Description and photo of varieties of citron. Citron finger (Citrus medica)

Our grandmothers, growing strawberries, or strawberries, as we used to call them, were not particularly worried about mulching. But today this agricultural practice has become fundamental in achieving High Quality berries and reduce crop losses. Some might say it's troublesome. But practice shows that labor costs in this case pay off handsomely. In this article, we invite you to get acquainted with the nine the best materials for mulching garden strawberries.

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What is the hand of the Buddha, where can you find a plant with such an interesting name? Chemical composition And beneficial features fetus, contraindications for use. Potential for culinary use Interesting Facts about citron.

The content of the article:

The hand of the Buddha is a citron or cedrat from the numerous Rutov family. In Western Asia, India and the Mediterranean, from where it spread thorny plant in countries with a tropical climate, he was credited with a divine origin. Plant up to 3 meters high, protected by thick thorns. The fruit is huge compared to other citrus fruits, shaped like a banana bunch. Its dimensions are impressive: length - up to 40 cm, diameter - up to 30 cm. The weight of the Buddha's hand can reach 400-500 g. The peel is thick, the seeds resemble pumpkin seeds, the flesh is yellow-orange, sour-sweet or sour-bitter, the secretion of juice is insignificant - in this, the citron is inferior to its smaller "colleagues" in the family. It is valued not so much for its nutritional properties, but for its healing qualities and pleasant aroma- The fruit is used in the perfume industry.

The composition and calorie content of the hand of the Buddha


As with all citrus fruits, one of the main components of citron is ascorbic acid - vitamin C.

The calorie content of the hand of the Buddha per 100 g is 34 kcal, of which:

  • Proteins - 0.9 g;
  • Fats - 0.1 g;
  • Carbohydrates - 3 g;
  • Dietary fiber - 2 g;
  • Ash - 0.5 g;
  • Water - 93.5 g.
Numerous nutrients provide the benefits of Buddha's hand when eaten.

Vitamins per 100 g:

  • Vitamin B3 (PP) - 0.1 mg;
  • Beta-carotene - 0.01 mg;
  • Vitamin A (retinol equivalent) - 2 mcg;
  • Vitamin B1 (thiamine) - 0.04 mg;
  • Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) - 0.02 mg;
  • Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) - 0.2 mg;
  • Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) - 0.06 mg;
  • Vitamin B9 (folic acid) - 9 mcg;
  • Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) - 40 mg;
  • Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) - 0.2 mg;
  • Vitamin PP (Niacin equivalent) - 0.2 mg.
Macronutrients per 100 g:
  • Calcium - 40 mg;
  • Magnesium - 12 mg;
  • Sodium - 11 mg;
  • Potassium - 163 mg;
  • Phosphorus - 22 mg;
  • Chlorine - 5 mg;
  • Sulfur - 10 mg.
Trace elements per 100 g:
  • Iron - 0.6 mg;
  • Zinc - 0.125 mg;
  • Copper - 240 mcg;
  • Manganese - 0.04 mg;
  • Fluorine - 10 mcg;
  • Molybdenum - 1 mcg;
  • Boron - 175 mcg.
As part of the hand of the Buddha, 5.7 g of organic acids per 100 g - dominant citric, and then malic, oxalic, tartaric, adipic, lactic, quinic and others ... The sweetish taste of the fruit is provided by mono- and disaccharides, mainly sugars - their amount varies in within 2-3 g per 100 g.

To evaluate aromas, special coefficients have been introduced - for all types of citrus fruits, its value is greater than one. The smell is emitted not only by essential oils, but also by acids and sugars, the aroma is exuded by external tissues, the peel, internal - by the pulp.

Europeans are unlikely to be able to taste the slightly oily dryish pulp of citron by buying a product in a store - its shelf life is limited, useful properties are not preserved. But in tropical countries it is successfully grown - in most cases for industrial purposes.

Useful properties of the hand of the Buddha


At the beginning of our era, a divine origin was attributed to the citron: allegedly, the Buddha himself left a palm print on the tree and gave sharp thorns to protect himself from "marauders". But this did not prevent the use of the fruit for medicinal purposes.

