Kaffir Lime Tree ( also known as Makroot leaf tree)

These folks come a couple of times a year to harvest the leaves of the huge Kaffir lime tree that grows in our back yard , they sell the leaves to the local restuarants and also send to the market to sell , the leaves are used for lots of Thai food dishes and a must for the Thai soup call Tum Yum , one of my favorite spices for cooking a lot of stir fr

y dishes. Ciejay likes it when they come to gather the fresh young leaves , they pay her. Have you ever tried or cooked with the makroot leaves , if not give it a try you'll love the flavor it will add to your dish . Kaffir limeFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Citrus hystrix, commonly known in English as kaffir lime, is a fruit native to Indochinese and Malesian ecoregions in India, Philippines, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, and adjacent countries. It is used in Southeast Asian cuisine. Contents [hide] 1 Common names 2 Description 3 Uses 3.1 Cuisine 3.2 Medicinal 3.3 Other uses 3.4 Cultivation 4 Main constituents 5 See also 6 References Common names[edit source | editbeta]English: kaffir lime; French:[2] citron combera, citron ridé; Indonesian/Malay: jeruk obat, jeruk purut, limau purut; Khmer: krô:ch saë:ch;[2] Thai magrood;[3] also known as combava, kieffer lime, makrut lime or kabuyao/cabuyao.[4] Description[edit source | editbeta]Citrus hystrix is a thorny bush, 5-10m tall, with aromatic and distinctively shaped "double" leaves. The kaffir lime is a rough, bumpy green fruit. The green lime fruit is distinguished by its bumpy exterior and its small size (approx. 4 cm (2 in) wide). Kaffir lime leaves are used in some South East Asian cuisines such as Indonesian, Lao, Cambodian, and Thailand (มะกรูด).Cuisine[edit source | editbeta]The rind of the kaffir lime is commonly used in Lao and Thai curry paste, adding an aromatic, astringent flavor.[3] The zest of the fruit is used in creole cuisine to impart flavor in "arranged" rums in the Martinique, Réunion island and Madagascar. However, it is the hourglass-shaped leaves (comprising the leaf blade plus a flattened, leaf-like leaf-stalk or petiole) that are used most often in cooking. They can be used fresh or dried, and can be stored frozen. The leaves are widely used in Thai[3] and Lao cuisine (for dishes such as tom yum), and Cambodian cuisine (for the base paste "Krueng"). Kaffir lime leaves are used in Vietnamese cuisine with chicken to add fragrance. They are also used when steaming snails to decrease the pungent odor while cooking. The leaves are also used in Indonesian cuisine (especially Balinese cuisine and Javanese cuisine), for foods such as sayur asam, and are used along with Indonesian bay leaf for chicken and fish. They are also found in Malaysian[5] and Burmese cuisines. The juice is generally regarded as too acidic to use in food preparation. In Cambodia, the entire fruit is crystallized/candied for eating.[2] Medicinal[edit source | editbeta]The juice and rinds are used in traditional Indonesian medicine; for this reason the fruit is referred to in Indonesia as jeruk obat ("medicine citrus"). The oil from the rind has strong insecticidal properties. Other uses[edit source | editbeta]The juice finds use as a cleanser for clothing and hair in Thailand and very occasionally in Cambodia. Lustral water mixed with slices of the fruit is used in religious ceremonies in Cambodia. MaxRoot gel is made of kaffir lime extract and has been used since old age in the northern parts of Thailand in a particular and secret way of preparation to maintain health and beauty of the Siam people’s shiny hair. Cultivation[edit source | editbeta]Citrus hystrix is grown worldwide in suitable climates as a garden shrub for home fruit production. It is well suited to container gardens and for large garden pots on patios, terraces, and in conservatories.