Fruits Info

Lime is the smallest member of the true citrus family and carries the native of Southeast Asia or India. It would be difficult to figure out when the lime was first taken into cultivation as surviving document do not like to distinguish it form other citrus fruits. An Indian medical work c. 100 CE refers lime as “Jambira” as latter Arabic works seem to have used two words while referring to both. In Western World, lime was first introduced by Sir Thomas Herbert in 1677 when he referenced a site nearer to coast of Mozambiqu.

While limes are the most prominent in tropical regions, lemons are the major acid citrus fruits in the subtropics. The lime, in its very acidic form which will have, one and one-half times, as much acid as a lemon of the equal weight: but there are various kinds of limes which are sweet ones. There are basically three types of lime.

Tahitian: Tahitian limes are large, with a pale, finely-grained pulp and a very acidic flavor.

Mexican: Mexican limes are smaller, with bright green skins and very aromatic flavors .

Key limes: Key limes are closely related to the Mexican and are a pale yellowish-green fruit, very juicy with strong, sharp flavors.They are the main ingredient of Florida's Key Lime Pie. Prior to Hurricane Andrew in 1992, 90% of US limes had a growth in Florida.

Growing lime in Mediterranean countries was not successful because they were not very hardy enough: but they did well in Egypt, where limes are found more plentiful than lemons. Limes are always picked up “green”, although limes will ripen to an orange color if it was left on tree. This is done may be because to differentiate between Lime and Lemon. Limes are well grown in West Indies, where the British Navy came to gather supplies to supplement their sailors' rations to help prevent scurvy. "Lime house", in London's docks, takes its name from the warehouses where the fruit was stored after arriving from the West Indies. India is also well known for producing small sweet lime with a greenish yellow ring and a non-acidic juice. It has a thin, fairly green skin and good amount of aromatic acidy flesh. . Unlike lemons, limes are grown in tropical regions and are an essential ingredient in South-East Asian, Mexican, Latin American, and Caribbean cooking.