The hand of the Buddha has the following useful qualities:

  1. Eliminates heartburn and pain in case of damage to the oral mucosa, larynx and esophagus.
  2. It has an analgesic effect, most pronounced for headaches.
  3. It increases the body's immunity, quickly stops inflammatory processes in the body in case of diseases from the SARS group and colds.
  4. It is an antioxidant, prevents malignancy at the cellular level.
  5. Ensures the health of teeth, gums, stops the development of anemia.
  6. Prevents the accumulation of fatty deposits and promotes the dissolution of existing ones.
  7. Reduces the possibility of developing arterial hypertension, normalizes blood pressure - reduces it, prevents coronary vascular disease.
  8. Eliminates bad breath.
  9. Reduces the amount of menstrual flow and eliminates pain during the cycle and in inflammatory diseases of the gynecological organs.
  10. Increases blood clotting and accelerates the regeneration of the skin, quickly stops the development of edema. For wounds on the skin and after insect bites, the pulp and peel can be used externally.
The hand of the Buddha has another useful property - the peel and leaves are used in protective purposes. The aroma repels insects - mosquitoes, midges and moths. It is enough to saturate the clothes with the smell, and you can sleep peacefully on a hot day without fear of being bitten by flies, or walk in the rainforest without harm to your health.

Harm and contraindications to the use of the hand of the Buddha


The hand of the Buddha belongs to citrus fruits and, like all fruits of this group, can be a strong allergen. If you are allergic to any citrus, this fruit should not be consumed.

Also, the contraindications to the use of the hand of the Buddha are as follows:

  • Digestive disorders, regardless of etiology.
  • Reduced blood pressure.
  • Rehabilitation process after diseases of the gastrointestinal tract of infectious etiology - dysentery, typhoid fever, etc.
It is not advisable to prepare the hand of the Buddha for people suffering from bronchial asthma, lung disease or bronchial obstruction. Too strong aroma of a ripe fruit can provoke a severe attack with temporary respiratory failure.

Recipes with Buddha's hand


Eating Buddha's hand fresh rarely consumed, since the pulp is dry and the taste is more bitter than that of other citrus fruits. But the zest of the peel is often added to dishes as a seasoning, and the fruit itself is used as a semi-finished product for the manufacture of alcoholic beverages. Culinary experts in China and India make dishes from the fruit itself, and not only desserts.

If you still want to try, then a successful dish will turn out only when right choice fetus. There should be no spots or discoloration on the peel - this is evidence of the onset of decay. You need to judge the quality of the fruit by the peel - it should be dense, despite its natural relief, and when pressed with a finger, a feeling of oiliness remains.

Recipes with Buddha's hand:

  1. Porridge. It is prepared not only as a hearty tonic breakfast, but also introduced into a therapeutic diet for diseases of the stomach and spleen. 200 g round granular quick-cooking rice is poured for 10 minutes cold water and for now they leave. Boil pieces of zest, without removing the peel, in boiling water, pouring enough water so that in the future it is enough to cook the rice. The zest is removed from the liquid, and washed rice is placed in water, boiled until tender. Crystal sugar, salt or honey are added to improve the taste.
  2. Candied citron peel. The peel of the fruit is removed, washed cleanly, cut into “fingers”. Spread in a saucepan, pour cold water and put on a strong fire to boil as quickly as possible - cook at a strong boil for 10 minutes. Rinse with cold water, return to the pan and bring to a boil again. Immediately add salt - a teaspoon to 2 liters of water, and boil again for 10 minutes. Washed. The procedure with boiling and salting is repeated 1-2 more times - this helps to remove bitterness. Further brew sugar syrup- water-sugar 1 to 2. The citron peel is lowered into the syrup, brought to a boil and left on low heat until the syrup thickens so much that the “fingers” form a single whole. Just before turning off, pour citric acid, focusing on your own taste, and spread the candied fruits on a sieve to remove excess sugar. Do not leave to drain - they can stick together. Distribute one at a time, and then roll in sugar and leave to dry.
  3. Lemonade. To make lemonade, you need to combine citron with sweet orange. To make lemonade, the skin from the citron is peeled, trying to remove it from inside white skin. They also try to remove more films from the pulp and completely clean the seeds. Dry the peel and pieces of citron - you can get wet paper towel, since the fruit is already low-juicy, knead everything in a blender, adding a little water. Then put the pan on a slow fire, bring to a boil, add sugar, let it boil for 5 minutes. When the liquid has cooled, orange juice is poured into it and cooled in the refrigerator. Lemonade from citron is less sweet than from the usual citrus, and quenches thirst well.
  4. Jam. Ingredients for the dish: ginger root, peel from one citron, juice of 1 lemon or orange, granulated sugar - 200-300 g. Ginger root is washed, rubbed on a coarse grater, poured with cold water. Citron peels are cut into ribbons, having previously removed the white fibers from the inside, rolled into rolls and also poured with cold water. All bowls are left for 3 days in a cold place, periodically changing the water. This is necessary to remove bitterness. Together, the components of the future jam are not soaked, in the future the taste will be spoiled. After 3 days, all the components are laid out in a basin in which jam will be cooked, covered with sugar and cooking begins. Bring to a boil, boil for 5 minutes, set aside to cool. The readiness of jam is checked in the same way as that of fruit jam - the syrup should solidify as a droplet on a nail or spoon. At the last boil, pour in the juice of a lemon or orange.
  5. Drink "Health". The Buddha's fingers are cut crosswise and dried in the shade. Brewed like tea.
  6. Dressing for food dressings. A little is added to freshly crushed citron peels. vegetable oil, salt, crushed garlic, thyme, a little lemon juice, beat in a blender until completely smooth. Put in the refrigerator overnight. Suitable for dressing any salad or hot dish.
The taste of citron dressing is combined with a salad of tomatoes and red peppers, with rice and beans. You can combine citron with cocoa and chocolate, use it as an ingredient in sauces with rice and soy vinegar, white wine, maple syrup, olive and coconut oil.

