Crops of bright lemons glow prettily on trees from the south of Italy all the way up the Amalfi coast; even the air is lemon-scented, writes Jill Dupleix. The fruit is part of the reason Italian food tastes so fresh and light. For Italians, a piece of grilled fish or steak is unthinkable without some lemon by its side: it balances the richness. The acidity also contrasts with the sweetness of caramelised vegetables or dried fruits to make what the Italians call agrodolce – sweet-and-sour.
Lemon juice brightens the simplest dishes; it’s like adding a squeeze of sunshine. It can perk up a salad, ‘cook’ raw seafood and tenderise meat. The grated zest of an unwaxed lemon adds sparkle, being more gently tangy than the juice. It’s particularly useful in puddings; I like to fool myself that the acidity negates the calories… then I can have seconds.