorite drinks of many in summer, and this surge in price is something to consider. So can we label this satiating drink to be a luxury this summer? Now let’s analyze the reason for the increasing demand for lemons nowadays:
- Lemons are a great ingredient in cool drinks.
- During the pandemic, temples were closed. After re-opening, for temples like Amman temples, lemon garland is decorated.
- For pickles, lemon is necessary.
But there is less supply and rising demand. And due to the increase in demand, the price of a single lemon, which was Rs.2 earlier, has increased to Rs. 10-15.
Take-home message
Still I think people won’t give up lemon due to its immense benefits. Its special sour taste adds value to it. Besides, almost all parts of lemon can be used for both cooking and cleaning. Being a great source of Vitamin C, lemons are indeed good for your health.
Even if you feel like reducing the intake of lemon due to surge in price, you can use substitutes like apple, orange and other fruits. After all, fruits are undeniably good for health. Then when the prices decrease in some time, you can always go for lemon!