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Kaffir lime leaves ( kaffir leaves , kaffir lime leaves ) are the leaves of the kaffir lime ( Citrus hystrix ). The size and color of the fruit are very similar to the more well-known common lime ( Citrus x latifolia ), but the kaffir lime has much less juice and its skin is uneven and coarse. The piquant, fresh citrus aroma of the Mauritius Papeda leaves is mainly used in Thai cuisine.
Use in the kitchen:
What are kaffir lime leaves? What is a kaffir leaf? The leaves of the kaffir lime are called Bai Makrut in Thailand. Although they look very similar to the bay leaves we know, their similarity ends with the leaves of the kaffir lime looking as if two of them had grown together lengthwise. This impression is created because the leaf stalks are very broad ("winged"). In addition, kaffir lime leaves are enjoyed as a leaf spice, especially fresh ( raw ), whereas the real bay leaf is almost exclusively dried.
Rubbing them between your fingers releases an aromatic lemon scent from the leaves. Before cooking, rinse the fresh kaffir leaves thoroughly, let them dry or dab them carefully. Then cook them whole in the dishes and remove them just before eating. Chopped very thinly, the otherwise rather tough kaffir lime leaves can also be eaten, e.g. in curry. This way they develop their full aroma. When preparing them, note that the midrib and stem of older leaves can taste bitter. If this bothers you, you can tear the leaf apart and remove these parts before cooking.
The fresh kaffir leaves are covered with a wax layer that gives them a beautiful green shine. This makes them particularly suitable as a decoration for fruit salads, ice cream sundaes, lemonades and cocktails. But a sorbet or ice cream with the taste of a kaffir lime also refreshes the palate.
Kaffir lime leaves are mainly found in Thai and other Asian dishes. Their special lemon scent goes well with soups, salads, stews, rice or vegetable dishes. The typical fresh aroma of kaffir leaves characterizes the Thai soups Tom Yam (or Tom Yum, here is the recipe for a vegan Tom Yum soup ) and Tom Kha Gai. In Thailand and Cambodia, spice pastes with kaffir lime leaves as an ingredient are also known.
Kaffir lime leaves harmonize well with ingredients such as coconut milk , garlic , onions , ginger , galangal , chili and basil .
Although not nearly as aromatic, dried and ground kaffir lime leaves are very easy to dose. If you don't have kaffir lime leaves on hand, you can replace them with the peel of a fresh lime , lemon grass or lime juice . Some people also replace kaffir leaves with the leaves of the lemon myrtle ( Backhousia citriodora ). 1 However, the taste of these substitute products is not quite identical.
Recipe for tea with kaffir leaves:
Brewed with hot water, the fresh leaves also taste good as tea. Cooled and slightly sweetened, this kaffir lime leaf tea is a very refreshing thirst quencher, especially in summer.
Vegan recipe for Tom Kha Paste (tom khaa):
Ingredients: 2 stalks lemongrass (or 1 tbsp lemongrass powder), 60 g fresh galangal (Thai ginger) (or 1 tbsp ground), 60 g fresh ginger , 2 onions , 4 garlic cloves , 2 tsp chili powder , 4 tbsp lime juice, 3 tbsp brown sugar , 3 tbsp coconut oil (alternatively rapeseed oil ), 2 tsp salt , 8 fresh kaffir lime leaves.
Preparation: Remove the hard, lower part and the outer leaves from the lemongrass and chop them up. Peel the ginger, onions and garlic and chop them into large pieces. Chop the kaffir lime leaves very finely or use powder. Put all the ingredients in a high-performance blender and puree into a homogeneous mass. Filled into a screw-top jar, this paste will keep in the fridge for a few days. The Thai Tom Kha paste is used for curries or soups of the same name, the most popular main ingredients of which are coconut milk, chicken or seafood. It can be prepared vegan with a variety of vegetables.
| Not only vegans or vegetarians should read this: Vegans often eat unhealthily. Avoidable nutritional errors . |
Shopping - where to buy?