Eat dishes from the hand of the Buddha with caution - they are pronounced to reduce pressure.


The spread of the Buddha's hand can be traced by numerous names. In Corsica - Corsican lemon or Corsican, in Sicily - Diamant or Sicilian citron, in Thailand - som-mu, in Japan - bushukon, in China - fu-show, in Indonesia - dhiruk tangan, in Vietnam - fat-Thurs. Layamau lingtang kerat, jerek tangan or laimau yari in Malaysia and spindle citron, Buddha hand, Buddha fingers or Ethrog in Israel. Not surprisingly, the fruit, similar to a bunch of bananas, attracts attention.

The exact origin of this citron variety has not yet been clarified. Seeds were found in the cultural layer during excavations in Mesopotamia, the time of the origin of the cultural layer is dated to 4000 BC. On the first Jewish coins, on one side there was an image of the hand of the Buddha.

200 BC they began to grow the plant in Palestine, and in the 3rd century AD. seeds were brought to Italy. The Spaniards have been breeding crops since 1640, and in America, by the 1900s, they began to actively plant a plant for industrial purposes. Due to severe frosts, the plantations were seriously damaged, and in 1913 the project was abandoned.

The plant can still be found in the wild in the northern regions of India.

The hand of the Buddha is closest in quality to pomelo and tangerines. Currently in California, one fruit is valued at 10 euros - for this price you can buy 5 kg of lemons. The hands of the Buddha court are imported from Australia, although plants can also be grown in this area. However, for some reason they do not have their divine aroma.

Interestingly, this citrus smells not of the smell of freshness familiar to our noses, but of violets. That is why perfumers value it so much - violet extract is much easier to extract from the hand of the Buddha than from flowers.

In China, it is customary to grow a mini-plant on the windowsill - it is believed that such a bonsai brings good luck. It is customary to exchange dwarf fruits for Chinese New Year. Buddhists also introduce this fruit into many religious ceremonies.

How the Buddha's hand looks like - look at the video:


If you're lucky, you can bring such a bonsai to your apartment - the main thing is that it be warm. A mini-fruit retains all the beneficial properties of a large one, purifies the air of the home from harmful viruses and bacteria that saturate it, and is a natural flavoring agent.

The hand of the Buddha or in other words "finger" is an unusual and interesting variety of citron. His appearance the plant resembles a half-open hand with fingers, for which it received its name.

