Firm, without blackish spots.

Zest and leaf have a different taste.

Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator crisper. Fruit that is frozen will lose its flavor.

To avoid an unpleasant bitterness, grate only the green layer of the zest, avoiding the white pith.

To use with a delicately-flavored ingredient, blanch the zests for a few moments to make the flavor milder and add the zest to your recipe at the last moment.

With its sour notes, kaffir lime offers flavors of citronella, young ginger and fresh coriander.

The flavor of the leaves is reminiscent of verbena, but with a warmer, more penetrating note. Kaffir lime leaves can be used with fish or chicken, and to flavor sauces, broths or rice dishes. When dried, they lose some of their flavor.

The zest has a unique taste and is widely used. It pairs very well with desserts, such as chocolate or praline custard, fig tart or panna cotta.

You might find it used in kaffir lime crusted lamb loin, sweet potato gratin, or roasted tilapia and chorizo on spiced peppers with kaffir lime-scented couscous. Its uniquely intense aroma and slight bitterness make it well-suited as well to sweet recipes, such as kaffir lime chocolate millefeuilles, vanilla tea sauce, warm kaffir lime soufflé with strawberry coulis, etc.

The pulp and juice are seldom used, as they are considered to be too bitter. Some chefs dare to use a few drops, but do so sparingly.

Add some kaffir lime to a cauliflower purée, or use with a drizzle of olive oil on some crispy florets.

To flavor a sauce
In the isalnds, coconut milk is flavored with kaffir lime zest and then used to cook vegetables or baked fish with a touch of curry. .

In a broth, from Pierre Gagnaire
Finely slice a leek and sweat it in butter and olive oil for 5 minutes; add water, bring to the boil, add 2 softened sheets of gelatin and cook gently, covered, for 15 minutes. Add 2 sticks of lemon grass and 5 kaffir lime leaves, cover and infuse until cool. Strain the broth and freeze in small bags, if desired. Be careful the liquid is not too cold so that you can evenly distribute the fat.

Just before serving, emulsify the broth if desired by whisking in a knob of cold butter and some chopped kaffir lime leaves. The broth is excellent with steamed lobster or rock lobster. It can be served in a cup, accompanied by sticky rice or spaghetti with olive oil and lemon.

In Reunion Island
It is used in making samosas, curries, tomato rougail, chili sauces and flavored rums (use sparingly because the flavor is intense!) It also goes into the preparation of pork products such as pâté and sausage, and into Reunion's "nouvelle cuisine" that might include guinea fowl or fish with kaffir lime, or even kaffir lime liqueurs.