I was scanning over the produce  at my local  Whole Foods market when I came across a sign for “Sweet Limes”. I had never heard of sweet limes before so I decided to take some home and try them.  After all one of my highlights of going to the market is to come home with something new and unusual to try.

Looking at a sweet lime it resembles a round lemon, my expectation was to bite into one and experience a tart tangy flavor. To my surprise it was extremely sweet!  This atypical fruit was really peaking my curiosity so I began some research of this fruit of unknown origin.
Sweet limes are native to India, Vietnam, Egypt, and on the Mediterranean coast. Sweet limes become yellow when ripe in fact the yellower the fruit the more sweet they are. Sweet limes have a unique flavor because they don’t contain citric acid: sour limes contain both a higher sugar level and citric acid which contributes to its tart taste.  Like other citrus fruits, sweet limes are high in vitamin c and fiber.  Health benefits from consuming sweet limes include: assisting with weight loss, lowering fevers, aiding in excessive thirst, helping detoxify the body, aiding in stomach ailments including nausea and vomiting. Some cancer patients receiving chemotherapy have reported less nausea when drinking sweet lime juice.

Sweet lime juice is commonly used in the  ayuervedic diet. Sweet limes can be sliced and eaten, placed in water for an exotic flavor, and  the zest and juice make a nice accompaniment on fish or poultry.

I encourage you to become adventurous and when you come across a sweet lime give it a try and experience this atypical fruit.