Special Edition: Meyer Lemon Pearls

This is a very special fruit and a very special pearl. I tried the Meyer Lemons first about 20 years ago in the USA and the smell is so amazing, that once you tried it, you never want to miss it. The skin of the fruit is much thinner than that of the normal lemons and it is completely smooth. Once you see a thinner lemon at your fruit shop, scratch the skin and you will immediately love the smell!

Citrus meyeri, the Meyer lemon (Chinese 香柠檬 xiangningmeng), is a hybrid citrus fruit native to China. It is a cross between a lemon and a mandarin/pomelo hybrid.  The fruits were first introduced to the United States from China in the early 20th century by Frank Meyer, from whom they also got their name. Meyer lemons don’t have the same tang as regular lemons. Instead, they’re much sweeter — so much so that some people enjoy adding the raw segments to their salads or desserts. Their rinds also have a more complex scent than regular lemons — a spicy bergamot fragrance that tastes and smells more like a herb or a spice, it even has some flavours of a freshly cut wood.

In this case, the pearls are made from pure juice and zest, which has most of the flavors. No saké is used. I recommend serving the pearls cold even with the warm dishes as it develops the flavor perfectly.

Try them with

• • with seafood and fish, raw, cooked or smoked
  • with oysters
  • with caviar – this is really something special!
  • in salads
  • with poultry
  • in desserts, as cheesecake

As all pearls, they are a surprise for the palate and a joy to watch and give freedom and creativity to decide on the taste of each bite of the dish – depending on how many of these delicious pearls you take.

Get some inspiration from our dishes and share yours. Enjoy!