Buddha's Hand

A couple of years ago I saw my first Buddha's Hand in (I believe) Whole Foods.  It looks to me like a seriously deformed lemon, one that had been exposed to agent orange or something, but no this is actually how it grows.  Believed to have been brought to China from India, this fruit does vaguely look like a hand with gnarly fingers.

As you can see from the sign below, one of the joys of Buddha's Hand is you can chop it up pith and all and use it in any number of ways. Buddha's Hand has a wonderful smell to it, not at all lemony to my nose, but like a light floral perfume.

I bought two and have been experimenting with them over the last week.  I added some to a simple white wine, thyme, butter, cream and shallot sauce I serve with fish.  I added 2 Tablespoons to my Pear Mincemeat.  I want to candy some next.

I can't say that I really noticed it in either dish, but I love having it in a bowl on my kitchen counter and burying my face in it to soak up it's wonderful aroma