Makrut Lime

The fruit itself, which is golf-ball sized and knobbly, yields a very little juice, and is too acidic and bitter for culinary uses. However, the finely grated aromatic skin is used to sharpen the taste of a dish and it is the highly aromatic leaves which are a more common ingredient and appear in SE Asian dishes with a frequency bordering on automaticity. They have a figure of eight shape, and it is usual to tear them into halves or small pieces before adding them to dishes, removing them when cooking is completed.