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(Text)ExOTIC SPICES- 231 –
Soil: Moist, sandy, well drained. Mix compost into the
soil to improve drainage.
Plant: Seeds, cuttings, or young plants; grafted trees
are easiest to grow.
Water: Regularly, when the soil feels dry beneath the
surface. Mist with water from a spray bottle to simulate
the humidity of the tropics.
Harvest: Snip off leaves as you need them, and harvest fruits when plump and ripe.
Care: Prune to encourage new leaf growth and healthy fruit production. Protect
from winds and frosts. Trees grown indoors will need to be hand-pollinated in order
to bear fruit.
Keep It Fresh
Store fresh leaves in a zip-tight plastic
bag in the freezer for up to a year. Leaves
can be dried for future use, but will lose
some of their potent flavor (see drying
tips on page 21). Only use dried leaves
in cooked, liquid-based dishes like soups
and curries; if slicing, reconstitute them
first by soaking in warm water.In the Kitchen
Dishes: Curries, soups, salads, pastes
Prep: Bruise whole leaves and add to
curries, soups, and marinades to infuse
their flavor; remove before serving. If the
leaves will be eaten, slice or shred very
finely, as the rubbery texture is difficult to
chew, and discard the vein at the center
of each leaf. For efficient and safe slicing,
stack a few same-size leaves on top of
one another and hold securely with one
hand; then slice through the stack with a
sharp kitchen knife. Grate the rind before
adding to a dish, taking care not to include the bitter pith. Or, use the rind whole to
infuse flavor and remove before serving.
Serve: The zesty flavor of makrut lime pairs harmoniously with other Asian season-
ings, especially lemongrass, garlic, cilantro, and ginger. The grated rind, or zest, is
often added to fried fish cakes, spicy soups, and curry pastes.SUBSTITUTIONS
- Lime juice or zest
- Lemon verbena
PAIRINGS
Fruits and Vegetables:
bamboo shoots, cabbage,
carrots, celery, eggplant, green
beans, mushrooms, onions, peas,
potatoes, shallots, tomatoes
Proteins: beans, beef, cashews,
chicken, duck, fish and seafood,
lamb, peanuts, pork
Seasonings: cardamom,
chili peppers, coriander seeds,
cumin, curry leaf, fish sauce,
galangal, garlic, ginger, holy basil,
lemongrass, lime juice and zest,
mint, pepper, rau ram, sesame
seeds, soy sauce, star anise,
tamarind, Thai basil, turmericJob:07-61264 Title:RacePoint - Herb and Spice Companion
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