Limes – zesty and as irresistible as rumba
Some people think that limes are merely unripe lemons, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, limes are a different hybrid of the citrus family, and they also have a different flavour. Limes contain slightly less vitamin C than lemons and are a bit fussy when it comes to temperature, which is why they only grow in tropical and sub-tropical regions. But at heart the lime is the rebel of the citrus family. The bright green fruit doesn’t have the thick skin of a lemon, but its thin yet robust peel contains the lime’s raison d’être: its juice. It has twice the amount of juice than its bigger cousins, and that juice is truly a thing of zesty beauty: vibrant, fresh, super-tasty – a musical cascade of flavours. The intense flavour and unrivalled tartness makes lime juice a perfect ingredient in exotic cocktails and juice blends, in Asian and Mexican food. In many Latin American countries, lime juice is a basic ingredient in the national cocktail, like the Pisco Sour in Peru, the Caipirinha in Brazil, the Cuban Mojito and Daiquiri, the Margarita in Mexico. With all these starring roles, it almost makes you feel sorry for lemons!