Kaffir Lime Leaf

Where it comes from

The leaves come from Citrus hystrix, a knobby-fruited lime native to Southeast Asia. The tree is grown across Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, and is increasingly common in Hawaii and California. The leaves have a distinctive double-lobed shape, almost like a figure-8.

Flavor & pairing

The leaves carry essential oils that smell more intensely citrus than the fruit itself — bright, floral, slightly bitter, with a faintly piney clean finish. The flavor is irreplaceable; lime zest comes close but lacks the floral depth. Kaffir lime leaves complement coconut milk, fish sauce, chili, ginger, and lemongrass.

How it’s used

Thai tom yum and tom kha are unimaginable without bruised leaves in the broth. Thai green and red curry pastes pound them in. Cambodian amok steamed fish curries depend on them. Indonesian and Malaysian rendang and Indonesian soto tuck leaves into long simmers. Modern bartenders rim cocktails with shredded leaf.

Trade history

Many publications and producers now prefer “makrut lime leaf” because “kaffir” carries a colonial-era slur in southern Africa.