Ingredient: Limes
Category: Fruit - Citric
Season: All
Lime is a term referring to a number of different fruits (generally citruses), both species and hybrids, which are typically round, green to yellow in colour, 3-6 cm in diameter, generally containing sour pulp, and frequently associated with the lemon.
Limes are a small, green and look like lemon, their flavours are distinctly different.
Limes are often used to accent the flavours of foods and beverages
Varieties
The most commonly available commercial limes(or Limon) are:
The larger, greener Persian lime (Citrus × latifolia) and
The smaller, more yellow Key lime (Citrus aurantifolia) (also known as the Mexican Lime)
"Key lime" is an American retronym, as the original fruit known in English as a "lime" was Citrus latifolia, derived from the Persian name limu (the fruit was introduced to Europe during the Crusades).
Other lime varieties include:
Mandarin lime (Citrus limonia)
Kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix)
Australian desert lime (Citrus glauca)
Australian finger lime (Citrus australasica)
Australian round lime (Citrus australis)
Sweet lime (Citrus limetta)
Palestine sweet lime (Citrus limettioides)
Musk lime (X Citrofortunella mitis).
The limequat is a lime-kumquat hybrid
Uses
Drinks
Lime fruit, and particularly their juice, are used in beverages , such as limeade (akin to lemonade).
Alcoholic beverages prepared with limes include cocktails such as gin and tonic, margarita, mojito, Caipirinha and Cuba libre, as well as many drinks that may be garnished with a thin slice of the fruit or corkscrew strip of the peel (twist).
One customary consumption of tequila is in shots accompanied by lime wedges and salt .
Beer is often served with limes in Mexico.
Lime juice is the primary ingredient of Bonji Water , a popular drink in southern parts of Kerala, India.
Lime juice is also used in some commercial soft drinks .
Cooking
In cooking, lime is valued both for the acidity of it’s juice and the floral aroma of it’s zest .
It is used in Key lime pie, a traditional Florida dessert,
It is a very common ingredient in authentic Mexican, Southwestern American and Thai dishes.
It is also used for its pickling properties in ceviche .
The leaves of the Kaffir lime are used in southeast Asian cuisine.
The use of dried limes as a flavouring is typical of Persian cuisine.
Limes, like lemons, are filled with fragrant acidic juice, the zest contains the same high-flavoured oils.
If you want a low-fat salad dressing, look no further, just squeeze lime juice all over and it's remarkable how it offers both its own flavour and at the same time manages to enhance other flavours in the salad.
It really enhances the flavour of mango, pawpaw and pineapple.
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