The market · Fruit · The Americas, Southeast Asia
Lime juice
The acid of most sours, and a fickle one: about 6% acid, roughly two parts citric to one malic, and at its best a few hours after squeezing — not a week later.
sharp · floral · bitter edge
What to do with it
Ibu Sari's Beef rendangLime juice would cut through its richnessAna Etxarri's Pil pilLime juice would cut through its richnessTolu Adeyemi's SuyaLime juice would cut through its richnessTolu Adeyemi's Rendang, the Lagos wayLime juice would cut through its richness
MinangkabauDendeng baladoBeef sliced thin, dried or boiled, fried until crisp, then tossed through a coarse, oily sambal of red chilli and shallot.No one here has made it yetBalineseSambal matahA raw sambal of sliced shallot, lemongrass, chilli and lime leaf, with toasted shrimp paste and lime, dressed in hot coconut oil.No one here has made it yetBalineseIkan bakar JimbaranWhole fish split, brushed with a spice paste and kecap manis, and grilled over coconut husks, with sambal and rice.No one here has made it yet
ThaiTom yumA hot and sour broth scented with lemongrass, galangal and lime leaf, sharpened with lime and fish sauce — usually with prawns.No one here has made it yet
ThaiSom tamShredded green papaya pounded with chilli, garlic, lime, fish sauce and palm sugar, with tomatoes, long beans and peanuts.No one here has made it yetThaiLarbMinced meat cooked briefly and dressed warm with lime, fish sauce, chilli and toasted ground rice, with shallot, mint and coriander.No one here has made it yet
VietnameseBún chảGrilled pork patties and pork belly in a warm, sweet-sour fish sauce dressing, with cold rice noodles and herbs.No one here has made it yet
VietnameseGỏi cuốnRice paper wrapped round prawns, pork, rice noodles, lettuce and herbs, eaten fresh with a dipping sauce.No one here has made it yet
VietnameseNước chấmFish sauce thinned with water, sharpened with lime, sweetened with sugar, with garlic and chilli floating on top.No one here has made it yetVietnameseBánh xèoA thin, crisp pancake of rice flour, coconut milk and turmeric, folded round pork, prawns and bean sprouts, wrapped in leaves and herbs and dipped in nước chấm.No one here has made it yetBengaliKolkata kathi rollA flaky paratha fried with a beaten egg on one side, then rolled around skewered kebab, raw onion, green chilli and lime — Kolkata's street food.No one here has made it yetGoanCafrealChicken marinated in a bright green paste of coriander, green chilli, garlic, ginger, spice and lime or vinegar, then pan-fried until charred at the edges.No one here has made it yetSri LankanPol sambolFresh grated coconut rubbed with chilli, red onion, Maldive fish, lime and salt until pink and fragrant.No one here has made it yetPersianFaloodehFine starch noodles frozen in rose-water syrup to a crunchy, icy sorbet, sharpened with lime juice or sour cherry syrup.No one here has made it yet
MexicanCochinita pibilPork marinated in achiote and bitter orange, wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooked until it falls apart.No one here has made it yetJamaicanJerk chickenChicken steeped in a hot, fragrant paste of scotch bonnet, allspice, spring onion and thyme, then smoked slowly over pimento wood.No one here has made it yetJamaicanEscovitch fishWhole fried fish drenched in hot, peppery vinegar with onion, carrot, sweet pepper and scotch bonnet.No one here has made it yet
PeruvianCevicheRaw white fish cut into chunks and cured briefly in lime juice with red onion, chilli and salt.No one here has made it yetPeruvianPan con chicharrónPork simmered then fried in its own fat, in a crusty roll with fried sweet potato and salsa criolla.No one here has made it yet
PeruvianSalsa criollaRed onion sliced thin and soaked, dressed with lime, ají, coriander and salt.No one here has made it yetBrazilianMoqueca baianaFish, or prawns, stewed in coconut milk and dendê palm oil with tomato, peppers, onion, lime and coriander.No one here has made it yetThe cocktail barDaiquiriWhite rum, lime and sugar, shaken hard: the benchmark sour, and the drink a bartender is most often judged by.No one here has made it yetGoes with
Cooked with, here
How much, here
8–8% of the dish by weight — a place to start.
Knowing it
- Where to buy
- Heavy, thin-skinned limes that give a little when pressed. Squeeze on the day; bottled juice tastes cooked.
- Worth knowing
- Lime juice changes within hours — many bartenders think it's best between two and four hours old. When it's scarce or bitter, super juice or acid-adjusted orange does the job.
