Quick answer: Combava is cooked in three forms: fresh zest, fresh leaves, and the powder obtained by drying then grinding the zest. Vanille Désiré offers only the powder, made from wild combava picked in Vangaindrano. Fresh zest and leaves, more fragile to keep, are found instead at a greengrocer's or a specialist grocer's.
Combava, Citrus hystrix, is a small citrus fruit native to South-East Asia, recognisable by its double, figure-of-eight-shaped leaves and its bumpy skin. Very present in Réunionese, Thai and Malaysian cooking, it is rarely cooked like a lemon you squeeze: it is its skin and its leaves that carry most of its aroma. This page sets out the three forms it is found in, and what sets apart the powder we offer.
Fresh zest, the fruit's skin
Combava zest is the skin of the fruit, finely grated or taken off in thin shavings, without the bitter white pith just under the skin. Fresh, it is grated directly over a dish at the end of preparation, to keep all its citrus aroma. It is a fragile form: fresh zest quickly loses its volatile aromas once taken off, which limits its storage to a few days in the fridge.
The leaves, for infusing an aroma
Combava leaves are used fresh, whole or finely shredded, in broths, curries, stuffings or marinades, where they infuse an aroma that combines lemongrass and lemon. Unlike the zest, they are often removed before serving, once their aroma has passed into the dish, a little like a bay leaf. The dried skins, however, remain more aromatic than the leaves, which is why the powder, made from the zest, concentrates a stronger aroma than the leaves alone.
The powder, a dried and ground zest
Combava powder is obtained by drying then grinding the zest, that is, the fruit's skin. It concentrates a powerful, lingering flavour, which combines notes of citrus, lemongrass and a floral base. It is a stable form, easy to dose and to store, unlike fresh zest or leaves. It is the only form Vanille Désiré offers: our combava is picked wild in Vangaindrano, in south-eastern Madagascar, never cultivated.
How to dose the powder
A quarter to half a teaspoon of combava powder is generally enough for a dish, whether a sauce, a curry, a chutney, a rougail, a dessert, white meat, fish, seafood, a cake or a tart. It is best to add it during cooking, then taste before adding more: the powder, more concentrated than fresh zest, is less forgiving of excess.
Can one form replace another
The three forms are not interchangeable in equal amounts. The powder, more concentrated, needs a smaller quantity than fresh zest for a comparable result; the leaves bring a more discreet, diffuse aroma, meant to infuse for a long time rather than to season a dish with just a pinch. Lacking fresh zest or leaves, the powder remains the simplest form to keep to hand and use when needed.
Where to find each form
The whole fruit and fresh combava leaves remain niche products in Europe: they are found mainly in Asian grocers or at some greengrocers', sometimes as frozen leaves, easier to transport and keep than fresh leaves, which wilt quickly. Fresh zest follows the same path: it has to be taken off a whole fruit yourself, which means finding one, fresh and still fragrant. The powder, meanwhile, keeps like any dry spice, away from light and moisture, and is easier to order.
Combava, savoury or sweet
Our combava powder works as well on the savoury side, in a fish carpaccio, poultry or roasted vegetables, as on the sweet side, in a cream or a fruit dish. Combava in savoury cooking and combava in desserts go into these uses in detail. For the often-asked question of comparing it with a more common citrus fruit, see combava or lime, what sets them apart.
Our wild combava powder
Our family picks this combava wild in Vangaindrano, in south-eastern Madagascar, then dries and grinds its skin.
Frequently asked questions
In what form does Vanille Désiré sell combava?
Only as a powder, obtained by drying then grinding the zest, that is, the fruit's skin. We do not offer fresh zest or fresh leaves.
Is Vanille Désiré's combava grown by your family?
No: it is picked wild in Vangaindrano, in south-eastern Madagascar, like our wild Voatsiperifery pepper.
How much combava powder should be used in a dish?
A quarter to half a teaspoon is generally enough for a dish; it is best to add it during cooking then taste before adding more.
Are combava leaves more fragrant than the zest?
No, it is the opposite: the dried skins, which give the powder, remain more aromatic than the leaves, whose aroma is more discreet and diffuse.
The Vanille Désiré team
