“The discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a new star.”  - Anthelme Brillat-Savarin in his Physiology of  Taste had a point, but if so,  finding new food type must have equalled the discovery of a new solar system that outshone a mere star by light years.  Imagine life without limes -whilst we all know that they’ve been around for a very long time, the first taste must have been something really special.  Limes are rich in vitamin C, vitamin P & calcium and help to digest protein-rich foods. They balance the pH levels, providing calcium and phosphorous to strengthen the bones,

teeth, blood and nervous system  and  are used in neurasthenia with excellent results. Limes prevent nervous indigestion and halitosis (often the result of digestive system inbalances) and cleanse and whitens discoloured teeth. (Some people find limes useful for keeping breath sweet and therefore drink the juice, sweetened with honey & diluted with water, before or between meals and before going to bed. It’s also good for sore throats and colds, especially if pineapple juice is added to it.

Limes are the smallest citrus fruits and originated in southern China, eastern India and the islands north of Australia. There seems to be some confusion about the date of first cultivation, however, because Indian and Arab documentation don’t differentiate between the various citrus fruit – and so nobody really knows. The first time it was mentioned in the West, was by Sir Thomas Herbert in 1677 when he confirmed that it could be found near the coast of Mozambique. Lemons are the most important sour citrus fruits in the subtropics and limes in the tropics, but the most acid lime, has 1½ as much acid as a lemon of the same weight – however, it must be remembered that there are sweet ones as well. Limes are divided into three main categories

TAHITI

Are large with creamy, finely grained pulp and are really sour. A Tahiti lime has 6% citric acid count.

MEXICAN

Mexican limes are smaller, with bright green skins and a very aromatic flavour.

KEY LIMES

Are round to oval in shape, very small and harvested all year round. They are so small that often as many as sixteen will be needed to make up a weight of 500 grams. They emit a distinctive aroma from the thin green rind and the juicy fruit is pale, yellowish green and has a pronounced flavour. They have some seeds and an acidy taste, just perfect for this American classic.

KEY LIME PIE

Ingredients

• 375 g digestive biscuits, crushed
• 570ml thick cream
• 400 g sweetened condensed milk
• 150 g butter
• 8 large limes, zest and juice

Method

Crust

• Melt the butter in a small pot and stir in crushed digestive biscuits.
• Press this into the base of a 23 cm deep loosed-bottomed flan tin (fluted looks nice).
• Refrigerate this while you are making the filling.

Filling

• Pour the lime juice into a large bowl, adding both the cream and the condensed milk, whisking for about 2 minutes so that everything is well incorporated.
• Add the lime zest and stir.
• Pour this into the prepared biscuit crust and put onto a tray to refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Decorate with crystallized lime zest and serve.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT LIMES

• Limes never grew in the Mediterranean countries because they simply weren’t tough enough – they do, however, grow in Egypt and more prolifically than lemons.
• Like lemons, limes became prolific in the New World soon after its introduction – especially in the West Indies and Central America.
• Unlike lemons, limes grow in the tropics and are essential in the cooking of many countries -  South-East Asian, Mexican, Latin American and Caribbean cooking.
• Even though limes will turn orange if they’re left on trees long enough, they are picked when they are green.
• In India one finds a small sweet lime with a greenish-yellow rind, non-acidic juice, a thin, green skin but a highly aromatic acidy flesh!
• Basically limes are divided into the following categories:

MITHA NIMBOO/LIMUN HELOU/LIMUN SUCCARI

(Indian Sweet Lime)

Found mainly in its native India but also, oddly, in the  Mediterranean, these limes are probably a hybrid of some kind (a mixture of the lemon and Key lime and/ or citron). Citrons grow well in Italy and are known, especially, in the Lazio region). The Indian Sweet Lime is less sweet than the normal acid limes and are called sweet only because they don’t have a sour taste.  Used chiefly as a rootstock, they have  yellow rinds with distinctive aromatic oil, pale yellow flesh and very few seeds if you find seeds at all. Even though they are succulent and juicy, the low acid count makes it an acquired taste thats popular in the Middle East but not the West. It Indian has less than 0.1% citric acid content.

KEY LIME

WEST INDIAN LIME, MEXICAN LIME, KAGHZI NIMBU (INDIA), GALLEGO LIME (BRAZIL), LIMUN BALADI (EGYPT), DOC (MOROCCO), SHIRAZI (IRAN)

Key Limes flourish in the Caribbean and Florida in particular and are related to the Mexican and West Indian lime that were cultivated for thousands of years in the Indo-Malayan regions. These limes made their way to North Africa and the Near East thanks to the Arab traders who were indirectly responsible for their journey, via Palestine, to Mediterranean Europe in the hands of the Crusaders. It was only when Christopher Columbus brought them to Haiti that they were transported to Florida by the Spanish settlers. Before Hurricane Andrew arrived in 1992, 90% of all  United States limes were grown in Florida, more particularly the Florida Keys in the South.

