Fruit

Lime

Lime is a small, intensely acidic citrus fruit (mainly Citrus aurantiifolia Key lime and C. latifolia Persian/Tahiti lime) whose juice and zest define ceviche, guacamole, Thai tom yum, Vietnamese nước chấm, Mexican and Caribbean cocktails, and countless marinades. Flesh is pale green to yellow-green, seedy or nearly seedless depending on type; aroma from the peel is sharper and more floral than lemon, with resinous top notes. Key limes are smaller, more aromatic, and yellower when ripe; Persian limes are larger, greener in trade, and dominate global export because they ship and store better. Cooks use lime wherever bright acid without lemon’s softer perfume is wanted—finishing grilled fish, cutting through fatty pork or coconut, and balancing chilli and fish sauce. Juice browns and loses volatile aroma if held too long; zest is best microplaned fresh. Unwaxed fruit is preferred when the peel is used. Major production spans Mexico, Brazil, India, and Southeast Asia; cold sensitivity and year-round demand keep limes in continuous tropical and subtropical harvest cycles.