image source wikimedia commons

1. The latin name for the Lime is Citrus aurantifolia, the name refers to several species and hybrids.

2. Sour limes possess a greater sugar and citric acid content than lemons, while sweet limes lack citric acid content.

3. British sailors used to be issued a daily allowance of citrus fruit to prevent scurvy, this is where the nickname limey comes from.

4. India grows 16% of the worlds lime, with Mexico (14.5%), Argentina (10%), Brazil (8%) and Spain (7%) following behind.

5. Microwaving a lime for 15 seconds before squeezing produces almost twice as much juice.

6. Freshly squeezed lime juice is a key ingredient in the Margarita.

7. Lime Jell-O is the official state food of Utah.

8. The two varieties of limes used most prevalently are the larger Persian and the smaller Key (mainly available in the US).

9. It is thought that limes originally came from Southeast Asia, then were spread to Egypt and Africa in the 900s. Moors introduced limes to Spain in the 1200s, and became used throughout Europe.

10. Columbus took  limes to the Caribbean in 1493 and they were subsequently cultivated in the Florida region by Spanish explorers.