LIMETTA

This sweet lime resembles lemons in every respect excepting one – they aren’t so sour. The mild, sweet juice tastes like home-made lemonade juice – there are three kinds of limettas – all of them with the typical “nipple” on one end with a furrow round it.  The Millsweet is grown chiefly in Italy and California and is the most common. They aren’t usually available commercially, but occasionally fruit importers will included them in a fruit consignment. They are also grown on a small scale in India and around the Mediterranean.

MANDARIN LIMES

There are three kinds that can be divided into the:

• Rangpur (a lemon and mandarin hybrid, native to India). The fruit resembles a mandarin and the juice is often added to mandarin juice in India to improve the flavour. Interestingly the rangpur is most famous for the absolutely mouthwatering marmalade made from it – loads more tasty  than that from Seville oranges. They are usually found in India, California, Australia and Hawaii – but also grown for ornamental purposes in Europe, America and India.
• Kusaie is probably a form of rangpur, but is more limelike in aroma. The tree fruits continuously and grows well in Hawaii and Trinidad – they are little known elsewhere.
• Otaheite/Otaheite Rangpur, round and almost 4 cm wide with perfumed purple flowers are sold in the USA near the end of the year when they flower and fruit at the same time, are the non-acid form of rangpur. The origin is unknown, but were introduced to Tahiti from France via England and, from there, they went to San Francisco.
• Melicocca bijuga, (as they are known in Florida) are not a limes at all, but have a similar flavour.

TAHITI, BEARSS LIME OR PERSIAN LIME

These limes probably originated as a hybrid between the common lime and the citron and cannot tolerate frost or cold – they are used as an ornamental variety with fragrant blossoms and dense green foliage. The fruit is bigger and oval with a thin green rind that encases a pale green, seedless flesh. The very acidy juice tastes like black pepper and they have been grown continuously in California since 1875. Alos referred to as the Persian lime, they are unknown in Iran. (There may be some connection, though but I couldn’t find it). They are also known as Tahiti limesbecause it reached the USA via Tahiti – comes in two varieties both grown in California:

Persian – oval and the size of an egg.

Bearss – seedless and larger than the Persian and the only lime now cultivated in the USA. They both turn greenish-yellow when mature, but have the best taste when they are green.

LIME FLOWERS

Lime flowers come from any number of trees belonging to the European lime or Linden tree of the Basswood or Linden family. They are dried to make lime tea, popular in France, Spain and elsewhere for the relaxing properties. They are also used in ice creams and similar confections. A French chemist discovered that a paste made from the fruits and flowers of the Linden was a perfect substitute in taste and texture for chocolate, except that it would not keep. Lime flowers are also loved by bees, who in turn, make an excellent honey well-liked by humans.

VIETNAMESE PRAWN AND MANGO SALAD

Ingredients

• 12 green king prawns
• 1 small head iceberg or butter lettuce
• 500 ml bean sprouts
• 3 lebanese cucumbers, sliced
• 1 green mango, (slightly under-ripe)
• 3 large mint, sprigs
• 2 Vietnamese mint, sprigs (available in Asian groceries)
• 1 tablespoon shelled peanuts, chopped
• 2 limes, finely sliced

Dressing

• 1 tablespoon lemon grass, chopped finely
• 250 ml lime juice
• 125 ml fish sauce
• 125 ml palm sugar
• 2 red chillies, remove seeds and chop finely
• 1 clove garlic, peel and chop finely

Method

• Remove heads and shell prawns.
• Separate lettuce leaves, wash, dry.
• Rinse bean sprouts, trim off straggly tails and peel and slice mango.
• Arrange vegetables and herbs onto a serving dish and refrigerate until you need it.

For the dressing

• Combine all ingredients and set aside.
• Bring pot of water to good simmer.
• Plunge the prawns into the water for 1 minute only.
• Turn off heat and allow prawns to stand for another minute.
• Drain and allow the prawns cool down.
• To serve, combine prawns, mango and herbs in a bowl with the dressing.
• Put the lettuce leaves, bean sprouts and cucumber slices on serving plate.
• Arrange the combined mixture of prawns, mango and herbs and finish by topping with the peanuts.
• Serve with sliced limes

FRESH LIME FRUIT SALAD DRESSING

This is an unusual and very refreshing dressing that can turn fruit into something really good to be eaten with a barbecue!

Ingredients for dressing

• 500 ml sour cream
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons grated lime peel

To make the fruit dish

• Use assorted fresh fruit (like apple wedges, banana slices, grapes, strawberries – or blueberries and melon)
• Stir together all dressing ingredients in small bowl and combine with the fruit.
• Cover, refrigerate at least 30 minutes and serve.