During the Ch'ien Lung era the original seedlings were brought from the mainland to Taiwan where Matou became the cradle of their early development.
文旦為柚子的品種之一，原產於閩南。相傳最早是一姓文的小旦所種，因以得名。乾隆年間，文旦傳入台灣，先是種在台南縣安定鄉，不久麻豆人郭廷輝引進當地栽植。