Kaffir lime facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Citrus x hystrix |
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C. hystrix
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The Makrut lime (Citrus hystrix), also known as kieffer lime or magrood, is a special citrus fruit. It comes from Indonesia but is now grown all over the world. People often grow it as a garden plant.
This plant is mostly known for its leaves, which are used a lot in cooking. The fruit, which is a type of lime, is also used. Sometimes, oil from the leaves is even used to make perfumes!
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About the Makrut Lime Plant
This plant is a bush that has many thorns. Its leaves smell wonderful. The oil from the fruit's skin can even be used to keep insects away. It's a great plant to grow in a pot.
The green fruits look different from other limes. They are bumpy and rough on the outside. They are also quite small, usually about 4 centimetres (1.6 inches) across. The leaves have a unique shape, like an hourglass.
How Makrut Lime is Used in Cooking
The leaves and the leaf-shaped stem are very popular in the cooking of Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos. They add a sharp, fresh Lime or neroli flavour.
In Cambodia, Citrus x hystrix leaves are very common. They are used less often in Vietnam. You might also find them in Malay, Burmese, and Indonesian dishes. For example, they are sometimes added to chicken and fish meals.
You can use the leaves fresh or dried. They can also be stored in the freezer to keep them fresh for a long time.
While the leaves are the most common part used, the juice and skin (called zest) of the small, dark-green fruit are also important. In traditional Indonesian medicine, the fruit is known as jeruk obat, which means "medicine citrus." The zest is also used in Creole cooking and to flavour special kinds of rum in places like Réunion and Madagascar.
Other Names for Makrut Lime
The Makrut lime is known by different names in various countries:
- Burma: shauk-nu, shauk-waing
- Cambodia: krauch soeuch
- China: fatt-fung-kam
- Malaysia: limau purut
- Indonesia: jeruk purut, jeruk sambal
- Philippines: swangi
- Sri Lanka: kahpiri dehi, odu dehi, kudala-dehi
- Thailand: makrut, som makrut
Why We Say 'Makrut Lime'
The book The Oxford Companion to Food suggests that we should use the name makrut lime instead of kaffir lime. This is because the word Kaffir can be an offensive term in some cultures. There is also no clear reason why this plant was given that name. Even though kaffir lime is still very common, makrut lime is a better choice.
Image Gallery
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Citrus hystrix fruit (left), used in Southeast Asian cooking, with galangal root.
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Makrut limes (as they are sold on Reunion Island)
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Plate from a book on the Flora of the Philippines
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Combava rinds
Images for kids
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Illustration of C. hystrix by Francisco Manuel Blanco
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Striped snakehead fish stuffed with C. hystrix and lemongrass in preparation for steaming
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Small C. hystrix shrub in pot
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C. hystrix leaves floating in tom yum
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Fruit longitudinal section
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Powdered fruit rind, used in Malagasy cuisine
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Cut leaf strips on chicken phanaeng
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See also
In Spanish: Citrus hystrix para niños