European supermarket chains such as Coop , Migros , Denner , Volg , Spar , Aldi , Lidl , Rewe , Edeka , Hofer etc. rarely stock fresh kaffir lime leaves. Spice shelves in well-stocked supermarkets are sometimes stocked with dried or ground kaffir lime leaves. In specialty shops, Asian shops and Thai markets you will usually also find fresh and definitely dried leaves. Fresh kaffir lime leaves can also occasionally be found online, and dried leaves are very readily available online.
Although there are organic kaffir lime leaves, the market for them is still very small. If possible, look for organic quality, as citrus fruit cultivation requires a lot of pesticides. Alternatively, you can buy a kaffir lime tree from a garden center. They like bright, warm locations, so the evergreen tree will provide you with fresh kaffir lime leaves at any time of the year.
Storage:
You can store fresh kaffir lime leaves in the vegetable compartment of your refrigerator for about 2-3 days. If you have bought a large quantity, freeze the leaves whole or chopped to keep them in stock, this is the best way to preserve their aroma. Stored in a plastic bag and frozen, they will last a very long time, there is no expiration date for them.
The dried or ground kaffir leaves will keep for a very long time if kept cool, dark and hermetically sealed, but they quickly lose their fine lemon aroma.
Found in the wild:
There are numerous species of the subgenus Archi-Citrus between the Himalayas and Malaysia, but Citrus hystrix prefers maritime locations. Other well-known wild species are C. combra and C. macroptera . It is assumed that these primitive species are the predecessors of today's cultivated species Citrus medica (citron) , C. x limon (lemon, lime) , C. x aurantium (bitter orange), C. x aurantiifolia (true lime) , C. x sinensis (orange) and C. grandis (pomelo) . 2
Ingredients - Nutritional Value - Calories:
The pungent lemon-like scent of kaffir lime leaves comes from the essential oil they contain. 80% of this is citronellal and up to 10% citronellol. It also contains traces of limonene (a terpene) and nerol.
Unfortunately, we have not found any reliable sources for the ingredients of kaffir lime leaves. Apparently they contain calcium , vitamin A , vitamin B 2 and vitamin C.
Health aspects - effects:
The juice and peel of the kaffir lime have long been used as a shampoo in the countries where it is grown. In this form, kaffir limes are said to kill head lice ( Pediculus humanus ). 3
There is evidence that the alcoholic extract of kaffir lime leaves is effective against herpes viruses. 4
Studies show that kaffir leaf extracts reduce cervical and neuroblastoma cell lines and are therefore useful as an anticancer compound. 5 Although no cytotoxic effect against leukemia cell lines has been found, further research on Citrus hystrix leaf extracts would be useful for use in chemotherapy. 6
Dangers - Intolerances - Side effects:
The furocoumarins contained in the peel and pulp of the kaffir lime can cause severe phytophotodermatitis. At least one case of this severe skin inflammation is known. 7,8 These secondary plant substances serve as phytoalexins (defensive substances) of the plant. Furocoumarins that come into contact with the skin (e.g. in the form of plant juice) react with the UVA and UVB rays of sunlight. Burn-like symptoms occur, similar to those of giant hogweed. Furocoumarins are carcinogenic when exposed to UV light because they form covalent bonds with the pyrimidine bases of DNA. 9
Folk medicine - natural healing:
The juice of kaffir limes is also used as a detergent for clothes in Thailand and Cambodia. 10
Occurrence - Origin:
The small-growing kaffir lime tree comes from Asia. The plant is most widespread in Southeast Asia. 11 It is also partially cultivated in Central America and Africa.
