Kaffir lime powder

Using Combava Powder in Cooking

Explore Indonesian Flavors with Combava

Highly present in Reunionese, Thai, or Malaysian cuisine, combava is a citrus fruit with a unique flavor that enhances even the simplest dishes.

How to Use Combava Powder?

Here are some recipe ideas to incorporate combava powder into your cooking:

• Combava Broth: add 1 tablespoon of combava powder to your broth;
• Reunionese Combava Dumplings: add 1.5 teaspoons of combava powder to your dumpling filling;
• Sautéed Shrimp: sprinkle 1 teaspoon of combava powder over your shrimp during cooking;
• Yuzu Shortbread Cookies: add 1.5 teaspoons of yuzu powder to your shortbread dough. You can cut it into biscuits or use it as a base for a strawberry tart;
• Combava Pork Skewers: add 1.5 teaspoons of combava powder to your marinade with olive oil and fresh coriander;
• Combava Cookies: half a teaspoon of combava powder in your shortbread dough;

Discover new flavors and add an exotic touch to your dishes with combava powder!

Aromas and Flavors of Combava Powder

Combava is a highly aromatic citrus fruit resembling a lime but smaller and more acidic. This is why the peel and leaves, rich in essential oils, are used. The zest is dried and ground into powder.

Its captivating aroma with notes of verbena, lemongrass, ginger, and coriander is penetrating and original.

Its taste is intense and remarkably fresh, delicious on fish, white meats, and in broths.

Combava, the Hedgehog Lemon

A Dish-Revealing Citrus Fruit

Combava, or Citrus hystrix, botanically named, is a beautiful small citrus fruit with bumps. It was called "hedgehog lemon" by the botanist Augustin de Candolle, or "combava lemon" of the Moluccas according to Pierre Poivre. It is also known as "Kaffir lime" in the southern Indian Ocean and, to complicate matters further, as "Makrut" in Thailand.

This "false lime" belongs to the Rutaceae family like other citrus fruits such as lemon, orange, or grapefruit.

The shrub on which combava grows can reach up to 3 meters in height. This tree loves warmth and cannot tolerate cold. Its leaves are also used in cooking for their intense fragrance, especially in broths and stuffings.

Combava Through History

Combava or Cumbava is native to Indonesia, in the archipelago of the Sunda Islands. It was introduced by Pierre Poivre at the end of the 18th century in the Indian Ocean. It owes its name to the island of origin: Sumbava.

The plantation from which Combava Terre Exotique comes enjoys exceptional conditions as it is located along a major river in Madagascar: the Manantsatrana.