Black Limes May Be Ugly, But It’s What’s Inside That Counts
There’s no juice to squeeze out of these rock-hard limes.
Photographer: Danny Kim for Bloomberg Businessweek
Ugly fruits and vegetables are enjoying unprecedented attention as a way to fight food waste. But even among the most misshapen potatoes and bruised tomatoes, black limes stand out. They resemble pingpong balls that have been marinated in mud.
What they lack in looks, they make up for in personality: a jolt of fragrant, pungent tang that evokes a Middle Eastern spice counter. “Black limes have that addictive, slightly sweet Sour Patch Kids tartness,” says chef Timon Balloo. At his eponymous new Caribbean restaurant in Miami, he grates the dried fruit on chunks of roasted squash, then encourages diners to mix it all up. “If you don’t have lime with every bite, you’re missing out on the heart of the dish,” he says.