The stunning Amalfi coastline might be one of Italy’s most recognized landscapes. A spectacularly clear sea laps at the shore of one picturesque town after the other, each a tumble of pastel buildings and majolica tiled church domes arranged like puzzle pieces between steep mountainsides and pebbly beaches.

But perhaps most iconic of all are the sunny orbs of citrus that grow terraced on the seemingly unforgiving slopes, their sweet aroma and cheerful appearance defining the Costiera Amalfitana. These are the Sfusato Amalfitano, the celebrated lemons of the Amalfi Coast. The lemons of Amalfi as we know them today haven’t always been such a fundamental part of this coastal culture.