Rangpur lime

What it is

A Rangpur measures about 4.5–6.25 cm (1¾–2½ in) across, with orange flesh under an orange rind. The thin peel comes away easily. Inside are small seeds, sometimes as many as 18.

Its sweet-looking colour can be misleading: the ordinary Rangpur is strongly acidic. Weirick is a separate, almost acid-free variety with a much sweeter taste.

Where it comes from

Rangpur almost certainly comes from India, where it grows in the west and south. The Reasoner Brothers, nurserymen in Oneco, Florida, brought seed from northwestern India to Florida in the late 1800s.

In Brazil, its importance goes beyond the fruit bowl. Rangpur supplies roots for other citrus trees: a branch of the desired fruit variety is grafted onto it and grows into the fruit-bearing crown.

How it's eaten where it grows

In India, 20–40% sharp Rangpur juice is blended into sweeter mandarin juice. On Hawaiʻi’s Big Island, where its growing following has earned it the nickname Kona lime, it has found its way into dishes such as Chef Paul Heerlein’s hummus, with chickpeas, roasted garlic, olive oil and curry powder.

Teri Wisdom’s Kona Rangpur cheesecake uses both juice and zest, then gets a garnish of sliced papaya and passion-fruit sauce. The same fruit’s acidity suits marmalade and cocktails as well as savoury cooking.

How it's grown

Rangpur trees grown from seed in Hawaiʻi take about four to six years to bear fruit. They need soil that drains freely and won’t tolerate being waterlogged. The fruit is picked when its rind turns orange, the colour that makes it look like a mandarin orange.

When and where you'll find it

At Riverside in Southern California, the main crop usually ripens in winter and early spring. In Hawaiʻi, where the tree reportedly arrived in the 1880s, it has been kept for its fruit since the early 1920s. The whole fruit provides both juice for cooking and zest for desserts.