lime
As lime (literally small lime ) is referred to several kinds of citrus fruits .
properties
Limes are green to yellow, rounded, three to six centimeters in diameter. Their pulp is edible and tastes very sour, comparable to lemons , but usually with a more intense, spicy note.
use
Due to their intense sour taste, limes are usually not consumed pure, but are used as an ingredient to give prepared dishes a more sour taste.
The most important applications are cocktails such as Caipirinha , Mojito , Daiquiri , Margarita , Cuba Libre or Cosmopolitan . Lime juice is also the main component of Lime Juice Cordial , a beverage additive for classic cocktails like Gimlet .
Lime juice has long been used in recipes that originated in the Caribbean or the USA . This has only been the practice in Europe since the 1990s, when limes became readily available and inexpensive all year round. Lime syrup and Lime Juice Cordial are also used for mixing.
Limes are mainly used for cooking and baking in Mexican , Arabic and Southeast Asian cuisine. In addition to the fresh fruits, dried limes and the leaves of the lime plants are also used here. The specialty Key Lime Pie from Florida is also made with lime juice. Furthermore, essential oils are made from limes .
After it was recognized in the 18th century that fresh fruit can prevent or cure scurvy , lemon juice in particular was used successfully. When British seafaring switched to limes and lime juice, the disease broke out again, as limes contain significantly less vitamin C than lemons.
Lime types
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Australian limes
- Australian desert lime ( Citrus glauca )
- Australian finger lime ( Citrus australasica )
- Round Australian Lime ( Citrus australis )
- Real lime ( Citrus × aurantiifolia )
- Common lime ( Citrus × latifolia )
- Kaffir lime ( Citrus hystrix )
- Limequat ( Citrus × floridana ), hybrids of lime and kumquat , see Citrofortunella
- Red lime , also known as blood lime
- Spanish lime ( Melicoccus bijugatus )
- Sweet lime ( Citrus limetta )
- Wild lime ( Adelia ricinella )
