Kaffir Lime

The Kaffir Lime has a long history of varied usages, from perfume, to shampoo, to insecticides, and as a key ingredient in many countries' culinary preparations. Still, with its long-appreciated history, its name remains controversial to this day.

The Kaffir Lime is known by many other names and spellings. Kafir lime, Caffre lime, Kieffer lime, Makrut, Magodo, or simply Thai lime. Noteworthy is the fact that the name Kaffir is a terribly offensive word in many parts of the Middle East and Africa.

Citrus hystrix was first named Kaffir in 1824 by Augustin Pyramus Candolle, a renown Swiss botanist, who at the time headed the University of Montpellier in the southeast of France.

Candolle received seed from the famous Garden of Mauritius, an island off the coast of Madagascar. The plants from which the seeds originated from were thought to be from Thailand or Sri Lanka, where an ethnic group known as the Kaffirs lived.

The name, it is said, originates from an Indian Arabic term that conveys otherness and exotic provenance. The origins of the name continue to rage in horticultural circles.

The Kieffer (alternative spelling) Lime, as some have chosen to call it, now represents an important part of Thai, Indonesian, Chinese, Philippine, and Vietnamize cooking. The leaves are the primary part used in many dishes. They can be fresh, dried or frozen. The powerful essence from the rind is also used for many applications as well. In Creole cooking, the zest is infused into rum to add flavor.

For the chef, growing the Kieffer lime tree may be the best alternative to trying to buy the leaves and or fruit. Both can be quite difficult to find and can be quite expensive. The trees are easy to grow and are widely adapted.