Vegan Caviar!

"A Plant a Day"- Finger Lime (Citrus australasica, syn. Microcitrus australasica)-

 The Finger Lime is a fun citrus fruit that is has a cylindrical-shape and comes in an assortment of colors, including red, pink, yellow, brown and green. Once the fruit is sliced open, it is possible to gently squeeze out the little ball-shaped citrus pulp which separate from each other easily—resembling caviar! These are then consumed directly and as they are chewed, each gives a pleasant pop and burst of flavor as they break open. The Finger Lime is one of Australia’s endemic citrus and have been consumed for thousands of years by the Aboriginal people.  

Finger Lime is high in Vitamin C and antioxidant compounds, as well as rich in folate, potassium and Vitamin E. For this reason, it is finding applications in superfoods and cosmetics. Raw Finger Lime is great for making drinks and desserts, jams, chutneys and marmalade. The Finger Lime “pearls”, as they are often called, have found recent interest on export markets and are quickly rising in popularity. The pearls can be frozen and shipped, and when they thaw they are reported to taste exactly as they do raw. I have consumed these in restaurants used on raw oysters, in exactly the same way caviar would be served, and the combination of flavors was perfect!

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Photo by Ivar the Boneful