Cultivation - Harvest:
Kaffir limes usually grow as evergreen bushes and reach a height of up to 2 m. Thorny branches characterize the kaffir lime tree. The leaves have an unusual appearance: the winged stem gives the impression that two leaves have grown together. The flowers are very small and white, but give off a very pleasant, strong scent. The fruits have a diameter of approx. 5-6 cm. Their skin is thick, wrinkled and warty. As they ripen, the fruits turn from green to yellow. The difference to a "normal" lime is mainly the amount of juice: kaffir limes contain comparatively little juice and many seeds. In this subgenus, the skin and the pulp are difficult to separate. 2
Growing as a potted plant:
If you buy a lime tree, you should repot it in a larger container. You need a permeable substrate for optimal growth of the fine roots. For drainage, put stones, clay shards or expanded clay in the bottom of a pot and plant fleece on top, because kaffir lime trees do not tolerate waterlogging. Sprinkle some of the citrus plant soil on top (citrus soil / lemon soil is slightly acidic with a pH value of 5.5-6.5). Dip the root ball briefly in low-lime water, put it in the pot and add more citrus plant soil, which you press down a little. Rainwater is best for watering, but only moderately. The top layer of substrate should never be soaked through; only water again when the top layer of soil is dry. 12
Regular pruning of the tree ensures a beautiful, compact growth. Because of the thorny shoots, it is best to wear gloves. The best time for pruning is in spring, before new growth appears: Dead branches and those that grow inwards are cut or pinched off with disinfected tools. Shoots that are too long can be shortened all year round. 12
In summer, a sunny, sheltered spot outside is ideal. To overwinter, the tropical plant needs a bright, frost-free location with temperatures of 5-10 °C, e.g. an unheated winter garden, a stairwell, a cellar or a frost-free garage.
Danger of confusion:
The leaf stalks of the Ichang lemon or Ichang papeda ( Citrus ichangensis ) are winged just like those of the kaffir lime ( Citrus hystrix ). This evergreen citrus plant is very frost-resistant (-15 °C) and, according to Wikipedia, very popular as a slow-growing grafting rootstock for oranges. 13 The aroma of the Ichang lemon leaves does not come close to that of the kaffir lime leaves. There is no danger of poisoning.
General information:
The kaffir lime leaves belong to the kaffir lime ( Citrus hystrix ), also called kaffir lime, Mauritius papeda or makrut. From a botanical point of view, it belongs to the order of soapberry plants (Sapindales), the family of rue plants (Rutaceae) and the genus of citrus plants ( Citrus ). The kaffir lime is classified in the subgenus Papeda , which is why it is not so closely related to the citrus fruits we know. Hence the rarely used Latin name Citrus papeda .
Alternative names:
Where the name kaffir lime comes from is not clear. In colonial times, a "kaffir" was a very derogatory term for people of color. In South Africa, this was the name given to an ethnic group during the apartheid era. This term is now banned there. The Arabic meaning of kafir, "infidel" or "village", in the sense of "backward" does not allow any clear conclusions to be drawn about the meaning of the name of this type of lime.
Since "kafir" means unbeliever in Arabic, the use of this term is questionable, as is the term kaffir lime. The leaves are also called kaffir leaves, lime leaves and sometimes Indian or Indonesian lemon leaves.
In English, the fruit is commonly known as makrut lime, Thai lime, wild lime, kieffer lime or kaffir lime. The leaves are called kaffir lime leaves or Indonesian lime leaves. The fruit itself is also known in German as Thai lime, limonelle or kaffir lemon. In French, it is called combava. In Indonesia, it is called jeruk purut and the leaves are called daun jeruk purut.
Other uses:
Another way to use kaffir lime leaves is to add them to a hot bath. This way, their fresh, sweet scent fills the entire bath. You can also put the crushed leaves in an aroma lamp instead of the essential oil. If your skin is not too sensitive and no negative reactions occur, the leaves can also be used as a body scent or a light perfume. To do this, rub the crushed kaffir lime leaves into your hands or temples. The juice of the kaffir lime (fruit) is also used as a cleaning agent for clothes and hair (in Thailand and Cambodia). In Cambodia, the use of holy water with kaffir lime fruit slices for religious ceremonies is common. 14
The scent of the Mauritius Papeda also has an insecticidal effect, e.g. as a mothball substitute or against mosquitoes. 15
Literature - Sources:
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