Dried Lime, Limoo Omani

Scientific Name: Citrus aurantiifolia (Christm.) Swingle Synonym: Citrus acida Roxb. English Name: Dried Lime Other Names in English (UK, USA, Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand): Egyptian Lime, Indian Lime, Key Lime, Mexican Lime, Sour Lime Family: Rutaceae

GENERAL DATA

Plant Parts: Leaves, fruits, fruit skin, fruit kernel
Cultivation Mode: Wild collection/ Cultivated
In Manufacturing: Pharmaceutical, Oil, Extract, Soft drink, Alcoholic drink, Herbal Tea, Spices
Foods: All foods

🍋 Industries That Use Dried Lime (Limoo Omani)

Derived from Citrus aurantiifolia (Christm.) Swingle

Dried Lime, commonly known as Limoo Omani, is made by sun-drying whole sour limes, typically after boiling or blanching. It’s a traditional product native to Iran, Iraq, and the broader Gulf region, with a sharp, tangy, and smoky flavor profile. Beyond culinary use, Limoo Omani holds value in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and aromatic industries.

1. Food & Culinary Industry

Limoo Omani is a signature souring agent and flavor enhancer in Middle Eastern and South Asian cuisine.

• Used whole or powdered in:

  • Stews (e.g., Ghormeh Sabzi, Dizi, and Arabic Maghmour)

  • Rice dishes and legume soups

  • Meat rubs and dry spice blends

• Popular in:

  • Gourmet ethnic markets

  • Ready-made spice sachets

  • Traditional cooking kits

✅ Available in whole dried form, crushed, or finely ground powder.

2. Herbal & Nutraceutical Industry

Limoo Omani retains beneficial phytochemicals from the lime, especially when gently dried.

• Digestive stimulant and appetite booster

• Used in traditional medicine for:

  • Detoxification

  • Cold and cough relief

  • Indigestion and bloating

• High in:

  • Vitamin C, citric acid, and flavonoids

✅ Appears in herbal infusions, teas, and traditional gut-health blends.

3. Tea & Functional Beverage Industry

Dried lime is used as an ingredient in herbal teas and infusions for its tangy aroma and antioxidant effects.

• Cold and flu herbal blends

• Caffeine-free sour citrus teas

• Often combined with:

  • Hibiscus, Cinnamon, Ginger, or Thyme

✅ Tea bags or loose blends sold in wellness and ethnic tea brands.

4. Cosmetic & Skincare Industry

Rich in antioxidants and citric acid, dried lime is used for:

• Brightening facial scrubs

• Cleansing masks

• Foot soaks and bath salts

✅ Often appears in DIY kits or niche organic brands for skin tone correction and rejuvenation.

5. Aromatherapy & Natural Fragrance

Dried lime has a smoky-citrus aroma that’s used in:

• Potpourri

• Aromatic sachets

• Natural deodorants

• Middle Eastern home fragrance sprays

✅ Natural dried lime powder is also used in natural incense blends.

6. Ethnic, Organic & Export Markets

Limoo Omani is a staple in Persian, Iraqi, Kuwaiti, and Emirati cuisines, making it highly demanded in ethnic supermarkets and online specialty stores.

• Exported as:

  • Whole dried lime (black, brown, or yellow)

  • Powdered form (for spice racks or tea blends)

• Frequently repackaged in:

  • Glass jars

  • Sachets

  • Herbal wellness kits

✅ Often certified as organic or sun-dried with no additives.

✅ Summary of Key Applications

🌟 Key Features of Dried Lime (Limoo Omani)

• Botanical Name: Citrus aurantiifolia (Christm.) Swingle

• Common Names: Limoo Amani, Black Lime, Dried Lime, Noomi Basra

• Form: Whole dried fruit (black or brown), powder, slices

• Flavor: Sour, slightly bitter, smoky

• Processing: Boiled/blanched, sun-dried or oven-dried

• Origin: Iran, Iraq, Oman, UAE, India

• Shelf Life: 1–2 years when stored dry and sealed

• Culinary Grade: Preferred when naturally sun-dried and seedless

PRODUCT NAME IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES Persian Name: لیمو عمانی/ Limoo Omani German Name (Deutschland, Austria, Switzerland): Getrocknete Limetten, getrocknete Limonen French Name (France, Belgium, Switzerland, Quebec): Citron vert déshydraté, Citron Vert Séché, Citrons noirs séchés

 

To order dehydrated Key Lime, please contact us.

