Limes; Wild Limes; Kaffir Limes; Makrut Limes; Lime Leaves; Citron

All limes and citrons originated in northeast India, according to botanists. Wild limes, also called kaffir limes (an objectionable name, given the meaning of “kaffir”) or makrut limes, Citrus hystrix, have a rough, bumpy green skin and are lemon-sized. They are used in Southeast Asia for their zest, which is very aromatic. (In Burma a related fruit, called citron in English and shauk thi in Burmese, is used to make a salad; see Succulent Grapefruit [or Pomelo] Salad.) The leaves of the wild lime are double-lobed and very aromatic. Very tender leaves are used whole in salads in Burma, or if coarser are deveined, sliced into a fine chiffonade, and used as a topping and flavoring. When you find wild lime leaves (in Southeast Asian markets), buy generously, then store them in the freezer in a well-sealed plastic bag. Use them straight from the freezer. Common lime, tham ba, is a hybrid with a smooth skin that turns from green to yellow when it is completely ripe. The limes in Burma, like those in Thailand, are small, round, and juicy; freshly squeezed lime juice is used to give a sour highlight in salads and in condiment sauces.