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Dried lime (loomi)

Whole spices

Dried lime (loomi)

Whole limes dried until hard and dark, adding a deep, sour, musky flavour to Gulf and Persian stews.

Also called: loomi, black lime, omani lime, noomi basra, limoo amani

Around the world: loomi, noomi basra (ar) · limoo amani (fa)

  • Citrus & bright
  • Fruity & sour
  • Smoky & roasted
  • No heat
Buying & storing13 recipes

Photo: Theinfo, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-3.0)

Flavour and aroma

sour, musky, fermented, slightly bitter. Sour, earthy, musky, slightly bitter.

Heat
No heat
Forms
whole, ground

How to use it

  • crush · Dry grinding technique

    Pierce each lime 2–3 times with a knife tip, or crack it lightly, so the cooking liquid can enter. Add whole to stews such as ghormeh sabzi or machboos for the last 30–60 minutes.

  • grind · Dry grinding technique

    For powder, crack open, remove the seeds (they are bitter) and grind the shell; add to rice, rubs and soups a little at a time.

  • soak

    Soak 10 minutes in hot water before adding to a stew to soften and reduce bitterness.

  • Persian ghormeh sabzi and gheimeh
  • Gulf machboos and kabsa rice
  • Iraqi stews and soups
  • Ground into spice rubs and tea

Identifying good quality

Hollow, very light, hard limes, 2–4 cm across, ranging from tan to completely black. Black ones are more intense and earthy; tan ones are brighter. They should smell sharp and citrusy, not mouldy.

Origin and history

Origin: Developed in the Persian Gulf region (notably Oman) from small sour limes.. Grown and used: Used in Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE; available in Middle Eastern shops worldwide..

Dried limes are a long-established ingredient of Gulf Arab, Iraqi and Persian cooking, adding sourness and a fermented, musky depth to stews and rice dishes. The Iraqi name noomi Basra refers to the port of Basra, through which limes from Oman were traded.

Commonly told; not firmly documented

Recipes with dried lime (loomi)

4 more