These facts are as flavoursome as limes.
- Limes are a group of green coloured fruit from the family of Rutaceae, the family of citrus and rue, and they belong to the Citrus genus.
- There are a number of species of limes, including ‘Key’, ‘kaffir’, ‘desert’, ‘sweet’ and ‘Persian’, and they have various scientific names, while the Persian species are seedless and are the most commonly available.
- Limes are roughly spherical in shape, and their diameter ranges from 3 to 6 centimetres (1.2 to 2.4 inches).
- Limes are often sour or bitter in flavour, although some varieties are sweet, and while they are similar to lemons, they are generally more acidic.
- Most species of limes are believed to be native to Asia, and they were first grown extensively for financial purposes in the ancient civilisation Babylonia, once situated where modern Iran is located.
- Due to the pleasant aroma of limes, the fruit’s zest or juice is commonly used in mixtures for its smell, and the juice is commonly used to flavour beverages or condiments, while the zest provides flavour to other dishes.
- In the 1800s, limes, along with lemons, were used to avoid scurvy by sailors from Britain.
- In 2007, India was the top lime producer, with 16%, or approximately 2 million tonnes (2,271,000 tons) of the world production of a little over 13 million tonnes (14,365,000 tons).
- If ultraviolet light is directed at the skin of a person that has touched lime juice, the area of skin can become blistered, swollen or darker in colour.
- Limes are high in vitamin C, although not as high as lemons, and they have small quantities of many other vitamins and minerals.
Bibliography:
Lemon/Limes, 2014, The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=27
Lime (Fruit), 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lime_(fruit)