Botanical description

Buddha hand (fingered), called Corsican in some sources. Is different unusual shape their fruits. The tree is very fruitful. Is very thermophilic plant and does not tolerate low temperatures. It can grow up to one and a half meters in height. Its dark green foliage is very large, slightly wavy and glossy. The buds are large enough white color with a red tint. The fruits of this citron are the largest in comparison with the rest. Sometimes their length reaches forty centimeters. By weight, the fruit can reach half a kilo. Long, yellow, rarely orange. The peel is very dense - two and a half centimeters thick. By their appearance, the fruits of this variety resemble bananas. The whole plant has an unusually pleasant aroma.

Variety history

Nobody knows the exact origin of this citrus representative. Some researchers claim that its homeland is Southeast Asia. There are also speculations about the southern part of India, Malaysia and Indonesia. To date, the finger is most common in China, although it was brought there much later, along with the advent of Buddhism.

Significance in culture

The unusual appearance of the fruit is the result of a gene mutation of simple citrons. It is assumed that such an interesting type of fruit was fixed by distant breeders of the East, who liked to maintain an unusual and interesting appearance of plants. The image of the fruit of the palmate zest was compared with the palms folded during prayer. In India, this shrub was considered sacred and was used in religious rites.

In East Asia, it is believed that the fruits of this tree bring happiness, wealth and prolong life. Golden-colored fruits are in great demand at the time of the approach of the Eastern New Year. It is believed that they bring people happiness and prosperity. Fruits decorate homes and feasts, and also use them as an offering in temples.

Some Chinese sculptors even carved figures of these fruits from jade and elephant bone.

Application

This citrus, compared to lemon, is not so often used in cooking, but still it is used in some recipes. It serves as the basis for many refreshing drinks, and very tasty candied fruits, marmalade and jam are obtained from the peel of its fruits. Also in Japan, it is used to make tea and serve as a decoration for festive dishes. The peel of the finger is used in the preparation of various fillings for desserts.

Finger fruits contain very little pulp, sometimes none at all. It is practically not used for food, if only occasionally and then in a soaked or candied form. It serves as an ingredient for first courses and salads, sauces and marinades.

In pharmaceuticals, the Chinese use dried fruits as an expectorant and general tonic medicine. And the dried flowers of the plant serve as excellent appetite stimulants and anti-nausea drugs.

In Indian culture, the fruits are used in sacred rituals and sacrifices on the altar. There is a belief that the Buddha loves the fruits of the "fingers" in their closed position, similar to the position of the hands at the time of prayer.

Features of care

This citron requires a lot of light and heat. Buddha hand does not tolerate cold weather, so it can die even from short low temperatures. But indoors, it can be placed on the windowsill even in winter time of the year.

You can grow a tree from a cutting, seedling or seed. For full growth and development, a tree needs a place where drafts and direct Sun rays that prevent him from developing normally. In winter, it is necessary to provide the tree with additional lighting, otherwise it may lose its neat decorative appearance.

In spring and summer, the temperature in the room should range from twenty-five to thirty-five. In cold periods, it should be ten, fifteen degrees.

Growing palmate at home, it is worth taking care of the humidity in the room. It should range from forty to sixty percent. If the air humidity is low, the tree may get sick, the foliage will turn black and flowering will not come. IN summer period will need to be sprayed every day. It would be great to install a humidifier in the house.

During the vegetative process, as well as at the time of blooming and fruiting finger citrus needs abundant watering. It must be watered only after the surface of the earth is covered with a dry crust. During winter, when the room temperature is low, the tree must be watered very carefully.

In no case should you water the shrub with hard water. Boiled water should be infused for about two days before watering it. by the most ideal option for watering will spring water must be at room temperature.

From the beginning of spring to the end of summer, the indoor tree needs to be fed once every two weeks. To do this, you should purchase a specialized top dressing for citrus fruits.

Buddha hand it is not transplanted, but rolled over, since with this method the roots are not damaged. The shrub needs to be transshipped every three years, depending on how much it grows. It is important to do this on time, otherwise the plant will not develop properly and bear fruit.

The plant should be protected from hypothermia, scale insects and spider mites.

"Buddha's Hand" is a very interesting and useful citrus plant that brings good luck to the house and does not require special care.

Surely you are already familiar with its description and all its advantages. However, there are a lot of varieties that exist today, and if you suddenly decide to grow citron on your own, then it is better to know their characteristics. The most popular of them will be discussed below.

Variety "Buddha's Hand" belongs to the group finger citrons and is very popular not only in the West, but also in Japan and China, where he is often credited with miraculous properties. For example, many sincerely believe that a person who has grown this plant will be able to live happily ever after.

