This tiny citrus punches way above its size, both in flavor and, apparently, in the health research it’s attracted back in Japan.
The Basics
Shikwaasaa, Citrus depressa, also called hirami lemon, is a small citrus in the family Rutaceae.
Origin and Habitat
Native to Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands as well as Taiwan, where it’s a defining flavor of Okinawan cuisine.
What It Looks Like
A small, flattened, slightly squat round fruit with a thin, bumpy rind that shifts from dark green to yellow as it ripens, similar in size to a key lime.
Uses and Flavor
Extremely sour and aromatic, used more like a seasoning citrus than a fruit to eat outright, squeezed into drinks, over grilled fish, or into ponzu-style sauces, similar in spirit to how we use kafir lime, more for what it brings to a dish than for eating outright. It’s also become well known for unusually high levels of nobiletin, a compound researchers have been studying for its anti-inflammatory properties.
Growing It Here
A Japanese citrus, part of the growing collection we’ve built up over the years, alongside its rarer cousin tachibana. Ours is about 8 feet tall now and hasn’t started producing yet, unlike the all-purpose Tahitian lime which we use constantly.
Pests and Diseases to Watch For
Standard citrus pests like scale and leaf miner would apply, nothing specific to report from ours.
Kenta’s Take
A fruit this small carrying this much flavor and this much research attention is a good reminder that size has nothing to do with how much a plant matters.