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Lemons and Limes In the Middle East - Twitchin Kitten - 09-17-2008
The below is taken from my cookbook: The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by: Claudia Roden
Lemons and Limes: are ubiquitous as flavorings in different forms. Preserved in salt, they are a North African specialty; for ways of making them see the post in this section on preserving lemons.
Dried limes are a specialty of Iran, Iraq, and Persian Gulf countries. One is usually enough for a stew for 6. Iraqi's call them noomi basra, Persians call them limoo omani. In the Arabian Gulf states, where they are much used, they are called loomi.
They are used to flavor soups and stews and to make an infusion to drink. The usual way is to pierce with the point of a knife in a few places, or to crack them open with a hammer or pulverize them in a food processor (in that case the pip must be removed first).
You can buy them whole or pulverized in Indian and Oriental stores. you can also make them yourself very easily. Simply leave whole small lemons or limes to dry out, preferably in the sun or as I do, on radiators, until are brown and very light and sound hollow when you tap them.