73Ugly fruitsand vegetables areenjoying unprecedented
attention as a way to fight food waste. But even among the
most misshapen potatoes and bruised tomatoes,
black limes stand out. They resemble pingpong
balls that have been marinated in mud.
What they lack in looks they make up
for in personality: a jolt of fragrant, pun-
gent tang that evokes a Middle Eastern spice
counter. “Black limes have that addic-
tive, slightly sweet Sour Patch
Kids tartness,” says chef Timon
Balloo. At his eponymous
new Caribbean restaurant in
Miami, he grates the dried
fruit on chunks of roasted
squash, then encourages din-
ers to mix it all up. “If you don’t
have lime with every bite, you’re
missing out on the heart of the
dish,” he says.
The limes, now
sourced from places
as diverse as Egypt
and Guatemala,
originated in Oman.
The citrus is boiled
in salt water and then
sun-dried, making it
rock-hard—there’s no juice
to squeeze, so they’re often
ground over a dish. The limes can vary in shades from black
to “white,” really more of a nut brown. The darker ones have
spent more time drying out and have an earthier funkiness;
the lighter ones are more bitter.
The limes started getting attention in the U.S. a decade
ago, and momentum has built as interest in Middle Eastern
FOOD Bloomberg Pursuits January 27, 2020
It may not look appetizing,
but this sun-dried citrus is
winning over top chefs with its
funky flavor. By Kate Krader
Photograph by Danny KimBlack Is the
New Lime
ingredients such as za’atar increases.
The New York luxury spice purveyor
La Boîte sold around 1,750 pounds of
the limes in 2019, about three times
more than in the previous year. “It’s
a dramaticenoughrisethatmysup-
pliersaskme,‘What’sgoingonwith
blacklimes?’” says owner Lior Lev
Sercarz, who sells them by mail order
($12 for a 3-ounce container) and sup-
plies them to Eric Ripert, Michael
Solomonov, and other chefs.
“Black limes throw in a surprise
twist,” Solomonov says. “They are not
perishable, not super expensive, can
travel really far, and are really deli-
cious. The way that black garlic inten-
sifies with age and heat—black limes
do a similar thing,butaddmusk
and funk.”
Rodrick Markushasexperienceda
similarincrease
athisspecialtyingredient store,
Rare Tea Cellar, in Chicago.
In 2019 he sold about
3,000 pounds of black limes
to places such as Moody
Tongue, a local brewery that
uses them to flavor a
wheat beer, and
chefs, including
Grant Achatz,
who infuses
them in a jet-
black Korean-
style sauce for
octopusathisthree-
Michelin-star Alinea.
Achatz then treats the dried cit-
rus like a pricey truffle, grating
it tableside. “The aroma when
they are microplaned is explo-
sive and super unique,” he says.
“We typically let guests hold and
smell them, too.”
The fruit has also
becomea favoriteamong
bartenders, who like the
way the citrus wakes
up other flavors. Aaron
Deary, who runs the bar at the
Lebanese cafe Suraya in Philadelphia, makes a tea with the
limes, then adds it to one of his best-selling drinks, the gin-
based Poet. “A lot of people ask about it,” he says. “We call it
limon amani, because it sounds better than black limes.” <BW>Joon Spice Rice
Adapted from
The Spice Companion,
by Lior Lev Sercarz1 tsp fennel seeds
4 small dried limes,
preferably a mix of
black and white
3 tbsp dried tarragon
leaves
2 tbsp dried dill
Uncooked riceToast fennel seeds
in a small skillet
over medium heat,
stirring until fragrant.
Transfer to a bowl
to cool. Grind all
spices together.
Use a teaspoon of
the blend per cup
of uncooked rice to
season the liquid you
use to boil it.INSIDER INGREDIENT