Do you have a Vietnamese name for it?

I've been checking around and all that I'm finding are kaffir limes themselves. And you can use the fruit of the rather gnarled looking kaffir limes.

They've been selling the fruits in local expat groceries as well as the leaves in the Thai shops.

Needless to say that I bought a pack of kaffir limes and now have a couple of week old sprouts just putting on their first tiny leaves.

Citrus hystrix is the genus and species.

The VNmese name is very general: "cay chanh", which literally translates as lime/lemon tree.

Cady, I did a google search and under "Citrus hystrix" shows the Kaffir/Kieffer lime. So, it's not it.

The lime tree I'm looking for has leaves thinner and softer than the Kaffir/Kieffer lime. As young, I've never seen the fruit since it won't fruit in South Vietnam.

Unless, it's a different specie of the Kaffir lime?

Thanks for your reply.

Natalie,
From what I found on the 'net, it seems that C. hystrix is the only lime whose leaves have a culinary use. I'm guessing that what your mother referred to may be a variety of C. hystrix. It's possible for trees of the same species to produce varieties that vary in leaf size given different environments and growing conditions.

Could it be that they might even be a hybrid of C. hystrix and another species, such as C. medica "limetta" (a lime-like citron)?

Aren't all lime leaves edible? I have lived both in Saigon and Hanoi and we never cared what kind of lime leaves to put in foods. In Northern VN they use chopped lime leaves for chicken noodle soup but not Southern. I once used lime leaves here in the States to steam with clamp and I didn't see any differences between Hanoi lime or American lime. They all smell good :) I can tell the diff. with kaffir lime but all others are the same to me. TT

Cady, thanks for the info. I'll check it out.

TT, one possible reason why in VN we don't care what kind of lime leaves we put in food is because there aren't many variety grown in VN. However, from my experience, the taste is different, especially from the lime tree that I'm looking for.

YoYo, I believe that lime leaves are all edible, but the C. hystrix leaves have that particular flavor that works so well in Southeast Asian cooking.

Another identifier for Thai lime seems to be the shape of the fruit. It has a bumpy, rough rind compared to the smooth skin of other limes. So, if you see the tree in fruit, that will be a good indicator of whether it's Thai lime or another variety - or hybrid.

C hystrix exists in VN and is called "trái thanh-trúc" or "trái trúc" in Vietnamese.

Does anyone have fresh Kaffir lime seeds they can send me? I'm in the U.S.

Citrus hystrix, is given the common name Kaffir lime in this country. It is S African term used like the "N" word there. In the botanical gardens where I have seen it growing it is given the common name Magrud lime; In Thailand and Laos where it is used in almost every dish, it is called Bai magrud. The young leaves are smaller, softer and lighter green, but they have the characteristic hour glass shape. The S.E Asian folks I know use the mature
leaves. The Vietnamese don't use it much. I have two right now, and had another that I let freeze 2-3 years ago. The peel is used in curry paste.

Probably Kafir Lime Leaves!

This is probably not the one, but the Persian lime tree has very thin leaves and they are incredibly fragrant. More fragrant than most of my other limes tree varieties especially if you crush them with your fingers. I haven't tried to use them in cooking but I might. The limes are great too.

I also have the Kaffir lime which is usually what I use for cooking. I also use the rind from the Kaffir limes.

sounds like it could be a cross to me too;

here's an interesting one:

http://users.kymp.net/citruspages/limes.html#merdeka

update:

also found out that the papeda family all have the double leaf! so it could be a yuzu (which purportedly also have scented leaves) or perhaps a khasi papeda (which supposedly looks just like a makrut but has more edible fruit!).

i sometimes buy ponzu made with yuzu (the good stuff is made this way) and have seen yuzu trees sometimes in stock at the local home depot; might have to try one!

the khasi is also super intriguing; although seems really rare.

This post was edited by farm96744 on Mon, Mar 3, 14 at 16:09

I recently bought a Kaffir Lime tree and was wondering if it is a true seed? If I am asking incorrectly, I would like to know if the seed from my future fruit will grow into a tree and grow the traditional fruit also.Thank you in advance for your help.