 

About Citrus Aurantiifolia

Lime is the fruit of an evergreen tree that reaches six meters in height. The Citrus aurantiifolia tree has many branches and leaves, and small, strong and sharp thorns can be seen at the junction of its leaves and stems.

Its leaves are often almond-shaped, sometimes oval-shaped, pointed and slightly elongated, and grow with very short petioles. There are very small teeth on the side of these leaves. On the petiole of the leaves, two very small appendages of its leaves can be seen.

The flowers are small and white and grow in groups. Each flower usually has five elongated petals, relatively narrow, almost pointed and completely separate from each other. The color of the back of the petals is usually purple, and sometimes pink spots and dots can be seen on their back.

Lime fruits are green. The flesh inside the ripe lemon is juicy and yellowish-green, and inside the pulps are almost wedge-shaped, semi-circular and crescent-shaped. These pulps are covered by very thin shells and grow in a contiguous, concentric and regular manner. Inside each pulp, there are a number of relatively large, drop-shaped, pointed, cream-colored seeds. Lime flesh has a pleasant aroma and a very sour taste.

The whole fruit of some types of limes are placed in direct sunlight so that the juice and skin become completely dry and its color turns to light brown or dark brown. These dried limes are known as Limo Omani. The inside of the Limo Omani is very dark brown.

 

Lime Temperament

The Lime flesh is at the second degree of cold and first degree of dry. The kernel of lime is at the second degree of hot and first degree of dry.

 

Lime’s Chemical Constituent

Citric acid, citral, limonene, linalool, linalyl acetate, terpineol, coumarin, isopimpinellin, bergapten, citropten, xanthyletin.

 

Dried Lime Health Benefits Dried Lime is liver and stomach tonic, cools the liver and stomach, skin brightener, diuretic, sudorific, disinfectant, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. Ripe lime skin is a stomach tonic. It removes the harmful effects of poisonous air, toxic herbs, and Euphorbia sap, promotes muscle growth, prevents paralysis and cancer, prevents premature aging and spoilage of food, and reduces blood cholesterol. Hot headache, dizziness caused by thick vapors inside the body, hangover, diarrhea, especially dysentery, nausea, diseases caused by yellow bile, especially vomiting and fevers, arteriosclerosis, obesity, warm pharyngeal swellings, pneumonia, colds, purulent wounds, blood infection, skin spots and pimples, scarlet fever, sciatica, rheumatism, gout, varicose veins, suffocation, stomach inflammation and kidney pain.

Drinking 100 grams of fresh lime juice daily along with some sugar syrup during the day helps to cure rheumatism. Gargling a diluted solution of lime juice and water improves pharyngitis and sore throat caused by colds. If you cut a lime in half, then warm it a little and apply it successively on the forehead and temples, it will relieve a hot headache.

Washing the wound with a solution of lime juice and water helps to heal the wound and clean the wound from infection.

The seed kernel of lime is enlivening and an antidote to poisons. Lime tree leaves are enlivening.

Eating the extract of lime tree leaves with the extract of Areca palm leaves is useful for relieving heartache. If you pound the leaves of the lime tree, the poultice on the forehead will relieve the headache.

 

Dried Lime Dose 2.5 to 5 grams from dried Lime seed kernel.   Dried Lime Side Effects Dried Lime is bad for the nerves. It is also harmful for those with cold temperaments and coughs. Eating too much dried lime before breakfast weakens the stomach and causes heartburn.   Dried Lime Modifiers Sugar and honey for dried Lime flesh. Its seed kernel should be eaten with warm water.

To order black Persian limes, please contact us.