Curry leaf vs makrut lime leaf
Two glossy tropical leaves whose aroma collapses within days of picking and which are near-inert dried. Both are cooking materials first and drinks second, and both are worth buying frozen.
botanical
What is being compared
Point by point
| Aspect | Curry leaf | Makrut lime leaf |
|---|---|---|
| The plant | Murraya koenigii, a small South Asian tree, and a Rutaceae like citrus. | Citrus hystrix, an actual citrus, from mainland and island Southeast Asia. |
| Aroma | Citrus and anise with a green edge, instantly recognisable and hard to describe. | Concentrated lime peel with a green bitterness. |
| Where it belongs | South Indian and Sri Lankan cooking, tempered in hot oil at the start of a dish. | Thai and Indonesian curry pastes, soups and stir-fries, torn rather than chopped. |
| As a drink | Omam-style household infusions in Tamil Nadu, sometimes with pepper and cumin. | Steeped at home with lemongrass and ginger across Thailand and Indonesia. |
| The name problem | Nothing to do with curry powder, and 'sweet neem' is not neem either. | Its old English name is a slur and is still printed on packets. |
The short answer
Neither is worth buying dried. Both are sold frozen in shops serving the communities that use them, and frozen is where the aroma survives.
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