Kaffir lime leaves |
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| Citrus hystrix |
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| Rutaceae | |
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| Leech lime, markut lime, Mauritius pepeda, kaffir lime | |
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| Ba khut (Northern) (Rattana Phromphichai, 1999, p. 50). Som ma krut (Central), som krut, som thua phi (Southern), ma hut (Nongkhai). (Kanchana Diwiset, et al., 1999, p. 179) | |
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| Tree, 2-8 m. tall, woody, smooth bark, stalk and stem thorny. Leaves thick, green, fragrant, shiny, smooth, with a single leaflet, double-leaf shape. Flowers white, like lemon flowers, fragrant. Fruit the same size as lemon, with rough peel when young, yellow when ripe. (Kanchana Diwiset, 1999, p. 179) | |
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Juice contains citric acid and vitamin C, carbohydrates, fiber, protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, Vitamin A, B1 and B2 and niacin as well as volatile oil (Phak Phuen Ban Ahan Phuen Mueang, 2007, p. 67). Leaves are used in cooking to get rid of the unpleasant odor, e.g. curry, tom yam, tom khlong. Fruit is put in kaeng the pho, khanom chin namphrik, pla chao, lon plara, sour soup, kaeng khua. Peels are used in chili paste. Lanna people use kaffir lime juice in fish soup, or soup with other aquatic animal meat, melon soup, kaeng ho, tam khanun, kaeng om (with meat). Leaves are sliced and added to pulverized roasted dry chilies to eat with steamed mushrooms and no-o, crispy fried to eat with lap (pork or chicken) and lu. (Rattana Phromphichai, 1999, p. 50; Thianchai Suthanin, personal communication, June 20, 2007) |
Fruit is pickled and used to purify the blood, relieve gas, aid in menstruation, treat a stuffy feeling, scurvy (Kanchana Diwiset, et al., 1999, p. 179). The juice of roasted fruit is mixed in honey to coat a new born infants tongue or made into a shampoo. (Kanchana Diwiset, et al., 1999, p. 179) and the rind is mixed with fragrant candles, etc. The juice can be used to wash the feet after standing in the paddy field water or merely boiled with some herbaceous plants to wash the hair with. Lanna medicine uses kaffir lime in medicine for gastritis and for boosting the appetite. (Rattana Phromphichai, 1999, p. 50) | |
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| All year round | |
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Kanchana Diwiset, et al., comp. (1999). Phak Phuen Ban Phak Klang. Kanchana Diwiset, ed. Nonthaburi: Project on Text Development, Institute of Traditional Thai Medicine. (in thai). Phak Phuen Ban Ahan Phuen Mueang. (2007). Bangkok: Fa Aphai Co., Ltd. (in thai). Rattana Phromphichai. (1999). Krut, Ba. inSaranukrom Wattanatham Thai Phak Nuea (Vol. 1,p. 50-51). Bangkok: Siam Commercial Bank Foundation for the Encyclopedia of Thai Culture. (in thai). |
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