Sweet Limes

Meet sweet limes that look like lemons and taste like candy.

Believe it.

I found these at the Santa Clara farmers market last weekend, selling for $2 a pound. I had to do a double-take when I spied the sign that stated that these bright yellow fruit were limes.

Yup, limes that look like rounder lemons and have barely any acid in them. You can peel them and eat them out of hand as you would a tangerine with no resulting pucker whatsoever. The peel smells of lemon and the flesh tastes like a sweet, watered down version of a lime crossed with a grapefruit.

...still look like tangy lemons -- but they're not.

Super juicy and refreshing, sweet limes are native to South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Mediterranean, according to Wikipedia.

They’d be great tossed into a fruit salad or a green one with fennel.

Or just hand a whole one to a friend to eat and watch the reaction.

More Intriguing Produce: Real Wasabi

And: Buddha’s Hand

And: Finger Limes

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Date: Wednesday, 16. February 2011 5:25
Trackback: Trackback-URL Category: Fruit, General

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24 comments

  1. VeggieGirl
    Wednesday, 16. February 2011 6:01
    1

    Oooh I want to try those!

  2. Rosa
    Wednesday, 16. February 2011 6:40
    2

    What an interesting produce.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  3. Heavenly Housewife
    Wednesday, 16. February 2011 7:41
    3

    I love coming across this fabulous “new” items and learning how to incorporate them into my cooking and baking.
    *kisses* HH

  4. D-Wine Guy
    Wednesday, 16. February 2011 7:51
    4

    Those sound really interesting! I’ll have to look for them at my local farmer’s market next time I’m there.

  5. Bren
    Wednesday, 16. February 2011 8:00
    5

    Now these look like some good candy! I’ve seen yellowish limes, but not all the way like yours. Aren’t farmers’ markets the best to find great things! Nice to have found your blog!

  6. Kathy - Panini Happy
    Wednesday, 16. February 2011 9:02
    6

    How cool! There are so many interesting citrus variations out there. My 3yo likes to eat conventional limes, I can’t stand to watch. :-)

  7. Pau
    Wednesday, 16. February 2011 9:06
    7

    that’s probably a mexican lima from the desctiption you did. they’re amazing for making marmalade and cake :)

  8. Tami
    Wednesday, 16. February 2011 9:39
    8

    I bet they’d make great lime bars. :)

  9. Denise @There's a Newf in My Soup!
    Wednesday, 16. February 2011 9:39
    9

    I just love wandering through the Farmers’ Market on a weekend morning! I’ve discovered so many fruits, veggies and other unique products, and it’s so educational chatting with the people who bring them all to market.

  10. Single Guy Ben
    Wednesday, 16. February 2011 10:03
    10

    Is this considered a variety of a lime or a lemon? And does it have a name? It’ll be sad, though, if you saw a lemon and thought it was a lime and bit into it. No matter how much I love lemons, I don’t think I could simply just bite into them! ;-)

  11. Barbara
    Wednesday, 16. February 2011 10:44
    11

    Amazing. I live in Florida and have never seen them. Will look more closely when next I go to the market.
    I have had Buddha’s hand …such fun and nobody has a clue.

  12. Alejandra Ramos
    Wednesday, 16. February 2011 11:01
    12

    These are SO cool! I’ve never seen anything like it. I’d love to try them. Wonder if I could find something like that around here…

  13. tigerfish
    Wednesday, 16. February 2011 12:47
    13

    Never seen them in SE Asia…awww…what have I been doing????

    Now, we should also look out for the sour “sweetest fruit”, ya? ;p

  14. Andrea@WellnessNotes
    Wednesday, 16. February 2011 13:10
    14

    I love citrus, and especially the “milder” versions… I’ll have to look for these! I go to several Farmers’ Markets in the area but have never been to the one in Santa Clara…

  15. Ana Powell
    Wednesday, 16. February 2011 14:13
    15

    Congratulations for winning the 100$ NOVICA gift certificate.
    Have a great week ♥

  16. polwig
    Wednesday, 16. February 2011 17:23
    16

    Those look totally like lemons… I have to look for them in Virginia

  17. anna
    Wednesday, 16. February 2011 18:41
    17

    Um, yum! I want some.

  18. foodgal
    Wednesday, 16. February 2011 20:17
    18

    Ana: Thanks so much. I was shocked when Rosa at Rosa’s Yummy Yums blog told me I’d won. As many giveaways that I hold on my own blog, it’s rare that I win any on other blogs. I guess my luck has changed. LOL

  19. mycookinghut
    Thursday, 17. February 2011 0:19
    19

    I m a great fan of citrus! I love the shape n hopefully I can find some in London!

  20. Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella
    Thursday, 17. February 2011 1:26
    20

    They sound so interesting! Although like you I would have just thought that they were lemons. Maybe they should make them a different colour altogether! :P Joking :P

  21. Tastes of Home (Jen)
    Friday, 18. February 2011 4:15
    21

    Intriguing! They do look like lemons. Native to S.East Asia? Must not be Malaysia then..don’t think I’ve ever seen these…Gorgy pics!

  22. Taz
    Saturday, 19. February 2011 16:16
    22

    oohh, these sound interesting! I hope I see them around sometime!

  23. otehlia cassidy
    Sunday, 20. February 2011 20:39
    23

    Amazing! We had some great little limes in Mali recently–from Algeria, I heard–that were superb. Amazing how these little fruit can be so varied.

  24. Food Gal » Blog Archiv » There’s A New Citrus in Town — and It’s a Sumo
    Tuesday, 29. March 2011 5:27
    24

    [...] More Fun Citrus: Sweet Liimes [...]

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