Lime

มะนาว

Manao: small, juicy Thai limes, the main source of sourness in Thai cooking.

Thai limes are small, round and thin-skinned, and they are very juicy. Lime is the most important souring ingredient in Thai cooking: the sour in hot-sour-salty-sweet nearly always comes from a squeeze of manao.

It is a different fruit from the makrut lime, which is used for its leaves and zest rather than its juice.

Pronunciation	ma-nao
Flavour	Sharp, sour and fragrant
Used in	Tom yum, larb, som tam, dipping sauces, drinks
Substitute	Ordinary limes; lemon only in an emergency

How it is used

Squeezed into tom yum and tom saep, larb, nam tok, som tam and yam salads, and into almost every dipping sauce, from nam jim seafood to jaew. Wedges are served on the side with noodles, khao soi and grilled meats. Lime juice also goes into iced tea and soda drinks (manao soda).

When to add it

Add lime juice at the end, off the heat. Boiled lime juice turns bitter and loses its fragrance, which is why tom yum gets its lime after the pot comes off the stove.

Choosing and storing

Choose heavy limes with thin, smooth, glossy skin; they have the most juice. Roll them firmly on the counter before cutting. Keep them in the fridge in a bag for two to three weeks.

Cook’s tip
Taste as you add lime. Limes vary a lot in sourness, and it is the one seasoning in a Thai dish that cannot be fixed once there is too much.

More Fruits

All Fruits

Recipes with Lime

Curries

Gaeng Lueang (Southern Sour Yellow Curry with Fish)

A bright yellow, very sour and very hot fish curry from the south, with turmeric, tamarind and green papaya or pineapple. No coconut milk.

40 min · Medium

Noodles & Rice

Khao Soi Gai (Chiang Mai Curry Noodles)

Northern Thailand’s curry noodle soup: chicken legs in a rich coconut curry over soft egg noodles, topped with a nest of crispy fried noodles.

90 min · Medium

Soups

Tom Saep (Isaan Hot & Sour Pork Rib Soup)

A clear, fiery, sour soup of tender pork ribs with lemongrass, galangal, roasted chilli and lots of fresh herbs.

75 min · Easy

Dips & Relishes

Nam Jim Jaew (Isaan Dipping Sauce)

The smoky, sour, salty dipping sauce served with grilled meats across Isaan, thickened with toasted rice.

10 min · Easy

Salads

Som Tam Thai (Green Papaya Salad)

Shredded green papaya bruised in a clay mortar with garlic, chilli, lime, palm sugar, tomatoes, green beans, dried shrimp and peanuts.

20 min · Easy

Salads

Nam Tok Neua (Isaan Grilled Beef Salad)

Charred, juicy beef sliced and tossed warm with lime, fish sauce, roasted chilli, toasted rice, shallots and herbs.

25 min · Easy

Soups

Tom Kha Gai

A mellow coconut and galangal soup with chicken and mushrooms, sharp with lime and gently hot.

35 min · Easy

Soups

Tom Yum Goong

Hot, sour and fragrant prawn soup with lemongrass, galangal and makrut lime leaves, finished with lime juice and nam prik pao.

40 min · Easy

Salads

Larb Moo (Isaan Minced Pork Salad)

Warm minced pork tossed with lime, fish sauce, chilli flakes, toasted rice powder, shallots and fresh mint.

30 min · Easy

Noodles & Rice

Khanom Jeen Nam Ngiao (Northern Noodles in Pork & Tomato Broth)

Soft rice noodles in a spicy, tangy broth of pork ribs, tomatoes and dried chilli paste, topped with bean sprouts, cabbage, crispy garlic and lime.

120 min · Medium

Noodles & Rice

Pad Thai with Prawns

The street-stall classic done properly: tamarind-sour, palm-sugar sweet, fish-sauce salty, with chewy rice noodles and a bit of char from a very hot wok.

40 min · Medium

Dips & Relishes

Nam Prik Noom (Roasted Green Chilli Dip)

Smoky charred green chillies, shallots and garlic, pounded into a rough dip and eaten with pork crackling, sticky rice and vegetables.

35 min · Easy