Buddha's Hand 佛手

I saw this plant while traveling in Macau a couple of years ago. A first for me and I found this plant unique.

A close up view of the fruit.

Just like slender fingers.

Buddha's Hand is also called by the name of Fingered Citron. It is a type of citrus fruit which has a fragrant smell. It is lemon-like and has a thick peel, seedless and juiceless and only a small amount of flesh. As it is fragrant, it is sometimes used as air freshener. The other uses of the fruit is in cooking ( as zest ) and also made into candied peel called succade. It can also be used as religious offering where 'close fingered' fruit is more favorable than the 'open fungered' one. Close one symbolized the act of prayer.