Kaffir Lime

Kaffir Lime, which is also known nowadays as Makrut Lime to show respect to its true origins, is a small and rather bumpy citrus fruit with its own distinctive culinary profile. As opposed to ordinary limes that people usually eat because of their juice, Kaffir Lime has two purposes – its leaves which have a distinct scent as well as zest which contains the essential oil responsible for its amazing aroma. The juice of Kaffir Lime itself is quite sour and can rarely be found, however, its aroma cannot go unnoticed in many Asian dishes.

Every Thai, Cambodian, Indonesian, and Sri Lankan kitchen is likely to feature Kaffir Lime leaves either incorporated in some curry or sprinkled in a dish right before being served. Its distinctive aroma is both floral and citrusy with an extra herbal note that elevates the flavor of any dish immediately. If someone tries to recreate Thai cuisine from India and wants to make rice dishes, curries or gravies with coconuts, Kaffir Lime is something indispensable.

This ingredient is rather easy to spot due to its distinctive double leaf structure – two separate leaves connected together. Dried or even frozen leaves cannot provide that intense fragrance.

Nutritional Value (Per 100 g)