From the Middle Eastern country of Oman, Omani limes are dried and the peels are brewed into tea. It is called dried lime tea, chai noomi Basra (photo courtesy Taste Of Beirut). See more about Omani limes below.
The Rangpur (Citrus x limonia Osbeck—see more below).
The Kusiae or Kusiae lime, believed to be a form of the Rangpur, with a more lime-like aroma. It is planted on Kusiae, or Strongs Island, in the Caroline Islands of Micronesia.
The Otaheite, or Otaite, orange, or Otaheite Rangpur (Citrus otaitensis Risso or Citrus taitensis Risso et Poit), thought to be a non-acid form of the Rangpur. Its origin is unknown, but it was introduced to the West (England and France) from Tahiti in 1813.
A small lime with a very strong flavor and fragrant aroma, the Omani is grown in the Middle Eastern country of Oman. It is preserved by boiling in salt water and then dried.
It is then used as a seasoning called amani, black lime, dried lime, loomi, lumi or omani. The dried peel is brewed into a tea.
Strongly flavored, with a slightly bitter, fermented flavor, it tastes typically sour and citrusy, but lacks the sweetness of a fresh lime.
PALESTINE/PALESTINIAN SWEET LIME, INDIAN SWEET LIME, or COMMON SWEET LIME
Citrus limettioides or Citrus lumia Risso et Poit, the Palestine sweet lime or limetta, is a hybrid, a cultivar of Citrus × limon, C. × limon 'Indian Lime,' a hybrid between a Mexican lime and a sweet lemon or sweet citron. The low-acid lime is believed to be native to India.
The low acidity meams the entire fruit i edible, like a peach or a pear.
In India, it is known as mosambi, mousambi or musamb. The lime is called limettier doux in French; lima dulce in Spanish; mitha limbu, mitha nimbu, or mitha nebu, in India (mitha meaning “sweet”); quit giay in Vietnam; limun helou or succari in Egypt; laymun-helo in Syria and Palestine.
It is chiefly cultivated in central and northern India, northern Vietnam, Egypt and the Mediterranean coast. It arrived in the U.S. from Saharanpur, India, in 1904; there is modest cultivation in California.
In the West Indies and Central America, it is eaten by cutting off the stem end, piercing the core with a knife and sucking out the juice. The fruit is eaten fresh in India, as well as cooked and preserved.
The peel contains essential oils and the tree is also used for ornamental purposes.
Citrus limettioides is often confused with the sweet lemon, Citrus limetta Tan., which, in certain areas, is referred to as “sweet lime.” See also Sweet Lime/Limetta.
Citrus x limonia Osbeck, the Rangpur lime, also called the Mandarin lime, hails from the Pacific Rim (Rangpur is a city in Bangladesh). It has an orange rind and orange fruit.
The name can be misleading because there are few similarities between the Rangpur and true limes: The Rangpur is highly acidic and can be used as a substitute for Tahitian and other widely-distributed limes. It is probably a lemon x Mandarin orange hybrid.
The Rangpur is believed to be of Indian origin. It was introduced into Florida in the late 19th century with seeds obtained from India.
The Rangpur limes has an orange rind and flesh. Here’s a recipe for Rangpur lime bars from Autumn Makes And does.
Other names include the Canton lemon (in South China), the Hime lemon (in Japan), the Cravo lemon (in Brazil), the Tahitian orange in the U.S., and the Mandarin lime. The Rangpur lime is generally candied or pickled. In the West, it is made into marmalade. It makes a superb marmalade, superior to the Seville, or sour, orange commonly used.
