Citrus hystrix
| Citrus hystrix | |
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| Citrus hystrix on sale | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Rutaceae |
| Genus: | Citrus |
| Species: | C. hystrix |
| Binomial name | |
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Citrus hystrix DC. |
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| Synonyms | |
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The kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix), sometimes referred to in English as the makrut lime or Mauritius papeda, is a citrus fruit native to tropical Asia, including India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
Its fruit and leaves are used in Southeast Asian cuisine and its essential oil is used in perfumery. Its rind and crushed leaves emit an intense citrus fragrance.
In English, the fruit is known as kaffir lime or makrut lime (magrood lime). The etymology of the name "kaffir lime" is uncertain, but most likely was used by Muslims because the plant grew in an area populated by non-Muslims. The Arabic word for non-Muslims is kafir.
Citrus hystrix is known as Jeruk Limau in Indonesia and kabuyaw, or kulubot, in the Philippines. The City of Cabuyao in the Province of Laguna got its name from the said fruit.
The Arabic word "kafir" means infidel or non-believer. It is a slur against black people that Islamic Arabic traders used for slaves, that became "kaffer," a slur used by the white population of South Africa akin to the slur "nigger" in the United States, and is considered to be highly offensive. The fruit is known more generally as a lime in Asia, or a makrut (mac-rit (US); mackroot (UK)) and there have been editorials and articles suggesting that the vendors of the seeds, limes, and leaves use the name makrut rather than kaffir.The Oxford Companion to Food recommends that the term "makrut lime" be favored over "kaffir lime" because of the word's offensive connotations.
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