As regards specifically botanical description, then it should be noted that this citron is one of the largest representatives and grows up to 40 cm in length.

The fruits are oblong in shape and outwardly strongly resemble a brush of bananas or tentacles, which is why the unusual name appeared. Inside the "Buddha's Hand" citron, seeds similar to are placed, and a ribbed peel covers the top of the fruit.

On average, the weight of the fruit reaches about 400 g, and they themselves, as well as other parts of the plant, are characterized by an excellent aroma. Many people consider "Buddha's Hand" to be an ordinary citrus, like the same.

Important! Do not confuse citron with, because in addition to the similarity of plant names on different languages, they are completely different and differ from each other not only in appearance, but also in the taste properties of the fruit.

mature plant The Pavlovsky citron does not grow above 2 m in height, while having rather long branches with thorns. The leaves are shiny and large, dark green in color.

The same large and flowers, mostly white, but with outer side pink tint. All of them are collected in brushes of 3-5 buds, although single specimens are less common.

The average weight of the fruits of an unusual lemon - Pavlovsky citron is about 300 grams, and because of the characteristic bumpy skin, it got its second name - "shishkan". Under the yellow lemon peel is low-juicy, light and sour pulp, with a slight bitterness.
This variety of citrons is self-fertile, but after the flowers bloom, it is better to apply pollen on the stigma of the pistils with a soft brush, and it is not necessary to normalize the buds: self-regulating system citrus plant she will do everything herself, as a result of which the most optimal ovaries remain on the branches.

Important! After each growth, it is necessary to perform the formation of the crown.

In winter, Pavlovsky citron feels much more comfortable than a similar lemon variety: it not only develops well, but also bears excellent fruit. However, if you fail to protect it from drafts, then the plant may well get sick.

In comparison with other citrus fruits, the Grandis citron (or, as it is also called, Pomelo) has the most large sizes, since the height of an adult tree often reaches 15 m.

Of course, if desired, you can find undersized variants of this variety, often with drooping branches. Thanks to this, "Grandis" can also be grown as an indoor citron, for example, from a stone.
Its fruits reach a weight of 1 kg, while having a pleasant taste and the same characteristic aroma. It is logical that in the wild, the parameters of the plant will be somewhat larger, in particular, the weight of the fruit is often 8-10 kg.

All of them have a rounded pear-shaped shape and differ yellow thick skin and orange flesh. The flowers of the wild "Grandis" are white, and there are thorns on the branches.

Did you know? In East Asia, the citron is a symbol of happiness, wealth and longevity.

Piretto citron is a small, slowly growing tree (or), up to 4 m in height. The growth of branches differs in different intensity, and in the axils of the leaves there are short and sharp thorns.

The leaves are evergreen, have a characteristic "lemon" aroma and an oblong-ovate or ovate-lanceolate shape, reaching a length of 20 cm. The flowers can be either bisexual or only male or female, mostly white, but with various shades.

The oblong or oval fruit reaches 20-30 cm in length and is distinguished by a rough and bumpy skin, which has a pale yellow color when ripe.
This citron variety prefers a subtropical and warm temperate climate, since it is more sensitive to cold than other types of citrus and can lose all its leaves even at a temperature of 0 ° C.

The most suitable temperature regime for normal vegetative growth and reproduction of citron, it fluctuates between + 23 ... + 25 ° C, but lowering this value to + 4 ° C often leads to a violation.

The variety is presented in the form of a remontant tree, reaching a height of 3.5 m. The crown is characterized by medium density and drooping branches. The bark is olive-gray, the bare shoots are curved, brown.

The leaves are broadly oval in shape and differ quite a bit. large size, smooth to the touch. Itself sheet plate smooth, but at the end there are small notches. The diameter of goblet flowers ranges from 2-3 cm, while the size of ovoid and slightly ribbed fruits reaches 150x120 mm.

Their base is more elongated, and the apex stands out rather weakly. The peel of the fruit of the Uraltau citron is dense and bumpy, as well as quite thick, oily and shiny. The main color is greenish yellow.
The pulp of the fruit is juicy, sour-sweet in taste and exudes a light aroma. The average weight is about 260 g, although with favorable conditions cultivation, this figure often reaches 500 g.

