Makrut lime leaf
muh-KROOT
Citrus hystrix
Intense, floral, citrus-peel aroma.
What it is
Makrut lime leaf is the glossy, double-lobed leaf of Citrus hystrix, a Southeast Asian citrus tree, with an intense, floral, lime-peel aroma unlike any other herb. A leaf or two perfumes a whole pot of Thai soup or curry, and finely shredded leaves are eaten in salads and fish cakes. The aroma comes from the leaf itself rather than the knobbly fruit, which is rarely juiced. Fresh or frozen leaves carry the flavor; dried leaves lose most of it. It is sometimes still sold under an older name now widely avoided.
What it pairs with
Goes wrong with: dishes outside the citrus-aromatic family.
Common in Thai cooking.
Whole vs ground
The glossy double leaves are used fresh or frozen, torn or simmered whole for aroma, or sliced into fine threads to be eaten. There is no useful dried-powder form.
How to handle it
Tear whole leaves and simmer them in soups and curries, then remove, or slice the de-stemmed leaves into hair-thin threads to eat in salads and stir-fries.
Storage
Keep fresh leaves in the freezer, where they hold their aroma for months, far better than drying.
Buying note
Buy bright, glossy leaves, fresh or frozen. Dried makrut leaves are a weak substitute.
Classic dishes
tom yum, green curry, Thai fish cakes, rendang.
Out of makrut lime leaf? Substitutes
No substitute is exact. These are the closest by flavor behavior, with the ratio to start from and how the result will differ.
| Use instead | Ratio | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| lime zest with a little lemongrass | to taste | brings citrus but not the distinctive floral lime-leaf note |
One odd thing
In makrut lime it is the leaf, not the bumpy fruit, that does the cooking; the fruit is rarely juiced.