Lime and lemon both members of the citrus family, but there are many differences between them. They are members of the same family, but the smaller lime is a predecessor of the lemon, and stems from a different continent, where the lemon does not grow.
Lemons originate from limes, and were originally developed as a two-step hybrid, first between the lime and the citron in India and Pakistan, and the second (lime with pummelo) in the Middle East.
In 400, they were introduced to Europe by Arabs in Moorish Spain, before being brought to Northern Africa. In 1493, lemons were introduced to the Americas by Christopher Columbus, and have been grown in Florida since the 16th century.
Also, they differ in size, with limes noticeably smaller than lemons. Also, the taste of lemons is sour, while the one of limes is sweet or bitter. When it comes to cooking, both are used in a similar way, and are added to salad dressings, sauces, marinades, beverages, and cocktails.
Limes are more bitter, so they are often added to savory dishes, whereas the sweetness of lemons makes them a great ingredient in both savory and sweet dishes. Yet, this is not a hard and fast rule, and for example, lime is added to certain sweet beverages like margaritas or limeade, and desserts like key lime pie.
Still, generally speaking, lemons are more common in sweet dishes than limes.
So, you can safely use both, lemons and limes, interchangeably in a variety of cooking scenarios without ruining the dish, but keep the bitter-sweet flavor balance in mind.
Lemons are oval in shape, and limes are round. Both are rich in Vitamin C, lemons contain twice the amount of vitamin C than the limes, as an average- sized lime has 30 mg, while the average sized lemon contains about 53 mg of vitamin C. The high vitamin C content strengthens the immune system, improves skin health, and helps in the treatment of arthritis.
Both lemons and limes are abundant in flavonoids, vitamins A, potassium, folate and powerful antioxidants, and thus offer potent anti-cancer properties. Yet, limes are higher in vitamin A, while lemons are rich in folate and potassium.
The high levels of limonoids also protect against cancer, and they also alkalize the body and neutralize acidosis. While lemon juice has 1.44 grams of citric acid per ounce, lime juice has 1.38 grams per ounce, so they are among the fruits with the highest citric acid content, according to doctors who evaluated the acid content of fruit juice in the “Journal of Endourology.
These are just some of the countless health benefits offered by limes and lemons.
Therefore, the powerful medicinal properties of these citrus fruits explain the reason why all health experts advise their consumption as a natural way to improve your health.
