K is for... Kaffir Lime

The leaves of this plant are what give Thai and Indonesian cooking their distinctive lime-lemon aroma and flavour.

The leaves of the kaffir lime plant are a glossy dark green. They come in two parts looking like two leaflets attached together end to end.

The fruit of the kaffir lime is about 2 inches in diameter with a rough and bumpy exterior.

The kaffir lime grows on a thorny bush and is well suited to growing in a container. It is native to Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. However, it is now also grown around the world as a backyard shrub.

As mentioned above, kaffir lime leves are absolutely essential for Thai cooking. They are used in everything, from soups to salads to curries and stir-fries. A doublet is considered to be one leaf.

The zest from the fruit is added to curry pastes and gives Thai food its unique citrus flavour.

Young, fresh leaves can be finely shredded and added to salads or used to garnish soups. Never substitute dried or frozen for this.

Dried or fresh leaves can be used for making soups as they are removed after cooking.

Thinly sliced fresh or crumbled dry leaves can be used in other dishes where the leaf is not removed.

The flavour from the kaffir lime combines well with basil, cardamom, chiles, cilantro, cumin, curry leaves, lemon grass, galangal, ginger, mint, tamarind, turmeric and coconut milk.

The juice of the kaffir lime fruit is considered to be too pungent for use in cooking but has many medicinal uses.

The zest is a digestive aid and is used in tonics for cleansing the blood.

The juice is included in many Thai ointments and shampoos where it leaves the hair clean and stimulates the scalp. It is also recommended for freshening the breath while brushing one's teeth as it is thought to promote gum health.

The juice has been used for a very long time as a natural stain remover as well.

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