Product guide
Citrus hystrix
Makrut lime peel dried and ground — a concentrated, almost perfumed citrus that carries much further than lime zest.
Botanical story · current research
Makrut lime is a thorny citrus tree with unusually double-lobed leaves and a small, deeply wrinkled fruit. Citrus hystrix is prized primarily for the intense perfume of its leaves and peel: green citrus, flowers and a sharp aromatic lift rather than ordinary lime juice. The peel’s volatile oils remain powerful even in a very small quantity.
Citrus hystrix
Southeast Asia
In Thailand and neighbouring cuisines, makrut lime leaves and peel belong beside lemongrass, galangal and chilli in soups, curry pastes and aromatic sauces. The leaves may perfume a broth whole or finely shredded; the zest brings concentrated fragrance to pastes and relishes. It is a defining regional aroma, not merely another source of sourness.
Fruit peel · powder
Fresh leaves are torn or sliced, and fresh peel is grated or pounded; dried peel powder makes the fragrance available in a stable, concentrated format. Powder spreads evenly through curry paste, soup, sauce and seasoning but should be used by the pinch. Leaf and peel come from the same tree yet offer related, not identical, expressions of Citrus hystrix.
Latest useful research
We prioritise the newest credible source we can find and state clearly whether it is human, animal, laboratory or review evidence.
Network pharmacology and computational study; not clinical evidence.
Open the research ↗A study of an extract, cell or animal model is not the same as eating or drinking the plant. It can still be valuable evidence when described accurately.
From plant to kitchen
Flavour profile
How to prepare
A pinch to ¼ teaspoon is usually enough for four portions.
Add it at the end of cooking; the aroma is volatile and fades under long heat.
It also works dry — rub it into salt, sugar or a marinade before use.
Ways to use it
Further watching & reading
