MOUEEL
EN ⌄
herbcitrus · floral · perfumed · green · zesty

Makrut lime leaf

Smells more of lime than lime does. Shred it to threads or it eats like a laurel hedge.

on its own
0.0sour
0.0sweet
0.0savoury
2.0bitter
0.0umami
order · canon first

1 of these 14 are wild — theory says yes, nobody has cooked them. why →

14 pairings for Makrut lime leaf.

Lemongrass

classic

Citral and citronellal, same citrus family, different halves of the note.

Salt-funk needs a perfumed lid rather than another savoury layer.

The leaf gives a cool citrus ceiling for capsaicin to burn underneath.

Chicken

common

Poached in coconut broth, the leaf does what a marinade never could.

Lime

common

Leaf gives aroma, fruit gives acid. Neither one covers for the other.

Shred it into the steamer basket. The oils travel on water vapour.

Crab

uncommon

Delicate brown meat is fatty and sweet; shredded leaf is the only cut needed.

Pineapple

uncommon

Sharp esters and a perfumed leaf; the fruit stops tasting like a tin.

Ionone and citronellal both read floral. Pastry kitchens, not home kitchens.

Gin

rare

A lime-leaf infusion is what most botanical gins are unsuccessfully faking.

Cocoa butter fat plus citronellal: the lactones make the leaf read like perfume.