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Makrut lime leaves

Fresh herbs · Fresh herbs

Makrut lime leaves

Glossy double-lobed citrus leaves with an intense floral-lime aroma, used in Thai and Indonesian dishes.

Also called: kaffir lime leaves, bai makrut, daun jeruk

A kind of fresh herbs

18 recipes with it

Read the full spice guide: flavour, history and how to use it

Photo: Herusutimbul, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-4.0)

What it is

Makrut lime leaves come in distinctive figure-of-eight pairs, dark green and leathery. They have an intense, perfumed citrus aroma, quite different from lime zest. They are torn or shredded very finely for salads, or added whole to curries and soups and not eaten.

Citrus hystrix

How it’s used

  • Thai curries and curry pastes
  • Tom yum and tom kha soups
  • Shredded into fishcakes and salads
  • Indonesian rendang and sambals

Characteristics

Aroma
Perfumed, floral, intense lime.
Texture
Tough and leathery; shred finely if eating.
Sold as
fresh, frozen, dried
Cooking uses
Commonly cooked, Mainly a seasoning

Storage

Frozen. Keep a week or two in the fridge in a bag, or freeze in a bag; frozen leaves keep their aroma well.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Lime — Use finely grated zest of a lime for 2–3 leaves; less floral.

Related ingredients

Recipes with makrut lime leaves

See all 18

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