We started Numi 27 years ago with a simple idea to introduce a lime tea we drank as children to a US audience. That tea is called Numi Basra, a citrus grown and dried in Oman and imported through the port of Basra, Iraq, where we were born. While we immigrated to the US as children, we continued to drink this tea throughout our childhood. We decided to name our new tea company Numi and it was one of our first nine teas. Now, with over 35 blends, 4 latte powders and 2 drinking chocolates, Dry Desert Lime is one of many, but remains very special to our founding story.

From Desert to Cup: Where it Grows and How it's Cultivated?

A pantry staple throughout Southwest Asia, this rare lime is also known as Loomi, Limoo Omani, Black Lime, or Persian Lime. Most of these cultures utilize it as an ingredient in cooking except for Iraq where it's steeped into a tea. I recall as a child in my uncle's house a double boiler sat on the stove all day… the dried limes broken in the top pot steeped into a concentrate and the bottom hot water to dilute the strong brew. It was always served to guests and drunk with spoons of sugar to balance the tartness.

Grown in desert climates, we purchase our Dry Desert Lime from Fair Trade Certified™ organic farms in Burkina Faso, West Africa, where the fruit is harvested while still green and thin-skinned. The lime then undergoes a transformation that hasn't changed in centuries: it's briefly boiled in salted water, then laid out under the desert sun for days — sometimes weeks — until it shrinks, hardens and darkens from green to deep amber to nearly black.

That slow sun-drying is what makes this lime so special. The salt bath draws out moisture and guards against mold, while the sun concentrates the fruit's natural acids and oils into something far more complex than fresh citrus — tart, earthy, a little smoky, and almost fermented. It's a preservation technique born of necessity in arid climates, passed down through generations of desert communities long before refrigeration existed, and it's still done today almost exactly as it always has been.

An Oasis of Health

Beyond its flavor, this lime has long been valued as a wellness ritual for its many health benefits.

• Rich in vitamin C, which supports a healthy immune system
• Traditionally used to aid digestion and calm an upset stomach
• Soothing for a scratchy or sore throat
• Good source of vitamin D, and traditionally sipped to break the fast during Ramadan, prized for easing headaches and dizziness
• Naturally caffeine-free, can be enjoyed any time of day

Enjoyed hot or over ice, this herbal sun-dried treasure has a bright, slightly smoky, citrus pop – a pleasure straight or lightly sweetened.

Desert Lime Cooler

• 2 Numi Dry Desert Lime tea bags
• 2 cups hot water
• 1–2 tablespoons honey or agave, to taste
• Rosemary sprig
• Cayenne powder
• Sparkling water & ice

Steep the tea bags in hot water for 5–6 minutes for a nice potent cup. Stir in honey while still warm, then let cool to room temperature. Fill a tall glass with ice, pour over the steeped tea, add rosemary sprig and top with a splash of sparkling water. Sprinkle with cayenne powder for a nice kick.

Spinach & Chickpea Stew with Black Lime

In the Middle East, black lime is used frequently – simmered whole in soups and stews, ground into powder as a marinade or rub for fish and chicken and even crushed with salt for the rim of a cocktail glass. Pierce the shell with a knife before it goes into a pot, and it slowly releases its tang as it simmers, then gets scooped out. One of my favorite stews is called sabzi spainagh, a spinach style stew inspired by Persian cuisine, simmers low and slow while a sour, smoky aroma fills the house. Serve it over rice with a dollop of yogurt on the side for a healthy and wholesome meal.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 Numi Dry Desert Lime tea bags or 2 whole dried limes, pierced 2–3 times with a fork
• 3 cups broth (vegetable, meat or poultry)
• Cooked stew meat or shredded chicken (optional)
• 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 10 oz fresh spinach, roughly chopped (or 2 cups frozen, thawed)
• Salt, to taste
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Toasted pine nuts and chopped cilantro, for garnish

Instructions:

• Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic, turmeric, cumin and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
• Add the broth and the Dry Desert Lime (bag contents or whole pierced limes). Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes to let the lime's tartness infuse the broth.
• Stir in the chickpeas and spinach. Simmer another 10 minutes, until the spinach is tender and the stew has thickened slightly, gently pressing on the dried lime to release more flavor.
• Remove the limes if using whole limes.
• Season with salt and finish with the lemon juice.
• Serve with warm rice or crusty bread.
• Top with pine nuts and cilantro.
• If adding meat, cook on the side and add in along with spinach and chickpeas.

27 Years Later, Still Our Namesake

Twenty-seven years in, this little sun-dried lime is still exactly what it was when we started: our namesake, our comfort, and our reminder of where Numi began. Whether you're steeping it hot, pouring it over ice, or simmering it into a pot of stew, we hope it brings fruitful inspiration into your home too.

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