Our love of lemons has deep roots. They have been portrayed in still-life paintings and pop art, featured in tales by the likes of Joan Didion and James Joyce, and even played a part in the founding of the mafia. So when David Lane and Marina Tweed of the food and culture journal the Gourmand were looking for the next topic in their book series celebrating individual ingredients (eggs came first), lemons were an obvious choice. “The lemon is the king of the citrus,” says Lane. Featuring artworks by Édouard Manet, Picasso and Frida Kahlo alongside a collection of essays, recipes and new photography, this is a book for dipping into. Does Lane have a favourite image? “The Egyptian wall painting from the tomb of Nakht [below]. It’s just beautiful.”
