Some species in the citrus family are more technically known as hesperidia, a name derived from a Greek myth about a glorious garden in the west called Hesperides where "golden apples" grew. Scholars believe the Greeks were referring to sweet oranges.
Citrus fruits have been valued by many cultures throughout the millennia that they've been in cultivation. This oddity, called the Buddha's hand, is considered a "freak" variety of citrus that emerged sometime after A.D. 300. Buddhist monks saw the praying hands of Buddha in its strangely graceful shape, and cherished the fruit as a symbol of happiness, wealth and longevity.
While the peel of the Buddha's hand is aromatic and tasty in candy, it has very little flesh and is rarely eaten.