Key lime

The botanical name for the Key lime is Citrus aurantifolia. Other names for the fruit are Mexican lime and West Indian lime. These limes originated in Malaysia and are now grown year round all over the globe in areas with a balmy climate. Key limes are more yellow in color than the common Persian lime (Citrus latifolia, the type most readily available commercially) and have a rounded shape.

Henry Perrine, a botanist, planted the first of these trees in the Florida Keys in 1835, and the fruit began to be known as the Key lime in the United States. Hurricanes in 1926 wiped out the commercial Key lime production in Florida, and the groves were replanted with the common Persian lime. Most Key limes now found on the market are imported from Mexico and Central America. The zest of Key limes tends to be bitter and should not be used.