Among the positive characteristics of cultivation, it is worth highlighting the high resistance of the variety to diseases and.

It is considered a modern Italian variety, which is distinguished by sour fruits. It was discovered in the second half of the 20th century in Tuscany and the original name is Cedrato di Lucca.

The shape of the fruits is round and they have a constriction along the equator. As they mature, their color becomes reddish-brown, although the lower part always remains green.

Basically, vertically growing shoots are formed on the bush, and all branches are covered with small thorns. The shape of the leaves is more like lemon and painted in dark green. All buds are collected in brushes, and their color is purple or deep pink.

"Canarone"

Another variety of citron, which in many ways resembles a lemon. It was first described in the 17th century, but was considered lost by the 20th century, until Paolo Galeotti discovered living plants during the restoration of citrus fruits in the commune of Cannero Riviera in Piedmont.

Variety Canarone is presented in the form of a powerful bush with heavily thorny branches, growing mainly in an upward direction.

The leaves are pointed, small in size. The young shoots are purple in color and usually clustered, although it is not uncommon to grow singly. The buds are collected in brushes and have a purple color.

The fruits are yellow and large, with a well-marked papilla at the end and a well-defined circle around it.

Pompia citron is presented in the form of a fruit with a wrinkled and bumpy peel yellow color, rather rough in section (its thickness often reaches 1 cm).

There is no bitterness in it and it has a neutral lemon flavor. There are relatively few seeds inside the fruit, and the pulp is juicy and sour, with the smell of sweet lemon caramel in the cut.
Pompia attracts the eye with its unusual shape and protruding pom, because of which this citron got its name.

Buddha hand is a plant of the Rutaceae family. For the first time, they learned about the fruit in India and China. In addition, you can hear other names for the fruit "citron" or "zedrat" and these are just a couple of popular names, since in each country the fruit is called differently.

Buddha's hand largest representatives among citrus fruits and in length they can reach up to 40 cm. The oblong fruits look like a bunch of bananas or tentacles, hence the unusual name (see photo). The fruit is covered with a ribbed peel, the thickness of which varies from 2.5 to 5 cm. Inside there are seeds that look like pumpkin seeds. On average, a fruit weighs about 400 g. The fruits, like other parts of the plant, have a unique aroma. The Buddha's hand is an unusually shaped lemon.

Beneficial features

Like other citrus fruits, the hand of the Buddha helps to strengthen the immune system. Perhaps this is thanks to a large number ascorbic acid. The peel contains an acid that has the ability to cleanse the face of freckles and age spots. In order to get rid of bad smell in the mouth, it is recommended to hold a small piece of fruit peel in the mouth for several minutes.

The hand of the Buddha has a tonic and antiseptic effect. In addition, the fruit is used as an antiviral and antiscorbutic agent. Fresh and dried fruits can be used during the treatment of diseases of the digestive and respiratory systems. Some claim that regular use of the hand of the Buddha helps to get rid of alcohol addiction.

Use in cooking

Buddha's hand not so often used in cooking compared to the usual lemon, but the fruit is still included in the recipe of some dishes. Many refreshing drinks are prepared on its basis. Delicious and healthy jam, marmalade and candied fruits are made from the peel of the fruit. In addition, tea is made from it in Japan, for example. The peel is also used as a filling and flavoring for various pastries and confectionery.

There is very little pulp in the Buddha's hand, and sometimes none at all. By the way, it is used very rarely for food and only after it is soaked. The pulp is added to first courses and salads, and sauces and marinades are also prepared from it.

Benefits of the Buddha's hand and treatment

The benefit of the hand of the Buddha is used in some traditional medicine recipes. For instance, an ointment prepared on the basis of this citrus fruit is used to treat lichen and other skin problems. Since the fruits act as a bactericidal agent, a decoction can be prepared from them, which, as lotions, will help in the treatment of various infections. Hot fruit juice is recommended to use during colds.

In addition to fruits, other parts of the plant are also used in folk medicine: leaves and flowers. So, prepared on their basis, a decoction can be used as a tonic for the scalp and hair follicles. Thanks to him, you can significantly improve the condition of your hair.

Harm of the hand of the Buddha and contraindications

The hand of the Buddha can harm people with individual intolerance to the product.