kaffir lime

American  

[kuh-feer lahym] / kəˈfɪər ˈlaɪm /

Also Kaffir lime; sometimes makrut lime

noun

Sometimes Offensive.

1. an Asian citrus tree, Citrus hystrix, having green fruit with wrinkly skin and aromatic leaves that are used in Southeast Asian cooking.

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Usage

Although the development of its name is not entirely certain, the kaffir in kaffir lime looks like a word that is used as a racial slur against Black people in South Africa. Because of that association, some people instead refer to this fruit as the makrut lime.

Etymology

Origin of kaffir lime

First recorded in 1820–30; Kaffir ( def. ) + lime ¹ ( def. ); sense development unclear; possibly named after the Sri Lankan Kaffirs, an ethnic group partly descended from enslaved Bantu Africans

Example Sentences

You absolutely must order the creamy sweet potato in a coconut tiger milk with kaffir lime ceviche.

From Salon • Jul. 24, 2022

Dinner, served in the temple, was corn chowder, green-curry king salmon over kaffir lime rice, and a trio of sorbets.

From Washington Post • Oct. 18, 2019

English speakers flocked to Bangkok Market to seek out kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce and curry paste.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 18, 2018

But the flavor is all herbs, half registered as fragrance — galangal and sun-baked earth, bright threads of kaffir lime leaves, and cilantro roots, subtler and more profound than the stems.

From New York Times • May 10, 2018

Again, if you can’t get fresh kaffir lime leaves, just leave them out.

From The Guardian • Mar. 18, 2017