Citrus
Lime
Also called key lime, Persian lime
A small green citrus whose juice is sharp and whose zest is floral. Lime is not a greener lemon; the perfume and the way it firms protein are their own.
Origin
From Southeast Asia, then through the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean. Fruit in cold shops is often picked hard and needs a roll to give juice.
Flavour
Sharp, floral, a little bitter in the pith, less sweet than lemon. Old limes dry out and the juice turns dull.
How to use it
Juice at the end of pad thai, som tam, phở, tacos and curries — heat dulls citrus and leaves a cooked-tang that is not the same. For ceviche, the juice is the curing medium: salt the fish, then add lime shortly before serving so the flesh firms without going chalky. Zest is oil; grate it into dressings, not into a long boil. Lemon can supply acid if you are out, but the dish will smell of the Mediterranean, not of a taco stand.
Storage
A few days at room temperature, then the fridge.
Recipes using it
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