Kaffir Lime Leaf: Aromatic Principle

Citrus hystrix is native to Southeast Asia and grows as a distinctive knobbly-skinned lime with double-lobed leaves. The leaf is used throughout Southeast Asian cooking; the zest of the knobbly rind is used in certain paste preparations; the juice is rarely used (it is less flavourful than regular lime for most cooking purposes). The leaf is known as bai magrood in Thai, bai gerfue in Lao.

Kaffir lime leaf (from Citrus hystrix, also called makrut lime) delivers a distinct, double-lobed leaf with an aromatic intensity that dried versions only approximate and that nothing else replicates. The primary aromatic compounds — citronellol, linalool, nerol — are intensely floral-citrus, qualitatively different from any other citrus leaf or zest. Even within citrus, kaffir lime leaf is unique: it is not lemon, not lime, not lemon verbena — it occupies its own aromatic territory that is immediately recognisable in any dish where it is present.