Difference between Lime and Lemon

Lime and lemon both are citrus fruits that belong to the same citrus family, Rutacea. Both are small, round and sour in taste. People often confuse lime with lemon as they share some features. Although they look alike they are different from each other in terms of shape, size, colour, taste and nutrition. Let us see how a lime differs from lemon!

Lime:

Lime is obtained from a small, thorny lime tree. It is a citrus fruit that is green in colour and sour in taste. It is smaller and less sour than lemons. The fruits of various species of citrus trees are also known as limes such as Key lime, Spanish lime, Rangpur lime, Musk lime, Kaffir lime, Desert lime etc. Lime is available throughout the year. It is round in shape with a diameter ranges from 3 to 6 cm.

Lime is one of the best sources of vitamin C and contains more vitamin A than lemon. It is used to flavour a variety foods and beverages and is one of the basic ingredients in most of the Mexican, Vietnamese and Thai cuisines. Furthermore, the lime extracts and its essential oils are used in the manufacturing of perfumes, cleansing products and aromatherapy.

Lemon:

Lemon is obtained from a small evergreen lemon tree that is native to Asia. It is a type of citrus fruit that is yellow in colour and tastes sour. Its juice as well as pulp and peel are used as various culinary and non-culinary purposes. The citric acid present in the lemon gives it its characteristic sour taste. It has more potassium and vitamin C than lime.

Lemons are larger in size than limes and are oval in shape with a diameter of around 2 to 3 inches. It is less acidic but sourer than lime. It is mostly used in lemonade, soft drinks and cocktails and a variety of other foods and beverages like Lemon chicken, Lemon fish, Lemon meringue pie, Lemon chiffon cake, Lemon tart and Lemon drop, Lemonette, Lemon liquor etc.

Based on the above information, some of the key differences between Lime and Lemon are as follows: