A spritz of finger lime will inevitably awaken the senses. Its green, lemony facets evoke carefree feelings: light, fresh, uplifting. Its scent is vibrantly green and undeniably citrusy, with undertones that are whisperingly minty due to an isomenthone compound that sets this note apart from most other members of the hesperidic family. A distinct note of surprising, exotic facets.
A chameleon of the Citrus species, finger limes (Citrus australasica) are thought to have the widest color variation of any citrus fruit. It's a rainbow spectrum of sorts, ranging from green to yellow, orange, red, purple, black and brown. A cylindrical fruit of 4–8 cm in length, finger limes can be found growing in the lowland subtropical rainforests and dry rainforests of Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. Its scent is a reproduction accord, created synthetically.
Finger limes have been enjoyed by the First Nations peoples of Australia since time immemorial. The fruit grew naturally in the wild until European invasion in the late 18th century. Thereafter, deforestation for settlements and farming led to the near extinction of the species. Nowadays, it is cultivated on a much smaller scale and is popular for adding a cavier-esque pop of citrus to dishes served in swanky, cosmopolitan restaurants.
Australia
