What is Kaffir lime?

Kaffir or Kieffer Lime Tree is a southeastern Asian citrus variety that has a distinctive taste that fulfills many classic dishes from this area of ​​the world. In particular, Thai food uses, among other things, a large amount of kaffir lime and, among other things, appears in foods from Indonesia, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, China and Malaysia. On the Asian markets, fresh leaves and fruits are sometimes available and dried leaves are often easily accessible, especially in areas with a large Thai population. Kaffir lime can also be grown at home in USDA zones 10 and 11. Kaffir lime leaves look like two leaves attached at the end and are dark green and very shiny, with a touch of leather. Fruits are bright green to yellow their bark contain a large amount of tasty oil. Fruits can be peeled for their enthusiasm, which is often included in curry sauces such as Thai green curry, and fruit can also be juiced. JuiceKaffir lime is usually not used in cooking, although it occurs in cosmetics and hair rinsing products. All leaves, enthusiasm and juice have an intense citrus aroma and a distinctive acidic taste.

If fresh leaves are available, they are more advantageous because they have tastier oils. Some markets also sell frozen leaves when fresh leaves are not convenient. The dried leaves must be used at a higher concentration and should be stored in a cool, dry and dark place. If you do a lot of Southeast Asia and live in a subtropical area, it may be more convenient to grow Kaffir Lime tree and harvesting leaves and fruit as needed.

The name of the food has occurred some controversy, because "Kaffir" is a derogatory term in South Africa. Some people prefer to call it macrut or magrood lime because the connection between the offensive slang and this beautiful tree is somewhat notclearly. It can also be called Limau Purut, Odu Dehi, Shauk-Ny, Swangi or Jeruk Purut, depending on the area of ​​Southeast Asia.