Citrus fruits are plentiful in Cambodia: oranges, limes, tangerines and mandarins can be found in abundance on market stalls and supermarket shelves. The most “exotic” of these fruits is undoubtedly the one known in French as citron kaffir, combava, citron combera or even “makrut” (this last name is a transcription of the citrus fruit’s Thai name).
This fruit is thought to have originated in Malaysia. It is produced by a shrub 5 to 10 metres high, with a gnarled trunk protected by robust thorns. The shrub is found in all hot regions, from south-east Asia to Réunion and the Comoros. In China it grows in the southern provinces of Yunnan and Guangxi.
The leaves are oval, with a shiny surface and a firm texture reminiscent of leather. They are unique in that they are paired lengthwise. The heavily blistered skin of the combava is quite distinctive.
Known in Khmer as “kroch saech” (ក្រូចសើច), and to botanists under the binomial name Citrus hystrix, the kaffir lemon is an essential ingredient in Cambodian cuisine: no spice blend is complete without its leaves or peel.
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