Our ground Black Lime is grown on a family farm in Guatemala, where ripe limes are dried in the sun until they oxidize, turning black and savory. A versatile ingredient common in Persian cooking, they have a savory, tart flavor that's great on roasted meat or vegetables, in stews and anywhere you'd use lime juice. It's also a good alternative to makrut / kaffir lime in southeast Asian dishes.
The New York Times writes: "This is sour upon sour, a quick barb of citrus, and then the musk of fermentation beneath."
- Origin: Alta Verapaz, Guatemala
- Process: Sun-dried, then ground
- Ingredients: 100% sun-dried Persian lime (Citrus latifolia), ground
- Tasting notes: Bright Citrus • Garden Herbs • Tanned Leather
COOKING
- Sprinkle into rice, soups, fish and kebabs
- Toss with vegetables prior to roasting
- Use as garnish for cocktails, especially sours and margaritas
- Pairs well with: Black Urfa Chili, Wild Mountain Cumin, Smoked Pimentón Paprika
SOURCING
Guatemala exports 80% of the world’s cardamom. Much of their cardamom ends up in the Middle East, where cardamom coffee is a morning staple. Our partner farmer's middle-eastern customers wanted to see if he could also provide them with whole black limes, another spice common in Persian cuisine, and he was happy to oblige.
We introduced our Ground Black Lime in early 2019. Since then, we've worked with our partner farmer to increase production. As a result, our customers (you!) have been helping to offset the recent smaller-than-usual cardamom harvests.
Meet the Farmer: Amilcar Pereira planted his first cardamom vine when he was 9. In the years since then, he has succeded in creating the only vertically-integrated cardamom operation in Guatemala. His farming practices produce cardamom is so good that Saveur called him "the farmer shaking up the Guatemalan cardamom trade"